Chapter Seven

"When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see,"

Irritation gnaws at my sleepy mind. I peek an eye open into the shadowed room, but nothing partically stands out.

"No I won't be afraid, oh I won't be afraid, just as long as you stand, stand by me,"

Why do I know this song so well? I've never heard this voice or music before, and yet it feels so familiar to me, as if I've listened to the track a million times. I bite my lip with a weak tug and manage to open my other eye. Everything is a blur. Half of me considers just lying back down in the mass of blankets and sheets and forgetting the world, but now that my mind is becoming more and more alarmed, I'm beginning to remember everything from last night... or earlier today... whatever time it is.

"So darling, darling, stand by me, oh, stand by me, oh stand, stand by me, stand by me,"

The music is set low, barely heard from my movements on the bed as I pull myself up into a sitting position. The sheets stick onto my skin like glue, though it doesn't surprise me much. It feels like an oven in this room, and trust me, I'm not exaggerating.

Everything has a strange, orange glow to it. Shadows creep into the room, threatening to touch everything with darkness soon. My gaze shifts to the miniature window off in the far corner. The once blue sky has turned to a pale gray, but I have a suspicion that that's just the clouds roaming around.

"If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall, or the mountains should crumble to the sea,"

Who is singing that? I inspect the room from where I'm sitting, but... there's no radio. No music player, no nothing. The music sounds as though it's coming from the middle of the room, and yet the only thing placed in the middle of the room is a rather burnt, dirtied rug. Confusion that etched my face fades away into a tired glare. Too many mysteries in this godforsaken old house. I want to get out of this area, go back to my room, maybe grab a slice or two of pizza, and soon play against Hayner in one of the small struggle matches we hold at his house. ...Maybe three slices of pizza... damn, I'm really hungry. My stomach growls with want at the thought of a huge, extra-filling pepperoni and sausage pizza, with cheese practically dripping off the edges and steam rising from the well-toned bread, not to mention how the spices and sauce will heat up every part of my mouth, and the cheese sweet-talking my tongue...

A long, noisy snarl escapes my tummy. I blush a little at the very fact that said snarl had echoed off the walls, covering over the music for more than three seconds.

"...just as long as you stand, stand by me, and darling, darling, stand by me. Oh, stand by me, whoa stand now, stand by me."

I wouldn't mind standing by some pizza right now.

I think I still have a few little Zebra Cakes in my bag... What's that smell? It smells like ham... and turkey? God, that's my favorite.. the smell is coming from upstairs. I turn my head to the staircase leading up to the kitchen. Half of me wonders if that ghostie, Axel, is still here. Another part of me doesn't really give a shit, and really wants some food in my empty stomach. I think I like that other part.

Pulling myself on shaky feet, my face contorts into a dark scowl. No clothes. Where am I going to find clothes? The dresser is the first thing that crosses my mind. I think I better hurry... I can feel eyes on me. It's unnerving. Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I walk over to one of the dressers and tug at the drawer. It's hesitant, but finally it opens to reveal burnt fabrics. A frown creases on my face. Of course everything is burnt – what am I expecting? Clean, fresh clothes in a burnt-down house with no visitors since the 1940's?

The smell from upstairs is causing me to be more dizzy than I thought. My head spins and I have to hold onto the edge of the dresser to keep from falling. How long has it been since I've last touched food? I can't think straight. A painful clench in my stomach pulls me back into reality, and after a few more seconds, my head clears up.

"And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me, oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me-"

A screech fills the room, followed by silence. I blink, fear locking my body in place. The explanation for lack of sound is either from my ears finally dying and wilting off of my head, or that stupid, no-good, dirty-rotten, asshole of a-

"Nice view, blondie."

-ghost.

I twist my head around and see that redheaded spirit on the bed, lying on his stomach and eye-raping me. He licks his lips. I bite my lip.

"Shut up." I growl, "Where's my clothes?" he opens his mouth to say something, but before I can stop myself, I add a little side note, "and stop calling me that!"

"Calling you what? Blondie? Hah, the day I listen to a disgusting mortal like you will be the day I am returned of my heart." What in the hell is this crazy ghost talking about? "And in all due respect, has your memory been tampered with? I surely remember ripping your clothes to shreds."

