A TRAIN OF THOUGHTS
Elenion: I never have and never will own Yu-Gi-Oh.
fox-SPIRIT AKA Y.V- Wow, thanks a million for the (as Bakura says) 'positively spiffing' review! I must have been glowing bright red as I read that. And now you're a RyouSerenity fan? Lol. But anyway, I'm glad you liked it so much (and yeah, I didn't know Ryou could kick ass- till I wrote that chapter- either) and keep on reading!
Wolfyu- Hey, that's great. I was aiming for the "aww" moment when they kissed, so I'm ecstatic that it worked out the way I planned. Thanks! And yeah, Yami Bakura is going to put a bit of a damper on things eventually… Sigh. Just one of those things that seems inevitable, I guess.
Lily of the Shadow- I know what you mean about not sounding good… That last chapter kinda left it in a sour note, if you know what I mean. I'm really happy that I'm not in Bakura's position. I mean, it seems like the entire world is after him, doesn't it? Well, it was great to hear from you!
Elenion: Yep. It's time for the next chapter…
######
CHAPTER 8: Shards Of Broken GlassIt had been two days since Serenity and Bakura had set foot out of Sado City. Since then, they had progressively moved northeast towards the hiker's lodge. The couple was once again walking, and it was sometime towards the setting of the sun.
Serenity felt much more up to the challenge of a long hike now that she'd had a full night's worth of sleep. That night, in fact, they had slept through most of the morning as well.
Serenity shook her head slightly and looked over the fast setting sun in the west. It was making the entire sky a lovely crimson. "You know, I never thought that I'd sleep straight through a day."
Bakura chuckled. "I didn't think I would either. But we did go to bed fairly late- or early if that's the way you want to look at it."
Not to mention that she was still giddy from a few days before- how Bakura had actually kissed her.
Bakura was thinking along the same lines. In fond memory, Bakura's hand faintly touched his lips. 'Gods, I can't believe that actually happened.' The only thing that could take his mind from this phenomenon- as he regarded it- was the darkening mass of clouds approaching from the east. They were always on the edge of his mind.
"Bakura, please tell me those rain clouds in the distance are a figment of my imagination," Serenity said while biting her lip worriedly.
The white-haired boy sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid that you're not imagining things."
"Great. Just great," Serenity grumbled. "Do you think anyone's following us?"
Bakura thought about that for a moment. "I don't think so, but you never know." Despite himself, he smiled. She always seemed to have that effect on him.
"Mmm hmm." Serenity fingered the chopsticks that still held her hair in a bun and cocked her head thoughtfully. "How much farther until we get to that traveler's lodge you were talking about?"
"Well," Bakura sighed, "If what I've heard is true… We should be nearly there by now. I'd say in about another hour or so. Then we'll be able to rest for awhile and avoid this storm."
It sounded reasonable.
"So we can rest in a little while?" Serenity asked, almost not believing what she was hearing.
Bakura laughed. "Oh, come now, love. You're not tired already are you?"
A silly little grin answered him. "After this is all over, I'm going to sleep for a week straight," Serenity giggled to herself. Her eyes gleamed playfully, and she suddenly scampered ahead of him. "Catch me if you can!"
The British teen laughed and dashed after her. Trees and shrubs were passing by in a blur, and Bakura could feel his bag bouncing on his back heavily. It was cute things like this that really made him laugh.
Man, she was fast… But he was still faster. He not only caught up with her, but he grabbed her by the backpack and whirled her around. "Caught you."
Both of their faces were flushed and they were both breathing heavily, but despite it, they were smiling broadly.
Suddenly, Bakura lifted her off her feet and twirled her around before pulling her into a strong hug.
They remained there until their breathing calmed down. The sun was nearly below the horizon now, and everything was beset with an enchanting red glow. Serenity couldn't help but notice how Bakura's feathery, white hair reflected the sun's rays beautifully. As for her own, Serenity's usually auburn hair was catching the red so radiantly, that her hair glowed like the sun itself.
Feeling flirtatious himself, Bakura grabbed the chopsticks from her hair and pulled them out, letting her hair flow down in a fiery waterfall past her shoulders down to her waist.
Serenity mock-pouted just for the pure fun of it, but she soon broke out in laughter. She fluttered her eyelashes against Bakura's cheek affectionately- butterfly kisses.
