White
Chapter 3
Games
(A/N Okay, new chapter. As some of you may have seen I made a cover for it. It took me a while. If you want to see it full size I'll have link to on my profile page. Anyway, onward with the story.)
SOUNDS/sound
Thoughts
Disembodied Voices
(Last Time)
Uryu turned on his heel and opened the door only to have it slam shut with Kurosaki leaning against it. Damn he was fast. This couldn't be good. It wouldn't take much effort on Kurosaki's part to bash Uryu into pulp. And in hindsight maybe he shouldn't have tossed that trashcan back at him. This wasn't going to be good.
"You still have 2 minutes," Ichigo stated, keeping the door shut. "It was 5 minutes I believe you agreed to with your father."
"Yes, well, I'll just do this tomorrow," Uryu said, trying to pull open the door but Ichigo wasn't budging. "Get away from the door."
"You basically muscle up to me and then you turn tail… Not a wise choice," Ichigo grumbled, getting in Uryu's face.
"Back off," Uryu warned. "Right now."
"Make me, you little bastard," Ichigo leered, leaning in a little more.
(Present Time Normal POV)
Ichigo was right in Uryu's face and a devilish grin was planted firmly on his lips. This wasn't good. Uryu felt a knot build in his chest and throat. How should he handle this? If he could not handle Kurosaki than his father would never let him come in here again without him. He did notice that Ichigo was a little shocked to have someone stand up to him. Maybe, just maybe, if he bluffed Kurosaki again he could get out of there without an incident.
"Well, are you just going to stand there?" Ichigo asked.
"Don't test me, Kurosaki," Uryu said in a tone more becoming of his father than himself. "I'm asking you kindly to remove your person from the door and let me out."
"You do a damn good impression of him," Ichigo chuckled slightly. "But words are words."
"Let me out of here now and I won't come back with the jacket," Uryu threatened as Ichigo pulled back bit. "Refuse my request and I will have you put in the padded room as well."
"You're bluffing," Ichigo said quickly, moving a little farther from Uryu's face. "I can tell you are."
"We have less than a minute," Uryu stated, holding up his wrist watch. "Your choice."
"You're bluffing. That's all you're doing," Ichigo stated but Uryu wasn't backing down. "You're all words."
"But words hold weight," Uryu replied quickly. "Father owns half the hospital now. Think about that."
Time was ticking away quickly. Ichigo really hated the padded room the most. Everything in there was too white and he always lost track of time in there. Being restrained and stuck in that room rattled him deeply. He clinched his jaw tight as he slowly pushed off his cell door. He dare not risk it. He moved back far enough for Uryu to open the door and step out.
"Thank you," Uryu said, walking out the door and quickly shut it.
He wasted no time in locking the metal door back. He let out a long sigh of relief as he looked at the steel door. Kurosaki really was a monster. His heart was still going a mile a minute. Maybe he should change is paper. NO. No, he needed to stay with it. It would be good a challenge for him. He let out another sigh to calm himself.
"Rattled you, didn't I?" Ichigo's voice was muffled but still audible. "I've got you scared now."
"Shut up," Uyru snapped back, kicking at the door.
"You're a good poker player I'll give you that," Ichigo said, pounding back on door with his fist. "But how good are you really? You won this hand but I highly doubt you're going to win the next round."
"I said, shut up," Uryu snapped back and turned on his heel.
"Going to walk away now?" Ichigo asked through the door. "Don't think this is over, Uryu! Tomorrow's a new day."
Uryu didn't respond he just continued back to the elevators. His father was waiting for him patiently. He really disliked Kurosaki and it was clear on his face. Ryuken watched Uryu stopped in front of him. He pushed off the wall and adjusted his glasses again.
"Do you understand him now?" Ryuken asked, looking at his son. "Do you still want to do your paper based on him?"
"Yes, I do," Uryu said without missing a beat.
"Very well," Ryuken said, pushing the up button. "We will collect our things and take lunch."
Uryu said nothing as the elevator opened and they got on. He wasn't going to let Kurosaki get to him. That carrot top was something else to deal with. He ended up approaching him like his father would and it produced a good result but be had a feeling there maybe another way to handle him. He just needed to figure out what and how to go about it.
