Note-Just to let you guys know I changed some of the words to the lullaby. I needed to do it so that it would suit my story and just who the tattooed guy is. And a big thanks to all you guys who reviewed. This story is dedicated to you.

Chapter Two

The Camera Obscura

Sora sat on his bed, his mind reeling as he stared at the photo in his hands, the photo of Riku in that abandoned house. It was impossible, it couldn't be real and yet Sora was holding the proof in his hands.

His fingers traced over Riku's form and across his beautiful face. It still hurt so damn much to think about him but Sora couldn't stop. The guilt and the need to somehow preserve Riku prevented him from ever forgetting about the silver haired man. Sora opened the drawer next to his bed and placed the picture inside. He didn't show it to Roxas and he wasn't sure if he was ever going to.

The brunet wiped his sore eyes before lying back onto the bed. He spent hours crying at night because that was when the loneliness became too much to bear. Although Riku had his own room in the apartment the silver haired man stayed in Sora's room at night.

He didn't stay just for the sex. Sometimes Riku would simply ask Sora to hold him at night, whenever he had a really bad nightmare. He always said Sora made him feel safe and protected as well as loved.

It was November now…the month they were supposed to be married. Sora could still remember the moment Riku proposed to him. He had taken Sora out to Touching Starlight, the best restaurant in Radiant Garden and after dessert he had popped the question.

Sora had never felt so happy in his life as Riku slipped the silver band onto his finger then he led Sora to the dance floor. Sora raised a hand to the necklace that now held his crown and the engagement ring.

Roxas had gone to bed hours ago but Sora just couldn't go to sleep yet. He kept reliving memories and moments spent with Riku. They were best friends since childhood then lovers in high school after Riku took a leap of faith and confessed to Sora at the Prom Night.

Kairi, their friend, had laughed and yelled at Riku about taking so damn long to finally confess. They had been together for three years before Riku popped the question that night in the restaurant.

His felt exhausted but at the same time Sora was unable to go to sleep. The incident in that abandoned house was still haunting him along with the knowledge that the photo was real.

Had Riku really been in that house or had Sora been so desperate to see his lover one more time? But that still didn't explain the picture or the bizarre vision of that manor. The brunet sighed heavily as he turned over on the bed so that he was facing the window that overlooked the street he lived on.

"Riku…I miss you so much." Sora felt tears slip down his face. "If I could just see you…just once more…"

It was so hard to think about the boy with teal eyes and dazzling smile. There had always been Riku and Sora. Where one went the other was sure to follow. They made a promise to always be together. It was his fault.

Riku was dead because of his driving and all Sora had left were the bittersweet memories of a love he will never again feel. Kairi often stopped by to see how he was doing. She never blamed him for the accident, no one did, but the guilt was always there, festering like a cancer. Finally Sora fell asleep, with Riku's angelic face in his mind.

The snow was falling gently onto the grounds of the large manor. The stone lanterns provided soft orange light for Sora to see but for the moment he stood in the snow and admired the manor.

He vaguely recalled falling asleep in his apartment and then waking up outside this place. The manor looked decades old and it appeared to have been built haphazardly. Sora felt his body moving towards the large wooden double doors of the manor. He felt the need to enter the manor, an overpowering urge to walk in and find something very dear to his heart.

Sora was dimly aware of the flashlight he held in his hand as he walked up the stones steps and he reached out with one hand to grab hold of the iron ring on the door. Taking a deep breath Sora pulled open the door and entered the manor.

When the door closed behind him he took a moment to get to know his surroundings. The hall smelled musty and old. There was a long corridor directly before Sora and three chests of drawers lined the walls. There were also various pots and urns lying scattered around the floor.

Swallowing his initial fear Sora gripped his flashlight and began walking down the hallway. He stopped when he came to a split in the hallway. He went to the left side of the hallway and tried to the open the door there.

The door was stuck fast and Sora couldn't find a keyhole. Turning back he went to the right section that eventually took a sharp turn to the left. There was a door at the end of this corridor but unlike the various one it was open.

Sora pulled the door open and stepped through into a room with a sunken fireplace and a broken ceiling. Snow was falling gently onto the wooden floor. Sora spotted a ladder that led up to a single balcony with a door.

Glancing around he saw double doors at the other side of the sunken fireplace room. To the left Sora saw a staircase that led to the second floor of the manor. Making up his mind Sora made his way to the double doors, his flashlight swaying as he walked.

"Sora..." a whisper as gentle as the summer breeze caught Sora's attention.

"Who's there?" he demanded as he swung his flashlight beam around the room. When he shone the light on the staircase he saw someone moving around on the upper floor. "Wait!" Sora called as he ran towards the steps. "Riku, is that you?"

He ran up the creaky wooden stairs until he reached the top floor. It was a small room that served as a storage area for various urns, cloths and dyes. There was chest of drawers against the wall as well as white blinds drifting against the wall.