But then worry set in. Bakura sighed and looked around at the surroundings. He really hoped that they hadn't somehow passed the lodge. The oncoming stormclouds were getting closer by the hour, and they didn't look very forgiving. Bakura forced himself to pull away from her. "I need to check my compass," he explained.
Serenity glanced up at him and nodded sweetly, "Good idea."
Bakura knelt on one knee, keeping Serenity visible in the corner of his eye just in case. He slung the heavy pack onto the ground and rifled through it for the compass he'd bought for just this purpose. He had just enclosed his hand around the silver, circular compass when the one thing he'd dreaded decided to taunt him:
/Why use a compass when you have a much more accurate one right around your neck?/
The British boy's entire body stiffened. His yami meant the Millennium Ring, the symbol of Ryou Bakura's eternal misery. /I don't like to use that miserable thing./
/Ah, but hikari…/
/Yami, my life was ruined the minute I took that Ring. I wish I never had. And I will never use it. Not ever. Especially just to amuse you./
Yami Bakura laughed at his hikari, but he said no more. He hadn't actually expected his host to use the Millennium Ring, but it was ever so entertaining to remind him of it. Torment was the tombrobber's specialty as well as his form of amusement. But he wasn't about to spoil everything. Not just yet. The Ring's spirit was content to watch as his host handed him an opportunity on a silver platter.
The compass indicated that they had indeed been hiking in the right direction. Ryou Bakura closed his eyes- his mind not entirely focused on the compass anymore. Ever since that time when he had been able to overthrow his yami's control, it seemed like his yami had decided to bother him even more. And if Hikari Bakura wasn't mistaken, it almost seemed like the tombrobber was planning something.
But all of this evaporated when Serenity touched his shoulder in concern.
"Bakura, is there something wrong?"
The British boy snapped his eyes open and smiled. His yami was once again forgotten, and nothing seemed to be out of place. "No. Nothing." He leapt to his feet and put the pack back over his shoulders. "Let's get going. We're almost there."
Wordlessly, they found each other's hand and continued determinedly on their way.
######
It was somewhere in the middle of the night- a stormy night- and the entire gang- or what was left- sat on the stylish couches and chairs of Mai Valentine. Everyone there was in a various state of devastation. The atmosphere in the living room was heavy and stifling. Looking around, Yugi felt a choking sensation in his throat. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.'
Tea was silently crying, holding Yugi's hand so tightly it was going numb. It looked like she wanted to say something, but just couldn't bring herself to do it. Her gaze was fixed firmly on her lap, but every now and then her eyes flickered over to Joey worriedly.
Joey was flipping through every card in his Duel Monsters deck. All the memories of the Duelist Kingdom and Battle City were coming back to him, and his eyes grew more and more distant. 'I used ta fight for my sista. Now what have I got ta fight for?'
Everything was in a fuzz. All the people that had once seemed so close now seemed far away. Tea felt this more than any of them, and she was more frightened than she'd ever been in her life. Their friendship couldn't fall apart now. It was this time more than ever that they needed one another. She swallowed and turned her watery blue eyes to the most grief-struck of all of them. "Joey…"
There was no response. No acknowledgment of any type from the blonde.
Tea exchanged a nervous glance with Yugi before trying again. "Joey, I know that this is probably even harder for you than any of us, but…" This was harder than she would have ever imagined. "I think we all just wanted to tell you that we're here for you, Joey."
His hazel eyes rose from his deck and looked at Tea and slowly scanned all the faces in the room. "It's so hard guys. It… it f-feels like every time I… I look at ya, I see my lil … m-my lil sis and B-bakura…"
Yugi reached over and patted his friends arm. "We know, Joey. But you have to understand that we feel the same way. You're not alone."
Joey slowly nodded, starting to feel a little less lost. "Th-thanks, guys." He closed his teary eyes and was ready to say something but there was a loud Ratta Tat Tat on the front door. Everyone froze, bewildered.
Mai, who was holding a lacy handkerchief to her chest, rose from the ottoman she'd been sitting on. She carefully opened the door, and her violet eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, no. You're not coming in here."
The woman outside ignored the blonde girl's statement, and peered over her shoulder. "Hello. My name is Jane, I'm sure you've seen me on the news. I'm looking for a Mr. Joseph Wheeler and any of his friends who would care to comment." The obnoxious brunette pushed past Mai, who uncharacteristically let her by.