(9:45pm Kurosaki's POV)
I'm so bored right now. I got no TV of course and I'm stuck with nothing but boring word puzzles. I've done all of them just about. I'm tired of putting together jigsaw puzzles as well. I've done them so many times I bet I could do them blind folded. I look up at my white tile ceiling and sigh. None of the spirits are here right now for me to talk to. The only sound is that of my clock on the wall. Even the halls are quiet. Too quiet.
I do find it quite odd that Akane isn't here. She clings to me like statically charged cellophane. I also haven't seen any of the others tonight. They are usually congregating around this time in my room. They usually bring new faces with them but there's no body. I don't like it. Ever since I saw that THING out in the garden… I hope it's not in here. I pray it's not in here. It will destroy the balance of this place on a level that can't be controlled. I've heard so many stories of them from the ghosts it really does scare me to think it could be in here. I haven't felt it yet but it might not be close enough for me to sense it. The hospital is large and it could be anywhere.
I get up from my bed and walk over to the window. The glare from the lights in my room make it hard to see out. I can see the lights from the city and the garden is lit up faintly. I don't see anyone out there. Not that I would as they close the garden at 6 this time of the year. I put my head against the glass. It's cool to the touch and it feels good. I'm so use to my room being colder than this it feels funny to have it this warm.
I really don't like it. My nerves are set on edge right now. There is not a single soul in my room to be had. I'm starting to get antsy and I have no way to burn off the energy or take my mind off of it. I start to pace my room. It's a bad habit of mine when I feel trapped or uneasy. I picked that up from being in that fucking padded room for so long. I'll pace straight lines or I'll pace in circles. Right now I'm I just doing a straight line. Circles I've noticed I do them when I'm angry. I'm not angry, just really uneasy.
Maybe I'm thinking too far into to this. No, I'm not! They are always around. I don't like it. I can't leave this confounded room to go look for them. Damn it to hell! I don't like being alone like this! I don't know what's going on! Where are they? I look up at the clock and it's only 5 minutes till 10. This is going to be a very long night for me. I need… I need to do something! I don't like this. I don't like this. I can't act up though. It'll be the padded room if I start anything. I've got to stay calm!
Ichigo!
"NAAAAHH! Oh…" I jump at the voice and turned around to see Akane. "Haha, you got me that time! That's was good. Where have you been?"
She doesn't look happy and she pulling at the hem of her shirt. Something's wrong. I take a couple steps towards her as I notice some of the other residents finally appear around me. All of them look just as miserable as Akane.
There is something here in this place, she tells me. It got in through the garden entrance.
"Did Chad open the door? I told him not to," I ask them as they shake their heads.
No, Sado didn't let it in. One of the doctors did when the garden was reopened for everyone else, Akira says as he steps up. Sado tried to make an excuse about the door being broken but the door was opened anyway.
"So it is inside? What can we do about it?" I ask as the 8 spirits around me looked helpless. "There has to be something, right?"
There are things you can do, yes, but you alone can't do it, Sakura says, her thin gray hair is more frazzled than usual. She really was crazy and death did very little to help that. She would get so violent that she actually scratched out a nurse's eye. You don't have the tools and you're trapped in this room. God, I really hate this room. It used to be my room. Have I told you that?
"Yes," I sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Like a hundred times."
No reason to get snippy with me, boy, she snaps back at me. Maybe I don't like you in my room. Who said you could stay in my room? This is my room! Why are you in here? Get out of here, you freak! I'll rip you to shreds if you don't leave my ROOM!
Sakara, calm down. It's okay, I hear Koichi's deep voice from the back of the group. You said he can stay here, remember?
I did? When did I say that? Sakura now looks a little lost as Koichi a former guard here walks up to her.
Just come with me for a bit, I see Koichi take her hand and the two vanish from the room.
"Really awkward moment," I mutter to myself and then clear my throat. "So back to what we were talking about."
You can't do it yourself being stuck in this room. You're going to need outside help, Akira explains to me, he used to be a doctor here years ago. Not only that but the hospital staff is going to have to believe you first. That's going to be your hardest challenge. This being a mental institution and all. No one is going to believe you and any weird behavior from the other patients will be written off. Especially if Ishida keeps getting his way.
"Please don't remind of that asshole," I groan. "By the way where is everyone else?"
Those that are not attached to this place have left. Us on the other hand, Akira moans as do the others. We are stuck here. Grant it we can leave the grounds but we can't stray far or for too long.