Well, isn't he such a rude little prick? I glare, but it wavers with my stomach clenching down and reminding me of the food upstairs. He notices this and a smirk poses itself onto his lips, heaving his body off of the bed and taking sly steps towards me. I give him a warning growl, to stay away, while matching his pace, backing off and eventually feeling the knobs of the dresser pressing tight against my back. Axel stands in front of me now, pressing his warm hands onto my bare shoulders and forcing my back even farther into the knobs. I grit my teeth, feeling the steel practically butt-heads with my spine.

"Get me my clothes upstairs," I snap, scowling up at the man's face. He raises a short eyebrow.

"When did I start taking orders from you?"

"Get. Me. My. Clothes."

A sudden grind from his hips against my own causes a gasp of pleasure to betray me. He doesn't even pull back, but instead presses his knee against my crotch, rubbing lightly. The friction feels amazing, but I try desperately to keep a straight, disgusted face on. It did work... for a few seconds. I think it began to waver when he pressed his lips against my ear and began nibbling on the skin. "Will you punish me if I don't?" He purrs into my ear. Next thing I know, my arms are locked around his neck to keep from falling. Damn legs, weakening on me when I need them the most.

"Sh-Shut up," I breathe, trying to control myself and gather composure. Axel doesn't seem to like this, because he doesn't even let me have a second before pressing his lips in a hungry way against my own, as fast as a lion would attack its prey. My muffled protests are ignored as I place both hands on either side of his shoulders and attempt to pry him off. It only forces him to move forward into me.

Shifting a little, I manage to free my back from the dresser knob, but my back strikes into the wood. I'm pretty sure the bruise on my back has darkened from this abuse.

"St-Stop!" I hiss, freeing my lips and wrapping my fingers around his skinny little neck. If it weren't for another grind of his hips, I would've surely strangled him.

"This time I'm going to-"

"Axel...? Axel, are you down there!" Both of us pause at the sound. The voice sounds familiar, and yet I can't quiet put a finger on it. Axel glances over at me, and as we meet eyes, he gives me a look that would kill if he could get the chance.

"Stay quiet," He hisses, "or else." his lips curl back and I feel my face lose all its color. The redhead's teeth are more like wolverine fangs – white, shiny, and extremely sharp. Axel then looks over his shoulder, paying no mind to me anymore. "Stay away, Demyx!" Demyx! I remember the blondie.

"Axel, do you remember this little boy, a bit shorter than Zexion, um... I think he had blue eyes... was it green eyes? No, no, definitely blue, um-"

"Must've been killed by Saix. Now stop bothering me, you idiot."

Demyx is looking for me? I bite my lip. If I call for Demyx, he can come down and save me from this monster. If I listen to Axel's orders, Demyx will soon leave and I'll be screwed. And there's always the possibility of Demyx not being able to come down, and I'll be screwed twice as hard.

"Oh, alright... well, I guess-"

"D-Demyx!" I scream, my mind not quite catching up to my actions. The air seems to get thick and hot, almost like flames burning my skin. It seems most painful on my back, where Axel's hands lay. A whimper escapes my lips as I fight against the redhead, who turned back to me with a look of death.

"Roxas? Roxas, you're down there! Don't worry, little buddy, I'm coming down there!" I hear something pounding against the door, and the doorknob being messed with, but I can do nothing. The man towering over me looks ready to rip my limbs apart, ever so slowly. I bite my lip, fear locking me in place as Axel grabs a handful of my hair and jerks my head up. The sudden movement causes a startled cry to leave my lips, but the slight pain is nothing compared to those monster-like teeth sinking into my skin. I scream, feeling his warm lips against the my neck, but also feeling my own blood seeping out between his teeth and my skin, falling into his mouth.

"R-Rox- ah, shit! A-Axel, stop it!" I squint to see a blurred being of Demyx rushing over to pry the redhead off of me. I also see another figure, a smaller one, but I can't see what they're doing.

To my dismay, instead of feeling the body above mine heave off, the pain turns white-hot. My voice is hoarse already, but it's not like I can utter a sound now. It hurts to even breathe. His fingernails dig into my arm and back, trapping me and not letting me scoot an inch. What was only a few seconds felt like eternity, and finally, his teeth retreat and I can barely feel his lips press against the blood and skin. It's too numb there for me to even begin to think of what he's doing now.