A cameraman followed Jane into the house.
Tea stood up. "Excuse me, Jane," she spat out the name like it was an incurable disease, "But you're not exactly welcome here right now."
The fake-smiling Jane snapped and let her real, hyena-like self through: "Well, I wasn't talking to you, was I?" The sickeningly sweet smile-the mask- came back. "Joseph Wheeler? Do you mind if I call you Joseph?"
Joey stared pleadingly at his friends.
Yugi took up the case. "I think, miss, that Tea's right. Joey doesn't really want to talk to anyone right now…"
Again, the reporter mask vanished and the hyena came out. "Shut up, shrimp. I don't have time for people like you now. I need my raw video footage in another two hours."
This time it was Tristan's turn. "Look, lady. What makes you such an exception to all the rules? You've basically been told three times to leave, and now you're insulting us."
Jane was ignoring all of this. "Get ready to roll the camera," she snapped at her cameraman before her fake reporter face came back. "So Joseph, you don't mind me interviewing you, do you?"
No reply.
"Ok, roll camera," Jane said as she cleared her throat.
Mai looked at Tea as she walked over and whispered, "He's not ready for this, Tea. He just came out of his shell. We need to stop this."
"I just want to ask a few questions," Jane said to the unmoving Joey, "What does it feel like to lose a best friend and your sister?"
Tea started forward. "Now that's uncalled for…"
She was stopped by a venomous glare from Jane that could have curdled milk. "I've heard you were the runner-up at the Duelist Kingdom and that you were fighting for your sister. What will be your new inspiration when you play Duel Monsters?"
Something in Joey snapped. "I'll neva play Duel Monsters again," he said through gritted teeth as he let his deck drop onto the carpet.
"Joey, don't say that," Yugi pleaded, choking with tears.
"Oh my," Jane murmured in mock sympathy, "Now, I understand that Serenity was on vacation, yes? Why was she on vacation?"
Joey clutched his head as if in pain. "If she hadn't gone on vacation, my father woulda saw her straight ta the ER," he hissed tears flowing down his cheeks as he retreated back to the cloud of despair.
"Can't you leave him alone?" Tristan growled at the manipulative reporter.
Mai rushed over to the chair Joey was sitting in and hugged him gently.
"So the plot thickens," Jane said raising an eyebrow, "So you saw Serenity Wheeler off on this vacation of hers. What does it feel like to know that maybe if you didn't let her on that first train that maybe she'd still be alive?"
Joey let out a strangled sob before shouting, "LEAVE ME ALONE!!"
Mai shushed him, "Don't listen to her, Joey."
"I just have one more question. What was…"
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!" Mai shrieked, losing control. "GET OUT!!!"
Tristan pushed the reporter straight towards the door roughly. The cameraman was ushered out as well, the red light on his camera still staring at them like a mocking eye. Jane whirled around. "Thank you for your time," she called with that horrible smile as the door was slammed in her face.
######
Thunder crackled- almost directly overhead. The sky had long lost its red hue, and instead the sky had turned dark with the thunderhead storm clouds swarming angrily about. No rain had come yet, but the two travelers knew that it was only a matter of time. In preparation, Bakura and Serenity had slipped on their rain jackets that they had brought along for just this purpose.
A chilling wind howled through the trees, causing the two travelers to shiver involuntarily through their jackets. The weather had turned from pleasant to ominous in only the past hour. Both of them were reminded of the awful train and the storm that had brought the entire countryside to its knees.
Right now, it seemed like this was an exact copy- a clone, if you will- of the first storm. That was far from a comforting thought.
Through the cloud-induced darkness, Bakura was able to see a flickering light. His hope flared at the sudden possibility of reaching shelter. The grip of his hand on Serenity's tightened as they struggled through the gales toward the light. Faint, misty drops began to dance around their heads. It was only a matter of time before the calm of the storm broke and a downpour began.
The shape of a fair-sized building built into the side of a hill emerged through the dark. The couple picked up their pace.
A lantern was swaying in the storm's gale out by the front door. Every now and then, the flame inside the lantern would flicker casting strange shadows over the building. It was difficult to see any features of the building other than that it was stone, however, there were a few windows that were comfortably well lit.