The only way we can leave this place is if someone invites us to their home. HA! Good luck on that, Takashi grumbles, crossing his arms covering his scars. He used to do some pretty hardcore drugs. He came here for rehab when the hospital still offered it before a funding cut. He died from complication do to his with-drawls.
It's currently holding up in the basement. It needs to grow some before it does anything really noticeable, Akane says with a long sigh, pulling at the blind cord on her neck. However, with the energy in this place I give it about a week and things will start to happen.
A week my ass! I give that bastard four fucking days, Daisuke spats in his usual ill temper. In life he was here for anger management but died of a heart attack a week after entering. Just four damn days and it will be enough for him to do his fucking shit to everyone here!
So, glad to see you're in a right good mood, Daisuke, Hanako grumbles in annoyance at him. Ironically she is the only one not really related to hospital. She died in a car crash a few blocks over one icy evening. Somehow she got stuck here. What bug's crawled up your ass?
Shut up, bitch! No one asked for your damn opinion! Daisuke retaliates back at her.
Will both of you knock it off? We have more important things to go over, Rei snaps at them both. She is the oldest spirit here. She is dressed in more traditional clothing. This land use to be farming land according to her. She and her husband used to grow rice well over century and half ago. I like her a lot she's a good history lesson. Now, let's really get down to business about this shadow being. Ichigo, how much have we told you about them?
"Good question. Let's see… What do I remember?" I puzzle for a moment trying to recall what I can. "Ah, I know they were never human and once they are inside a place they can bring in other negative entities. They torment people and feed off of their energy. They also will devour a person's life force making them sick, finally killing the person. They can also follow people from location to location."
They are also great deceivers and can manipulate other spirits such as us, Rei says to me. I've never heard that one before.
"They can control you?" I ask. Worry is heavy in my voice.
They are a type of demon. Low class but powerful enough to cause great damage, Akira lets out a long sigh and rubs a hand over his bald head. They will bring in other more dangerous demons here. Little by little they'll enter this place. We can't fight them off for long. They will either destroy us or use us for their own purposes.
That's why we want you to try and convince the staff here to get someone or some ones here to cleanse this place and make a barrier to protect everyone, Takashi tells me, looking around my room briefly.
Otherwise you can kiss this damn place good bye, Daisuke huffs out, pointing a finger at me.
As much as I hate to agree with him he is right, Hanako grumbles, glaring at Daisuke.
Damn straight, Daisuke snorts out proudly and Hanako shakes her head.
"So it'll take between 4 days to week? I can try but like Akira said I'll just get the brush off from the staff," I sigh taking seat on my bed. "Hell, I might even get more pills choked down my throat for doing this."
But you have to try, Ichigo. Please you have to do something, Akane pleads, using her puppy dog eyes. We can help, maybe. Mr. Daisuke is pretty good a moving things around. He's been teaching me and I've gotten good at it!
Yeah, but that takes a lot of energy out of me and even more out of you still. That'll leave us more open to that bastard, Daisake states quite clearly.
Even at my age I can't do much against it, Rei says in a rather disappointed tone.
"So unless I can get the staff to believe me everything is going to hell in a hand basket?" I ask and get a collective head nodded from everyone. "Well, damn. Are you sure there is nothing else I can do?"
From your position, no, Akira says, putting an icy hand on my shoulder. There is nothing else you can do.
That sucks sooo bad for everyone, Takashi groans, stretching his arms into the air. The best thing for us to do is leave the grounds for as long as we can at a time. If we're not here constantly we might have a better chance.
Yes, I believe you may be correct on that, Rei muses, rubbing her chin. We are sorry to have to leave so often but it is for our own benefit.
"No, no! I completely understand. Do what you have to do to protect yourselves," I tell them whole heartily. They are my only friends and they would be the first targets after all. "I'll do what I can but I fear it will all land of deaf ears."
Just do what you can no matter how small it is, Hanako says with a weak smile. We'll keep tabs on those we can for you while we stay out of this place. And out of all of us I can wonder the farthest from the hospital.
Show off, Daisuke grumbles at her as she gives him the finger. Why you!
Knock it off! Rei snaps, knocking both of them in the head. Just do your best is all we ask of you.