Sora swayed his flashlight but stopped when the beam caught something on the floor by the blinds. He cocked his head as he approached the item lying on the floor. Bending his knees Sora realized that it was a camera but it was unlike any camera that was use nowadays.

It was black in colour and the round lens had strange symbols written around it. The front looked like it could be pushed back and covered over for protection. Sora had only ever seen cameras like that in history books for the 19th Century history classes.

Sora picked the item up and turned it around. He opened it and found some old Type 17 film already loaded. He saw a name written on the back just under the eyepiece for him to look through.

"Camera Obscura?" Sora murmured. Was that the name of the object? He glanced up when he heard the sound of a door opening. "Hello?" Sora called out.

The door on this floor had opened slightly and Sora saw light spill through the crack. He could hear whispers coming from beyond the door. Gripping the Camera Obscura in his hand Sora approached the open door and gently pushed it open.

His heart was hammering within his chest as he brought his flashlight beam into a small corridor. The whispering had gotten louder now but he couldn't see anyone yet so he moved into the corridor and started to walk through the wooden hallway.

He stepped at the end of the hallway and noticed that part of the ceiling had fallen down and blocked off the left side of the chamber. Turning to the right Sora walked down the dimly lit corridor until he reached a broken window and blinds.

Sapphire eyes scanned the small room just beyond the window and Sora could make out a sliding door from the other side. He stopped when he noticed a figure leaning against the wall of the small room. The figure was whispering and his head was on his knees.

Sora could tell the figure was male thanks to the black outfit he was wearing. His hair was golden in colour and stuck up in gravity defying spikes. Sora brought up the Camera Obscura to his eye and aligned the range so that he could take a picture of this sobbing blond.

Sora felt that strange presence around the blond man and the range was highlighted in that blue light. When he snapped the picture the blond man raised his head and stared at Sora with wide blue eyes.

"W-Who are y-you?" the blond stuttered. Sora was shocked mute at the fact this blond could see and talk to him.

"I'm Sora..." the brunet stammered finally. The blond man pressed his back against the wall, desperate to get away from Sora.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" the man screamed as he bolted from the wall and ran out the door.

"Wait!" Sora yelled. "I won't hurt you!"

The man was already out the door on the other side so the brunet quickly turned around and ran back the way he had come. He ran down the steps and across the sunken fireplace chamber until he reached the door.

Just as his hands reached the door knob he felt a cold presence overtake his body. It was the same feeling he got when that bloodied man with the meat cleaver was chasing him.

"You've finally come." A raspy voice spoke behind the petrified brunet.

"You won't leave us again will you daddy?" the voice of a child spoke out.

Sora slowly turned around and his breath caught in his throat when he saw the ghostly images of a woman and a little girl standing near the sunken fireplace. Their long black hair hid their faces from him but the cold presence was suffocating Sora. Bringing up the camera with shaky hands he peered through the lens and noticed that the range was red instead of blue.

"We won't let you go." The woman rasped as she approached Sora.

Moving quickly Sora snapped a shot of the ghost as she came into range. Blue light erupted from the ghost and flew towards the camera. She stumbled backwards as Sora snapped another shot.

Moving quickly he ran to the other side of the room just as the child made an attempt to grab his legs. Sora brought up the camera and snapped another shot of the woman as she held out her arms to grab him. More of the blue energy entered the camera. Sora noticed the range turning bright red with strange symbols adorning it.

When he snapped the shot this time the female ghost screamed and was thrown back with the force of the shot. The ghost fell to the ground with her daughter screaming alongside her. The blue light entered the camera and they faded away into the floor.

Sora was breathing hard and clutching onto the bizarre camera that had somehow saved his life. Silence filled the sunken fireplace chamber once more and Sora moved his cold body towards the door. Grabbing the door knob he ripped the door open and ran out into the entrance hallway.

"Hello?" Sora rasped out when he spotted a pair of black clad legs sticking out from the other end of the corridor. "Can you hear me?"

"Please, please, wake me up...oh god...wake me up..." the man moaned over and over again in agony.

"Hey..." Sora knelt down next to the sobbing blond but he didn't reach out to him.

"Go away!" the blond screamed as he scrambled away towards the other wall. His wide blue eyes were red rimmed from crying.

"I won't hurt you I swear!" Sora stated quickly. He placed his flashlight on the ground near the blond.

"Are you...real?" the man asked softly.

"I'm real. I fell asleep and woke up here." Sora explained quickly.

"Then you're trapped just like me." The man murmured. "If you wake up then find a way to end this for me."

"Tell me your name." Sora asked gently.

"Cloud Strife." The blond answered. Sora smiled when the blond looked at him expectantly.

"I'm Sora Kurosawa. Cloud, what is this place?" Sora asked. The blue eyed blond gulped hard and he pressed his back even further into the wall.