Serenity held on to Bakura's hand for dear life. The lodge wasn't too far off, but the wind was chilling her to the bone and the drizzle was getting heavier by the second.
Another fork of lightning lit the entire area followed by the inevitable thunder.
The auburn-haired girl cried out in surprise and fear and tightened her grip so much that her nails were clawing into Bakura's skin. But he didn't protest. He gave her hand a light squeeze as they ran towards the lodge.
100 meters to the door…
Bakura threw a glance at Serenity to make sure she was all right, and he began to sprint towards the lodge with Serenity in tow. The storm was about to break full-force right on top of them.
75 meters to the door…
Serenity gritted her teeth and kept fighting the gale and strengthening rain.
50 meters to the door…
A fork of lightning split a tree only feet from them. Sparks flew everywhere. Serenity shrieked in terror and leapt into Bakura's arms. Her hands clawed at the back of his neck and became entangled in his snowy hair. There was nothing left of the tree other than smoldering, charred remains.
"Oh g-gods, B-b-bakura," Serenity gasped into his neck, "I c-can't do th-this."
Bakura held her close, feeling shaken himself. "We're real close now, Serenity," he whispered to her ear, "Just hold on." He lay his chin on her shoulder and rubbed her back soothingly.
Another rumble of thunder drowned out Serenity's desperate sob. She clutched his neck in fear, but the realization of just how close they were to a sanctuary hit home. She nodded vigorously, and the two of them bounded forward once again.
25 meters to the door…
Serenity's foot fell into a hole, but she leapt out of it with cat-like agility.
10 meters…
5 meters…
Finally, they reached the door, panting heavily.
Bakura rapped upon the door, one arm holding Serenity about her slim shoulders. The rain began pouring all about them, and their only cover was a small overhang and their jackets.
Suddenly, the door was flung open. A bearded man in jeans and a sweatshirt stood in the doorway as a wave of heat flew past the two shivering teenagers. He was rough and very down-to-nature looking, but his eyes sparkled kindly at them. With ease, he maneuvered his brawny self so that the couple could get by.
The two stood in a fairly large stone hall that resembled a lobby of a hotel. Serenity pulled herself closer to Bakura, wondering what was going to happen.
"What brings two kids like you out here?" the large man asked as he closed the door behind them.
Serenity and Bakura looked at each other. There was a long story behind that question, but for the time being, Bakura decided to stay with the simple explanation: "We were stranded out here and we're hiking back home."
"Stranded?" the man looked at them quizzically as he stroked the stubby beard on his chin. "Ah, well. I can see this isn't a simple case."
They both followed the man to a homely sofa by a crackling fire in the hearth. Neither of them were very wet, but they were both shivering from the icy wind. Like the man who ran it, the travelers' lodge was a little rough-around-the-edges but still welcoming nonetheless.
"Well," the man said in his deep voice as he poked at the fire, "I'm Reiko, caretaker of this place."
"I'm Bakura," the white-haired teen said with a polite nod of his head.
"Serenity Wheeler. Thanks for taking us in," the pretty girl said with a nod of her head as she and Bakura sat down in the lumpy, corduroy couch. Her hands stretched towards the crackling flames. It was a really nice feeling to be inside a secure building when the storm was raging outside.
"No problem, Miss Serenity. That's my job." The man looked out one of the windows. "Some storm, eh? And to think it was so clear an hour ago."
Indeed, the entire sky was blocked by clouds giving the impression that the sun would never shine again. It wasn't the most awe-inspiring sight. Rather, Serenity and Bakura felt nervousness creep into their minds.
"Well, while you're here, you might as well tell me what happened to you two," Reiko said as he sat in a denim armchair not far from them.
Serenity shifted her weight nervously.
Bakura noticed this and turned to the lodge's manager, "Sir… do you have a functioning phone by any chance?"
Reiko looked at him in slight shock. "Well… yes. The communications here are all screwed up, but I do have a backup phone that runs through a satellite. However, it's really staticy."
"That's ok," Serenity said quickly, "If there's even a chance that I could get through..."
Bakura smiled at the petite girl's sudden energy.
Reiko scratched the back of his head. "All right, miss. The backup phone is in the room to the right there with the Office sign on it. Phone's bright red. You can't miss it."