"I'll do what I can," I put on a weak smile. I don't have a choice. I have to do my best not just for them but everyone else, including myself. "Are you leaving now?"
Yes, even now that thing is feeding off us faintly, Akira states with a heavy sigh. We'll leave for as long as we can but we have to come back as we are chained here.
"Yes, I understand," I nod at him. "Good luck."
The same to you too, Akane says, giving me a chilly hug. Please be really careful, Ichigo.
"Always am," I smile at her as she steps back to join everyone else.
Well, we'll see you later, Ichigo, Akira and the otherd wave as they disappear through the window and into the night air.
I let out a long sigh. That thing was in here. I can't do anything to stop it. I could scream at the staff until my voice is gone but it would do me no good. They fear me too much and do to my "condition" no one will ever believe me. I fall back onto my bed, looking up at my white ceiling again. I don't know how well I'll sleep tonight knowing that thing is in here. It may not have the power to do much now but I figure if it could knock on a door it can still do some things. It will go after the weakest people first and work its way up the ladder. This place will be a buffet for it along with whatever "friends" it decides to invite. I roll over to look at the clock on the wall. It's a little after 10:30. Oh, yes, this was going to be a very long night. Hell, I don't even want to turn off my light. This really has me rattled too much.
(8:58am Uryu's POV)
I really don't want to walk into the room according to the night staff Kurosaki was talking up quite a storm last night. They didn't get close enough to the door to figure out what but they did say the tone was a dreadful one. I told father I could handle it. He still doesn't trust me too well especially after Ichigo's outburst at me yesterday. I just need to bite the bullet and talk to him. I reach down for the key in my pocket. I hesitate slightly. I just need to get it over with. I'm bringing something with me today that might give me an edge with him. Well, I hoping.
I knock on the door to let him know I'm here before unlocking the door. I slowly push the heavy door open and peek in. There wasn't a peep out of him as he sat the bed staring at me. He didn't look like he got much sleep. In his hand was his fruit cup and the only thing left was the watermelon. Here we go again for round number two. Oh, boy.
"Now before you start slinging fruit again I would just like to have a reasonable talk with you," I plead with him calmly, slowly sliding into the room keeping a careful eye on him. "I know I should have asked you first about using you for my thesis paper instead of sneaking around about it. That was a bit rude of me."
"Oooh, you think?" he grumbles, watching me carefully as I close the door. "What's in the bag?"
"Ah, yes, the bag… You mean for once you don't know something?" I hum and his eyes narrow. Oops bad move.
"Don't patronize me," he growls through his teeth. "I'm not in a good mood."
"Yes, I see, and again I do apologize," I tell him, moving a little closer to him. I have to play this carefully. "Let's just call this a peace offering of sorts."
"I'm calling bullshit," he slides away from be a bit.
"Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot yesterday and I think maybe we could work around all this," I explain as I watch him reach for a piece of melon in his cup. "Now, wait! Just a minute, please."
"Why should I? I owe you nothing," he narrows his eyes at me even more.
"Look, I'll set the bag here on your table and I'll step over here," I set the cloth bag on table and slowly back off from it. Now I just have to wait to see if Ichigo will make a move for it. He's not trusting me at all. "I've got time before my next appointment. So take your own time."
He just keeps eying me, suspiciously. He slowly gets up from his bed with his fingers still in his fruit cup. He's going to throw that at me if I make any movements towards him. He carefully set down his plastic cup on the table and opens the canvas bag. He studies the contents for a moment and starts pulling the items out one by one. He keeps twitching from the items in the bag to me. He pulls out a small checker board first and finds the pieces for both checkers and chess. He then pulls out a couple decks of playing cards. Finally he pulls out the candy I stashed in the bottom. It's consists of Pocky, small jaw breakers, and some gummy bears. He still looks rather skeptical at the items sitting on his table.
"What all this for, huh?" he asks, picking up the box of Pocky and looked at it. "You trying to buy me or something?"
"No, no! Of course not," I quickly defend myself as he goes through everything again. "I just wanted to break the ice between us. Look, I gave you some things father has restricted you from having in the past. I'm really not trying to buy you off as you put it."
"I know checkers but what is this?" he asks me, holding up the chess pieces.
"That's chess. You want me to teach you?" I ask him as he just sets the small plastic bag back down. "It can be a bit complicated but it's a fun game once you know how to play it."
