1.5.13
One-shot/Drabble #8: Throb
The setting requires a bit of explanation: in Season Zero the day after Bakura seals the gym teacher's soul into a Monster World figurine Ryou misses a day of school... I think... it might just be according to the manga. ^_^;
Dear
The word came out a bit erratically in a chicken scratch that most definitely was not his usual penmanship. But then that had seemingly disappeared along with all conscious thought.
Ryou's writing faltered as his free hand came up to massage his temples. Another headache. It was either the third or fourth one that week. He'd lost count. At first the headaches could be written off easily. Ryou easily came to the conclusion that he needed more sleep (the less time he spent in the dead of night poring over books having to do with either or the occult and Monster World, the better).
However, the headaches began to turn into migraines, which were a deal less bearable and explained away with considerably less ease. He would sit in the corner of his darkened room, now hot, now cold, every breath he took sounding as though it was amplified a million times over as his brain pounded against the walls of his skull.
Thankfully this one hadn't escalated that far yet… but…
He put down his pencil. Writing a letter probably wasn't the best thing to be doing when he felt as though he was on the verge of going into a mental episode at any given moment. Amane would have to wait a little while longer.
With some formless thought of getting tea to relieve some of the ache, Ryou stood up, only to double over and clutch at his chest. That damn… thing was moving again. Slithering through his ribs with ungodly heat and rearranging things. Ryou counted to ten with his eyes pressed shut, trying to block out the pain that began to repeatedly erupt in his heart.
It wasn't a passing, throbbing sort of pain that happened from mere stress, either, but an unrelenting squeezing sensation that would cause him to have the most overwhelming urge to scream. A searing hand seemed to be wrapped around the organ, fingers sinking in and pressing it against his ribs, as though threatening to either squish the source of life into a bloody pulp or break it into a thousand gory pieces against his bones.
The voice had not spoken to him so far that day. He (Ryou had to admit that the voice was unmistakably male, if nothing else) had asked Ryou the day before whether or not he was happy with his "rent". Naturally it was met with anger and shock on Ryou's end and to his surprise the voice had withdrawn from his mind. But he seemed perfectly happy toying with his innards in the meantime.
"Would you just stop it?" Ryou finally shouted and ripped his shirt open with the same ferocity and panic he had the day before when he had been unaware of what was happening (he still wasn't completely sure). A few of the buttons popped off in light of his haste.
The Ring was still there, dried gore plastered in dark reddish brown droplets below where it had pierced—Ryou had been too traumatized to even consider cleaning it off the day before. He'd collapsed in bed, still dressed in the school clothes from the day before, and promptly had the voice's sickly sweet voice whisper in his ear. After screaming at the presence for the better part of an hour until his throat was raw Ryou somehow managed to fall into a troubled sleep, the Ring still there like some deviant extension of his body. Now, though, the sight of it sickened him enough that he headed straight for the restroom to wash off the blood.
There were five revolting, unnatural bulges where the golden pendulums had intruded into his body. It made him shudder as he washed off the bloodied areas while splashing some water from the sink onto them. Still, it felt good to have cool water on his otherwise heated skin. He wasn't completely sure how the spirit was making his body so uncomfortably warm but he knew that he didn't like it. With that thought in mind he slid out of the remainder of his clothes and went into the shower.
After wrenching the handle completely to one side he sagged against the wall, quivering as icy water battered him. It licked away his high temperature and threw him into the other end of the spectrum: his skin was quickly clammy and goose bumps appeared. His headache gradually began to ebb, much to his relief, but there was nothing that could cure the sensation roiling through his chest. Ryou shut his eyes and sighed, sliding down to the bottom of the shower until his bare rump touched the cool tile.
The Ring, against all odds, was still warm when he tentatively put his fingers to it. He lay back so it was directly in the way of the stream of water only for it to seem even more heated than before. After a moment he exhaled and half-heartedly tugged at one of the pendulums to see if he could dislodge it. If anything it only sank farther into him and grew hotter. His heart was overcome with the unbearable squeezing sensation again. Ryou grit his teeth. He couldn't decide if the presence that inhabited the gift from his father was more irritating when he was silent or speaking.
[You wound me, my dear host.]
…definitely when he was silent. Ryou's skull throbbed and he silently cursed the Millennium Ring.
[Ohh. Your harsh words are making me cry.] The voice had a derisive, mocking tone, cooing as if it were speaking to an infant.
Ryou ignored him in favor of sinking his nails into the pinkish, irritated flesh around where the pendulums had pierced and attempting to rip it apart far enough to pull one out.
[You really think that's going to work?] He laughed as Ryou tore at his skin and caused the healed over scabs to break. Diluted pinkish red streams flowed down his chest. [I already told you… you can't take me off now. You're going to be my host forever and ever.]
Ryou finally stopped in his efforts and sat back in the shower with one hand to his forehead. The voice was laughing hysterically, causing the throbbing against the sides of his skull to increase.
The idea for this drabbley-thingamabobber has been rotting on my hard drive for a few months, the poor little dear. I decided to flesh it out last night when I was grievously tired and probably shouldn't have been writing… and BAM we got ourselves a messed up little Ryou-centric psychological thingy. :P
You should totally review. :)
~Albino Shadowz