The little girl leapt up. "Thank you so much, Mr. Reiko," then she gazed at Bakura, "Um…. What will you-"
The white-haired teen smiled at her and shook his head politely. "You go ahead. I'll be right here when you get back. I think Reiko deserves an explanation."
Serenity nodded and practically ran through the door. Sure enough, the phone was bright red. She marveled that all the electricity seemed to be working just fine here, unlike Sado City's half-power. But there was little room in Serenity's mind for anything else but to tell her brother that she was all right. That was the only thing that was weighing down her spirits.
She picked up the receiver and dialed their apartment's phone number: 877-435-9056. The rain was beating down on the roof overhead, but Serenity barely heard it. The phone was ringing, and she'd finally be able to tell her brother that she wasn't hurt.
Static kept breaking up the ringing. After a few rings, her own recorded voice filled her ears. That meant that Joey wasn't home. Serenity was a little worried when the line kept getting filled with static. It was worse than it had been before, most likely because of the storm that was correspondingly getting worse by the minute.
"Hello. …ve reached Serenity and Joey …currently unavail… if you leave … message, we… back to you …soon… as …ible."
Joey's little sister could barely make out the beep of the answering machine over the static.
"Joey? It's Serenity. Um… I just wanted to tell you that Bakura and I are all right. We're trying to get back home, and I just hope that you're not worrying about us. Well, I love you, big brother. Bye!"
Serenity hung up, hoping against hope that Joey would be able to hear what she was saying. But being the sweet little optimist that she was, Serenity brushed off her worry, figuring that Joey would be able to understand what she had said. She debated on calling someone else, Tea for instance, but she decided against it. Afterall, Joey was the only one who she'd desperately needed to talk to, and he would surely spread the word to everyone that she and Bakura were all right.
So without further ado, Serenity walked out of the office and back into the large hall. There, she was met by Bakura and Reiko deep in conversation.
"And you've been hiking all this time?" Reiko asked dumbfounded, after hearing the shortened version of just what these two teens had been through.
Bakura shrugged resignedly. "It may sound peculiar, but that's the truth." The albino boy turned to Serenity with kind eyes. "Did you get in touch with your brother?"
"Well, he wasn't home. I just left a message," Serenity said as she pursed her lips worriedly, "I hope he can hear me through all the static."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Reiko said, "But I'm sure you're both hungry and tired, am I right?"
Serenity and Bakura exchanged glances before nodding vigorously. Struggling through the unrelenting gale had taken a lot out of them, and it would be a nice change to have some oven-cooked food for once.
"Well, I have a pot of soup cooking right now, if you would care to join me," Reiko said in his booming voice while stroking his beard.
Twenty minutes later, Bakura and Serenity found themselves in a warm kitchen sitting around a large, circular table. The soup was delicious, although it could have just been the fact that it warmed them from the inside out. It was a nice mix of vegetables and chicken.
The howling wind was ripping around the stone building with an animal-like fury. The very sound of it sent shivers down Bakura's spine, but he was able to ignore it. Instead, he asked a question that had been burning in his mind for the past hour he'd spent in Reiko's company, "How is it that you have electricity?"
The burly man took another spoonful of his soup before answering. "Well, you said you passed through Sado City, and you heard that they had a backup generator."
"Yes."
"Well, it's not exactly their generator. The lodge built it for its own use, but Sado City negotiated for an emergency agreement. They get more than half the power in case of a storm like this, but the lodge still gets more than enough to run on full power."
Bakura nodded. "I see. And what if something happens to that generator?"
Reiko shrugged his wide shoulders and scratched at his beard. "Well, Sado City and this lodge won't have any power. Simple as that."
Serenity looked at Reiko quizzically. "Did you hear about the train wreck by any chance?"
He shook his head. "First off, this place doesn't have a television. Secondly, I've barely been able to reach anyone on that phone. It's a miracle that you even got through."
The petite girl sighed, and then yawned despite her effort to suppress it. Gosh, that was embarrassing.
Bakura chuckled. "Don't worry. I feel the same way, love."
"I can set you guys up with two rooms if you'd like," Reiko offered, cheerfully.
"Mmm… that would be nice," Serenity said, as another yawn escaped her. She watched almost numbly as a fork of lightning cracked outside. Memories of crackling intercoms and screeching train passengers rushed through her mind and she involuntarily grabbed the table's edge.