"No," he states flatly. "War."
"Excuse me?" I ask as he picks up on of the card desks.
"Beat me at a game of War and I might consider talking to you," he said, tossing the deck at me.
I catch it easily as he starts to clear off the table. Well, let's see how this turns out. I open the pack and pull out the junk cards including the jokers.
"Leave those," he says handing the jokers back.
"They are no good in this game," I tell him.
"Father and I use to play with them. Joker beats ace in our version," he says as I put the jokers back and start to shuffle the new deck. I hate new decks. They are so stiff and they slide around. "I'll cut and you'll deal."
"Seems fair enough," I reply, finishing my shuffling and hand him the deck. He quickly makes the cut and I pick the cards up again and begin dealing out the cards. "We'll start on the count of three."
He doesn't voice any disagreements as I continue to deal out the cards. When finished we collect our cards and straighten them. Well, here goes nothing.
"One, two, three," we both sling down our first cards. I have a Jack and he has a Queen. So he wins first round.
We throw down our next cards. I have a 7 and he has a 5. I win this one. He still isn't really talking to me but he said he wouldn't unless I beat him. So, I better hope I do if I want anything out of him at all.
(Normal POV 30 minutes later)
Well, that was no good. Uryu threw down his last card a 6 and Ichigo throw down one of his, a 10. That was game. Uryu lost. Not a good day. Well, Uryu hoped he'd have better luck next time. He just wished he could have won so Ichigo would have talked to him. He barely said anything through the whole game.
"Well, good game, Kurosaki," Uyru said as Ichigo straightened up the deck. "Perhaps, tomorrow will be different. Just remember to keep those items hidden."
"You're taking a great risk give me all this," he stated, putting the cards back in the box.
"Perhaps," Uryu said, pushing up his glasses. "But everyone has to take a risk at some point or nothing would ever get accomplished."
Uryu stood up from his seat and looked at his watch. It was getting close for him to see Orihime. He'll have to conclude things here. He started to gather his own items as Ichigo watched him. He didn't trust the intern. He was Ryuken's son after all but he promised the ghosts that he'd tell the staff about the thing in the basement. Even this damn intern was still considered staff.
"Hey," Ichigo snorted and Uyru stopped. "You want do know something about last night?"
"Yeah, sure," Uryu said, turning to look at Ichigo.
"You remember that thing I told you about yesterday?" he asked and Uryu nodded.
"That shadow person you called it?" Uryu questioned and Ichigo snorted again.
"Yeah, that thing. It's current hanging out in the basement biding its sweet time," Ichigo muttered, turning his head from Uryu.
"What's it waiting for?" Uryu asked calmly.
"It's feeding off every negative emotion and energy down here," Ichigo explained as Uryu sat down again. He became slightly interested in this. Ryuken would have just continued his own business and walked out. "In a few days' time it will be strong enough to start doing noticeable things to the building and people here."
"Like what sorts of things?" Uryu asked, becoming rather focused.
"It torments. It goes after the weakest first. It'll start off small but it will escalate quickly. People will start getting sick, docile people will start become hostile, nightmares and terrors, seeing things in the dead of night, and being touched, pushed, and scratch. It can do a lot of things," Ichigo stated very clearly. "It can even follow people home and take up root there. It allows other harmful beings to enter your home as well. He can even hide itself under another form pretending to be something it's not."
"Are you sure it's in here? In the basement?" Uryu sounded a bit skeptical but Ichigo was rather firm. "How did it get in?"
"The garden entrance, where else?" Ichigo snapped out. "Ask Chad if you don't believe me, not that you will."
"Such little faith in me," Uryu sighed.
"I actually have no faith in you," Ichigo growled out. "You don't believe a word I've said. Just get out. OUT!"
"Very well," Uryu stood up in a hurried manner and grabbed the last of his things and opened the door.
He quickly shut it behind him and locked it back. He let out a sigh as he started down the hall to the elevators. Maybe he will have a chat with Sado after all, just to get his view on the matter. He'll do that after he sees Orihime, however. He could hardly wait to talk to her again. Maybe, when he tells her they went to school together it would jog her memory.
(A/N Well, tell me how that one was. I worked rather hard on that it will really start to pick up shortly. Yay! Well, please review. Thank you for reading.)
Millie M. Banshee