A/N: Haha, I admit I'm actually rather pleased by the turnout of reviews. Considering the amount of people who actually read this pairing... well, I was actually expecting to get a lot less even than this. So thanks guys, you pulled through. Please do keep up with the lovely reviewingness!

Disclaimer: I don't own Deathnote.

Chapter 3: Snap Crackle Pop

As far as unpleasant situations go, this one had immediately shot up to the first slot on Matt's list. Near had fallen utterly silent, and in fact Matt had to listen carefully even to be sure they were both breathing.

"What... it's not... real... is it?" Near asked. "It can't be... but it wasn't there before..." Matt swallowed hard, not daring to move, he focused in on the free-swinging carcass as best he could in the dark. Then a burst of wind blew a nauseating stench up at them. Matt retched, but managed to control himself before anything actually came up.

"T-that confirms it." Matt choked in the fetid swirling reek. "It's real." But whose body was it? Who had brought it here? How had they gotten in? It was clear from the flies, the early stages of decay, and the odor that whoever it was had been dead long before Matt and Near had ever entered the haunted house. So why would anyone kill someone, and then hang their body in a broken down haunted house at least a day later, in the midst of a thunderstorm?

There were numerous questions provoked by the scenario, none of them pleasant, but the most important was something Matt didn't really want to contemplate, but knew he had to. The most important question, was whoever had done this still here?

Neither of the boys were moving, but this time it wasn't out of a want to prolong the moment. It was out of panic and terror. Darkness, weather, loneliness, all had been frightening but this... this was paralyzing. Did they move? Did they dare risk drawing attention onto themselves more than they already had? If they did move what would it be to do? They couldn't go back upstairs, and they certainly weren't going to head toward that... thing. Then again, it would not help anything to stand on the stairs all night, and it certainly wouldn't keep them any safer.

It was decision-making time, and their lives were high stakes to weigh on.

Sounds they'd been hearing all night permeated the air as thickly as the smell. The skittering of rats, the bellowing of the wind and storm, the creaking of the old house, and one another's breathing. There was no audible sign of the perpetrator of the murder. It was like a bad horror movie, except that horror movies could always be switched off... and this couldn't.

Frozen in time dozens of possibilities, options, and movements dashed through their highly intelligent brains, each one ending more monstrously than the last. It was a long time before Matt gathered enough courage to take action again. Regardless of the situation, he reasoned, they had to do something. So he took a deep breath, which in retrospect wasn't that great an idea since he immediately gagged on the sickly sweet aroma of decomposition, clutched Near's hand firmly in his own, and started forward.

"Matt?" Near questioned, understandably not sounding pleased at all about the turn things were taking.

"We can't go back up, not with it so cold up there. And we certainly can't stay here. If someone is... you know... it won't make much difference anyway. Might as well try and find a warmer spot." Matt reasoned. Near nodded to show he understood the line of thought, but still didn't like it.

"Matt-" He began but was cut off by the sound of a sickening crack. The two ceased movement immediately, listening hard. Strenuous creaking was heard, somehow louder than it's precedents, there were another few cracks. Too late, the two boys looked down, realizing the source. The step snapped under Matt's weight, splintering hopelessly and sending the redhead plunging downward with a cry of pain and shock. His hand slipped out of Near's and Matt's life flashed before his eyes with terrible speed, when suddenly the fall stopped. Matt's bulky vest had bunched up, plugging the whole and leaving Matt's bottom half dangling on the hollow inside of the stairwell, while his top half scrabbled for purchase. Chunks of jagged wood dug painfully into Matt's sides, and he could feel blood trickling lightly from scrapes on his knees. He gripped the edge of the stair above him desperately trying to alleviate weight from the one he was trapped in, to prevent the hole widening. The gamer gazed up at Near in pure fright.

"Help! H-help me!" He cried out, too alarmed currently even to think about the discovery of only minutes ago. Near was trembling, clearly shaken, nonetheless he knelt carefully, taking hold of Matt's right arm and pulling with all his might. It wasn't even close to enough. Physically Near was weak, pathetically so. It was his biggest and most crippling weakness in situations like this, although to be fair Near had never planned on being in any situation that called for strength of the body. Not without a strong person there to do what was needed for him, at any rate.