Bakura gently took her hand, knowing almost exactly what she was thinking. Her entire body visibly relaxed as she turned back to look at him.
Reiko made as if he was clearing their bowls, but really, he was watching them with sparkling eyes. As had the Sado City receptionist, he noticed what was going on between them with ease. It made him smile widely as he washed out the bowls and soup pot. He couldn't help but hear the two talking.
"How long do you think this storm will last?" Serenity whispered, shivering despite the warmth of the kitchen.
"I can't be sure. It all depends on how large it is and how fast the winds can carry it away," Bakura replied, pulling her in for a hug.
Reiko smiled and still pretended that he was washing the dishes.
"How much further till we get back to Domino?" Serenity asked into Bakura's shirt.
The British boy shook his head. "I don't know. But we'll get there."
Serenity looked up and locked eyes with Bakura. "I'm so glad you were on that train too, Bakura," she whispered and buried her head in his neck.
"Me too, love," Bakura replied, smiling.
Reiko chose that moment to come back. He waved his hand towards the kitchen door. "Would you like to see your rooms?"
The lodge certainly wasn't the largest building either of them had been in. For one thing, it was only one story and had somewhere around ten rooms in all. Obviously, not many travelers came by this valley. Either that or people had become accustomed to sharing. Whatever the reason, it didn't take too long to walk down the hall and turn left to find a homely little room with only a bed and nightstand.
"This will be your room, Miss Serenity," Reiko said with a gesture at the small compartment as he flicked on the light switch. "Yours is right across the hall. We'll leave this young lady to adjust."
Bakura took one last look at Serenity, who was setting down her bag under the windowsill and examining the small room. Knowing that she was safe, he followed the burly lodge manager to the room across the hall. It looked exactly the same as the last one except the bedcover was blue instead of red.
"There are two bathrooms both at the end of the hallway. You two can freshen up if you'd like," Reiko said, "My room is off of the office if you need anything."
With that, he lumbered off to take care of who-knows-what a lodge manager has to take care of.
Bakura sighed as he sat on the bed. 'A shower would be nice about now…And some sleep' So the snowy-haired teen dug out a clean pair of boxers and a night shirt for himself. The bathroom was at the end of the hall, and so he walked out of his room only to bump straight into Serenity.
"Sorry, love," Bakura said, backing up a tad, "Do you need something?"
Serenity stared at her feet, seemingly embarrassed. "I… uh… I don't have anything to sleep in."
The British boy laughed lightly. "Is that all? I have another shirt you can borrow."
"You do?"
"Yes. Come on, I'll get it for you," Bakura motioned for her to follow him. He rifled through his bag for a moment before he came across an extra tee shirt he had. It would be large on her, but that was the point of pajamas, wasn't it? "Here you go."
"Thanks," Serenity said sheepishly as she walked out of his room headed for the shower.
Bakura paused to look out the window at the storm. It was so dark out now compared to an hour ago. He sighed, ran a hand through his snowy hair, and left his room for the other shower.
####
You would have thought that no one would be out in a storm like the one overhead. But sometimes it will take more than bad weather to stop someone.
A pair of green eyes glared at the window where he had just seen a faint figure with silver hair. Fear crept in, but the wiry man ignored it. Here he was, being pelted with this forsaken water and sleet, and he was afraid? No, he couldn't be. Or so he thought.
'That boy took my pride the day I met him. I mean to get it back.'
Thoroughly soaked, he made a beeline for the well-lit stone building, and then he reconsidered. Instead, he crept off into the shadows in search of another landmark… He knew this countryside fairly well, and if there was one thing that was easy to destroy, it was a backup generator.
####
Serenity stepped out of the shower, ready to pull on clean clothes. She cursed herself for forgetting to buy pajamas, but Bakura hadn't seemed at all angry at having to lend her something. She pulled on her underclothes and the large, red tee shirt over her head.
She hugged herself, letting Bakura's scent wash over her from the tee shirt. She wasn't exactly sure what he smelled like, but it was a sweet scent with a hint of cinnamon- fitting for him.
The young girl turned to look into the mirror as she dried her auburn hair patiently. In a way, her reflection was actually a comical sight. Being petite, Bakura's shirt hung down to halfway down her thighs, leaving her looking a little lost inside of it.