"The Manor of Sleep." Cloud wiped his eyes. "Once this place draws you in you can't leave."

"How did you get here?" Sora asked gently. Cloud glanced at the young boy for a few moments before answering.

"It's all blurry but I remember crossing a street then these bright lights. I think I was hit by something. I woke up in this place. I don't know how long I've been here." Cloud replied.

"I'll help you Cloud." Sora promised. "I'll find a way out." The blond man shook his head from side to side.

"You can leave here when you wake up. I can't wake up." Cloud reached up to his neck and pulled off a necklace he was wearing. "When you wake up give this to Leon. He calls it his Griever Pendant."

"Leon?" Sora questioned when he took the lion headed necklace from Cloud.

"Squall Leonhart...he prefers to be called Leon." For the first time since Sora found him Cloud had a genuine happy expression on his face. "Tell him to help me wake up."

Sora nodded but then stopped when he saw a look of pure terror cross Cloud's beautiful face. His blue eyes were as wide as saucers and he started inching away along the wall. Sora went to grab his arm but Cloud screamed and scampered away along the floor.

Sora gasped when he saw blue and black tattoos forming on his creamy white skin, the tattoos were of snakes and holly. Turning to his right Sora felt his own heart fill with terror when he saw who was standing at the other end of the corridor.

"Go away!" Cloud screamed. "Just leave me alone!"

"I don't want to see any more." The raspy voice of the all figure replied.

"Wake up now Sora! If he touches you it's all over!" Cloud cried.

It was the half naked tattooed man from Sora's previous vision in that abandoned house. The figure was swaying slightly as he walked towards Sora and Cloud. Sora was pinned to the spot; his body was unable to move.

He was gripping the Camera Obscura and the flashlight to hard he thought he'd break the items. The tattooed figure approached Sora steadily while Cloud screamed and took off down the adjoining corridor, all the while yelling at Sora to wake up.

When the tattooed man reached out to grab him Sora yelled and stared running towards the entrance to the manor. He could feel the creature getting closer but he didn't dare look back.

Sora ran faster, pumping his arms for speed but that relentless presence would not leave him or slow down. The brunet was almost to the front door, his heart pumping as furiously as his hands. When he reached the door he felt three icy fingers brushing across his right shoulder.

"I don't want to see any more." That voice followed Sora as he shoved the front doors opened only to be blinded by bright light.

Sora screamed as he sat bolt upright in his sweat soaked bed. His hands were gripping the blankets so hard his knuckles were white. He struggled to get his breathing under control just as a sharp pain spiked across his right shoulder. Wincing in pain Sora turned his head to look over his shoulder and his heart almost stopped when he saw a dark bruise spreading across his skin.

"Sora?" Roxas burst through the door. "Are you ok? I heard you screaming."

"I'm fine…" Sora said in a raspy voice. "I just had a nightmare."

"You've been having a lot of bad dreams lately Sora." Roxas frowned. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine Roxas." The blond didn't look convinced but he nodded his head.

"Ok. We've got class in three hours anyway. I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Roxas left the room.

When Roxas left the room Sora buried his head in his hands. That manor, Cloud, the tattooed guy, it was all too real for it be just be a dream. And then there was that bizarre camera he had found.

Sora turned around to glance at his shoulder again but the bruise was gone. He knew he couldn't have imagined that. He shivered as he recalled the feeling of those icy fingers on his body. It couldn't have been just a dream…it was too real.

"That dream…what's happening to me?" Sora moaned. As he moved to get off the bed his hand brushed over something cold and metallic. "What the…" he stopped when he saw what the object was. "Oh my god…" there on his bed was the Griever Pendant.

By the time Sora was ready Roxas was in the kitchen finishing up his breakfast. Sora walked down the stairs and into the living area of the apartment. The kitchen was to the right and the door next to it led out into the entry hall.

Sora grabbed some toast and juice from the counter and he quickly consumed the food. As he ate Roxas picked up a letter that was lying on the counter.

"Sora…this letter arrived this morning." Roxas said softly. "It's addressed to Riku."

"Riku?" Sora whispered. He was gripping his glass of juice as Roxas handed him the letter.

"Do you want to read it?" the blond asked. "Obviously whoever sent it isn't aware of the accident."

"Yeah…" Sora felt his eyes water slightly. "I'll see who it's from." He opened the letter then sipped his juice as he read.

Dear Riku,

I'm writing to let you know I've found that abandoned house, the one that's supposed to be haunted. The place was a tomb and I couldn't find anything that could be of help. I know you're still investigating local urban legends and folk lore so if you find anything please let me know. You've never met my boyfriend but his condition is getting worse. He can't wake up anymore. I'll be arriving back in Radiant Garden around early November so you can find me at the hospital. I don't have anywhere else to be. I hope to hear from you soon Riku.

Sincerely,

Squall Leonhart.

Sora dropped the glass.