"I said off!" With a final word and tug from Demyx, I feel the demon pull back and step a few paces away from me. I stumble onto my knees, my hand reaching up. Blood stains my fingers, but it makes me more sick feeling the empty holes engraved in my flesh. I can almost slip my pinkie into one of the holes, but just the thought spins my head.

"Roxas? Shit, we have to-"

"Leave him alone." Axel's voice booms in my ears. I place both of my hands over my ears, squeezing my eyes shut. He's too loud. Cold, moist hands grab onto my sides, and yet I can do nothing but let myself be dragged upwards. "I will not let you take him away!" I can feel the vibrations of something breaking in the room, but I can't bring myself to open my eyes. Another pair of hands wrap around me, but they're much smaller. My feet drag helplessly up the stairs as sweat and blood trail down my chest. It feels like it's over a hundred degrees. No, that's an understatement. It feels as though it's as hot as the sun in the room.

I peek my eyes open a little.

Everything is a big mush of red, yellow, blue, and black. Smoke fills my lungs. I cough violently, my lungs aching with every breath I take.

As if finally getting a break, a blast of cool air hits my skin. My feet are no longer going up the steps, but I think they're sliding on tile.

"Demyx!" My body is rested down upon the floor, and in my hazy vision, I can see lilac hair attached to a head. The being owning the hair is sprinting towards the basement door. It takes me a moment to realize we're in the kitchen.