Within minutes, she was back in the hallway, preparing for a good night's sleep. Come to think of it, she was always ready for a good night's sleep nowadays… probably because once you live in the middle of the forest, you never know just when you'll get a real good night's sleep again.
She met Bakura in the middle of the hallway.
"Good night, Bakura," Serenity said, blushing at the sight of the British boy in boxers and a nightshirt.
"Good night, Serenity," Bakura replied, also blushing at seeing Serenity in only a baggy red tee shirt of his own.
They both paused inadvertently. Neither of them really wanted to leave the other, but at that moment, Reiko strolled by. They both smiled sheepishly and left to their respected rooms.
Serenity flicked off the light switch and crawled under the red covers of the bed. All she had to do now was fall peacefully asleep.
But she couldn't.
The petite girl rolled onto her side, thinking that maybe she'd fall asleep faster in that position.
Nope.
'What is wrong with me? I'm dead tired. Why can't I sleep?'
Now completely frustrated, Serenity rolled onto her back again.She shivered slightly under the covers. Something was just missing. Somehow, the rain pounding on her windowpanes was more threatening than it been moments before. Every creak of the branches or movement in the shadows caused her hands to clench on the covers in fear.
She just couldn't put her finger on what was wrong…
####
Bakura turned off his light and lay thinking in the darkness for a little while. Then he tried to sleep. But he was antsy and anxious about something.
He rubbed his temples, in an aggravated manner. Something was keeping him on his guard, and that same something was keeping him from sleeping.
Suddenly, Serenity's face swam into his mind.
'Oh gods… I can't just barge into her room to check up on her every five minutes.'
He turned over, willing himself to sleep. But it just wouldn't come.
The British boy couldn't deny that he missed her, although they'd only been apart for fifteen minutes or so. This was the first night in what seemed like forever that they hadn't slept right next to one another, and it was grating on him something awful.
Giving in to the fact that he wasn't going to be able to sleep like this, Bakura slipped out of bed and walked over to the window. The storm was still raging. In fact, it seemed as if they were in the very center of it all. The winds were ripping around the building faster than anything Bakura had ever seen before.
Sighing, Bakura flicked on his light. 'Now what?'
Then he spied a book on his nightstand. It didn't seem exactly like his type of book, but it was something. So being the studious teen he was, Bakura picked up the book and began to read. But even that proved difficult. No matter what the characters in the story were doing, Serenity kept coming into view… her laugh… her eyes… the way she had treasured the rose behind her ear…
Bakura found that he had just read the same sentence five times. It was going to be a long night… He had no idea how true that was…
####
A loud crack of thunder made Serenity jump. She buried her head in the pillow, wishing she knew what was missing.
A few branches raked across her window, and the auburn-haired girl moaned in fear. It felt like someone had instantly taken away all of her security. But what exactly was that? Serenity pulled her knees up to her chest and inhaled deeply to calm her nerves.
Bakura's scent rushed into her head. And that was when she realized what it was that she was missing. She had once even said that any moment that she spent away from him was one of the longest moments of her life, hadn't she? Now, the frightened girl knew just how true that had been.
Her entire body quaked at the sudden fork of lightning outside. All of this would have seemed much more trivial if she could just be near the British boy who had so quickly become her hero.
Without another thought, Serenity threw off her covers and cautiously opened her door. The cold stone floor of the hallway made the petite girl shuffle her feet to keep the chill from sinking in. She couldn't help but notice that light was shining from underneath his door.
Shyly, Serenity stood in front of his door, debating on whether or not he should disturb him. Afterall, what if he thought she was stupid or something alone those lines? 'No. Bakura wouldn't think that.'
The petite girl rapped timidly on his door.
Leaning against the headboard, Bakura looked over the top of his book at the door. He wondered if it was Serenity, but he somehow doubted it. "It's open."
The door creaked open. Bakura caught his breath as Serenity's pretty head peeked around the door.
"Bakura?" she whispered shifting her bare legs nervously, hoping he wouldn't think she was an idiot.
"Yes?" Bakura put down the book that he hadn't actually been reading, and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"Ummm…" Serenity stared at her feet, feeling heat rise into her cheeks, "I couldn't sleep."