"I can't!" Near felt something on his face, something totally alien to him although he knew immediately what it must be. Tears. Whether out of fear, frustration, or pain at the cold and strain of his undeveloped muscles, Near had tears streaming down his face.

"You have to! Don't let go, I'm slipping!" Matt too was beginning to cry, he wasn't normally a crier although he was considerably more experienced with the sensation than Near. Still I think we can forgive them both, considering the circumstances. "Near! Near! Don't you fucking give up!" Near tugged, as hard as he could, he pulled and struggled even when he couldn't feel his arms anymore, even when the pressure with which he braced his knees against the steps sent sharp bits of wood stinging into his sun-starved skin. If he was making any headway it didn't show. Near looked around hopelessly, looking for something-anything- that might help. There was only the rail, and that couldn't possibly hold them... could it? Near was out of options. He wrapped one arm around the rail, bringing it around to grasp Matt again, before repeating the act with his other arm. Using the rail as leverage, Near's efforts began to raise Matt from the gap. As soon as he could get one leg up, the redhead scrambled out of the hole, covered in dust and bits of aging wood, not to mention a few cobwebs so old that any owners they might have had were nowhere to be seen.

Near and Matt were both gasping for air, gulping the musty oxygen down almost faster than they could breathe it out again. Matt latched on to the bruised and scratched Near, who's arms dangled uselessly at his sides.

"F-fuck... Near, I was so scared... thank you..." Matt stammered. Near could only cry and gasp. Matt leaned back to get a better look at the both of them. After that racket, he figured turning on the flashlight would do more good than harm, but the flashlight had been knocked away somewhere during the incident. Nonetheless, Matt was able to conduct a reasonably thorough examination.

He was sporting deep twin gouges along his knees, one of which had already clotted in the cold air, the other was still bleeding but sluggishly. His sides were scratched up painfully, but the skin hadn't been broken there from what he could tell. All of his nails were broken and his fingers splinter-filled from clawing at the steps, but he figured that was the least of his worries. Far more alarming, was the state Near was in. His crying had yet to subside, and soft whimpers were now being elicited at any attempt to move his arms.

The pale boy had a few splinters in his bruised knees, his chest was bruised as well from being braced against the railing, but his arms were the worst. Matt had to unbutton Near's shirt to be sure, but once he did it couldn't be clearer.

They were dislocated. Not good.

Matt knew how to help with dislocated limbs, lord knew he and Mello had accumulated several of them through the years of their antics... but it wasn't pleasant. And Near's arms, although they'd be movable and would heal properly, would nonetheless be of no use for several days even after they were replaced. Still, it had to be done.

"Near... I have to... er... pop these back in."

"W-what?" Near managed to get out.

"Your arms, they're dislocated. I know how to do it, Mello and I both got the class after the third time one of us dislocated something but... I'm not going to lie to you, it'll hurt like a bitch." Matt explained. "But if I don't do it, you won't be able to move them and there's a good chance they won't heal properly if we wait too long."

"I... understand." Near replied seriously, hicupping slightly "d-do it." He looked away. Matt nodded gravely and took up Near's right arm. The smaller boy flinched at the pain, but it was nothing to when Matt yanked the limb out taut, and with a sudden swift motion slid it back into the socket with a loud Pop! Near hollered, involuntarily collapsing forward, and Matt shuddered for him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." The redhead chanted softly, as he seized the other arm and Near began sobbing. Pop!

A youthful scream echoed through the wind, spinning around the house until it was lost in the night sky. Somewhere in a dark room of the haunted house, inaudible to the boys on the shattered stairwell, a thick voice laughed.

TBC...

A/N: Kind've a short chapter I suppose, but there was so much drama in it... I just sort of wanted to leave with that effect, since I felt it would be made stronger if there weren't other events to dilute it until next time. OMG Scary! Who's voice was that? What are they planning? Will Matt and Near make it through the night? Will they even make it down the stairs? All this and more in the next installment! So review muchly or else... you will never know... -insert dramatic music here- Hey do you guys think I should up the rating? I really can't tell.