I watch as the person that had brought me into the kitchen disappears down in the basement again. The smell of food overwhelms me. My stomach lurches violently, and the only thing I can manage to do is pull myself up on my elbow and empty the non-existent contents of my stomach on the floor. Cold sweat covers my face as I pull back, shakily wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and scooting towards the counters. I don't even get that far before sleep takes over my body.

~~~1908138~~~

A horrid taste in my mouth brings my senses together. With my eyes closed, I can hear the ticking of the clock. Something warm and scratchy is covering my from shoulders to toes, but what I'm lying on feels like a cloud, or at least a water bed. The smell of ham and turkey fills my nostrils, but the stinging in my neck covers up the hidden need for a taste. After a few more minutes, I open my eyes.

The room is far from what I expected. Dark, burnt blue carpets cover the flooring, along with faded sky-blue walls. Pictures of guitarists and bands hung upon the walls, either in horrible shape or half-eaten from the fire. A distant smell of smoke lingers to the pillow my head lied upon, and right next to the bed I found myself in, was a basket with a thin red napkin covering the food I could so obviously see.

Drool is already beginning to gather in my mouth as I reach over with shaky hands and grab a hold of the handle basket. It feels heavier than I knew it should be, but my mind dismisses the thought. I pull back the napkin and practically die right there. So much food... where did it come from? More importantly, why aren't I digging in already?

From the first bite to the last, I feel my mood lift tremendously. Smiling until it hurts, I rub my happy stomach, staring at the window right next to the bed. The blinds look dusty, but new. It's strange to see something so crisp, in a house full of broken, testy items. Pulling the blinds back a little, I hiss a little to myself, my arm rising up to shield my eyes from the sun rays. Once my eyes do get used to the light, I squint out and find myself staring at Riku knocking on my door, standing on the porch, pacing a little. He looks annoyed. I smirk to myself. Stupid silverette. I hope Sora ignores him.

At that very moment, blue-green eyes meet my own. I narrow my eyes, inside feeling startled and surprised that I'm not shying away from the window. Riku narrows his eyes at well and crosses his arms over his chest. My front door opens, and I can see the silhouette of my mother standing at the door. Mom... I smile a little. I miss seeing and talking to my mom, even if she nagged me to no end. Isn't that what mom's are supposed to do?

It shocks me to see Riku walking away from my house after my mom closed the door. Where's Sora? Is he sick? No, Riku would've been able to visit my cousin. He would've taken the chance if he could. Riku gives me one last glance, his middle finger directed at me. I scoff to myself, returning the gesture.

"...Who's he?"

A rather small squeak escapes my lips as I snap my head to my right, seeing Demyx's head right next to mine.

"Riku. He's my cousin's boyfriend..." my voice trails off as I realize the blonde next to me looks extremely torn up. His skin, once an albino color, is dark and burnt. Cuts slashed up his face, along with dark circles around his eyes. His arms seem by worse of his whole condition – skin cracked and peeling off, and a strong scent of blood and smoke lingers to his aroma. "Demyx? Wh-What happened?"

Demyx sends me a wary smile. "It's nothing."

"Did... Did Axel do this to you?"

"Don't worry about it."

"D-Demyx..! You look like shit – did Axel do this do you?"

"...Yeah, but it's nothin'. I mean, he was always the pyro of the group," Demyx offers a small, quiet laugh, but I can't even join in with him. How could he treat this so lightly? I, for one, want nothing more but to strangle that stupid redhead! How dare he injure my own friend in this whole house! "But... how are you?"

I pause in my thinking, remember faint clips of the night before. I certainly do remember screaming for Demyx, and Axel losing his temper. I remember the pain... and my mind went blank. How did I get out of that place? Had Demyx pried Axel off of me? Did he fight off the blonde? The last thing I do remember, after that, is lying in the kitchen all alone.

"I'm... fine."

"That's good," He smiles much brighter, "Zexion's been wondering how you've been. He said you were very close to death." Zexion? "You remember him, right? He pulled you out of the basement."

"He.. what? I don't remember."

"Oh... oh well! At least you two can meet properly now!" Before I can utter a word, Demyx calls for his friend. After a few minutes, a man steps into the room. The first thing I notice is his hair. It looks familiar – the color, at least – but everything else about him is new. Like how short the man is, practically my height, and his eyes are a deep, dark blue. Almost a violet color. His hair layers over his face, so half his face is hidden, while the back of his head seems shorter.

"Hello," I mumble feebly.

"Hello, Roxas. I am Zexion." Demyx's friend introduces himself, not even bothering to smile or look a least bit happy to see me.

"Roxy said he's feeling better! Isn't that great?" Demyx chirps up, smiling excitedly. I raise an eyebrow and fight off the urge to smile at how adorable the blonde's face is.

"That's all very astounding, but I mustn't worry about little stuff like that," Zexion says, casting a wary look my way. Well, I feel very welcome here. He looks back at Demyx. "There are bigger wonders rather than whether your friend is going to live or not, wonders like, where are the others? They all know not to be wandering around this house, especially now, with a human in our hands."

"I'm sure Xiggy and the others are just taking a little break from hiding around! Jeez, it's like a military here." Demyx gives Zexion a pouting look, and then looks towards me. "Hey, Roxy, you never met Xigbar and the others, have you?"

I shake my head, slightly curious on the worries of why it's such a big deal on where they roam around.

"Oh, we have to go find Xaldin! And Xigbar! Luxord, too!" My arm falls out of its socket as the blonde jumps up with fast speed and jerks me out of bed.

"Wa-Wait a minute! Demyx, hold on!" I grab onto the bedsheets, which are easily stripped off, just like I was. If it weren't for Zexion cutting in and stopping the blonde, I think I would've held onto the door frame so I wouldn't have to leave this room.

"Demyx, relax there for a moment." The lilac-haired ghost steps in front of the door and stops the blonde. I feel my hand be released and almost immediately I snatch it back, moving my arm around from the lack of the limb being connected to the rest of my body.

"Whaaat...?"

"How about we wait here until they come to us?"

"But that's boring!"

"And it's safer."

"Safer?" I poke into their conversation, perking my head up and looking at Zexion. "What do you mean?"

"It's safer," he drawls out the word, as if speaking to a toddler, "meaning we'd be in danger if we stepped out of the room-"

"Yeah, I know what it means," I snap, "why is it safer though? What's out there?"

Zexion clears his throat a little, sending a glance at Demyx before replying, "Demons."


A/N: Oh ho ho! :3

The seventh addition to this little fanfiction. I love you guys so much! And I felt horrible for not updating on Saturday, so I made this longer than I originally planned. I also planned Axel to take Roxas, but hey, no need to rush into things, eh? I also think my subconscious made me wait this long is just because I wanted to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS YA' WANKAS!" :DDD Australians are awesome.

Fun-Fact: The songs used to write this chapter is Stand by Me by Ben E. King, Control by Metro Station, and The Wanted by All Time Low.

Reviews are the presents to my tree~