The British teen smiled kindly. "I know how you feel. I couldn't either."
Her head shot up. "Really?" This gave the timid girl her confidence back. "I got kinda lonely and…"
CRACK!
Thunder crackled right outside the window.
Serenity leapt into Bakura's arms, her entire small body shivering wildly. "… the storm scared me," she finished meekly.
"It's all right," Bakura said while absently stroking her hair with his chin laying on the top of her head, "I was a little lonely myself."
Serenity pulled away and looked fearfully at the window in a way that almost made it appear that she had seen a large monster snorting at the pane. It was nice not being the only person in a room with the walls closing in about her. Now that there was Bakura, the petite girl felt secure, and that sudden security made her smile.
"Hey, what are you reading?" Serenity said as she bounded over and jumped on Bakura's bed, landing on her knees.
The white-haired teen shook his head, grinning at her cute antics. "A weird scifi someone must have left here," he replied as he sat calmly on the edge of the bed.
Serenity was currently reading the book jacket and biting her lip in concentration. "Sounds… strange… to say the least."
"It is, believe me," Bakura replied with a laugh. From the little he'd actually been able to read, it had indeed been very out-there so to speak. He watched her eyes sparkle in the cheap, artificial light while she flipped through the pages. Everything from that one moment by the waterfall began washing over him, "Serenity?"
The girl looked up and smiled sweetly.
The typically shy boy breathed deeply and leaned a bit closer. "Serenity, I…"
Suddenly, they were plunged into utter darkness.
Serenity cried out in surprise, catching Bakura's hand with her's in a panic. In response, the British teen swung his other arm around her back and drew her into him protectively. Neither of them could see the other's face. Once the artificial light was taken away, there was nothing for miles to give any means of seeing. It made the hair on the back of Bakura's neck stand on end. They were virtually out in the middle of nowhere and now with no electricity.
A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating their faces before the dark slammed back in.
"What h-happened?" Serenity stuttered.
The door banged open and a flashlight glared menacingly in their faces. "Are you two all right?" Reiko asked scanning their faces with his flashlight while they squinted blindly into the sudden beam of light.
"Yes, we're fine," Bakura answered, "But do you know what's wrong?"
Reiko lowered the flashlight to the ground. Irritably, he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "Probably a short in the generator. It's nothing I can't fix."
"How far away is it?" Serenity asked worriedly, unintentionally tightening her grip on Bakura's arm.
The burly caretaker grunted. "Not far. It's just over the hill into the valley behind this building. I should be back soon, once the power is back on. You two just stay here and try to get some sleep." He turned on heel and left the room- off to face the storm.
Serenity and Bakura clung to one another. Both of them knew that they wouldn't be able to sleep without the other, and so it was some amount of minutes before either of them made a move.
Bakura slowly relaxed his hold on the slender girl. Every move he made was reluctant.
"Bakura," Serenity began timidly, "I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep tonight. Could I just stay here?"
The British teen did a double take, wondering if he'd just imagined that. "Sure, if it will make you feel better."
"It will," Serenity breathed in relief.
####
Reiko trudged through over the hill with his rain jacket doing its best to block the downpour. The wind was vicious, and even the burly man had trouble fighting through it.
The caretaker sighed as the beam of his flashlight fell upon the generator. Nothing seemed outwardly wrong with it, for which Reiko was extremely thankful. It must have been an internal problem. For the confidence of the two teens, he had made himself be confident that he could fix it. But if it was a real serious problem, then he might not be able to.
Hopefully, it was just a short as he had said.
Reiko took out his key to get inside the small room that held the power station's controls, only to find that the lock had been forced open. In fact, the door was banging in the wind.
He took the handle and opened the door. "Who's in here?" his voice boomed forcefully.
There was no answer, but a scuttling sound in the shadows.
"I'm warning you, it's a felony to come in here without permission," Reiko crossed his arms over his chest. It was probably just some stupid kid following a dare. "I won't turn you in if you give up now."
Still, there was no reply.
Reiko shrugged. Right now, he had to concentrate on getting power back to the lodge and Sado City. He bent down to see the computer console. Sure enough, the thing had shorted out… but not by itself. Someone had programmed it to short out by itself.
"That's strange…"
"Strange?" A voice hissed evilly from directly behind him. "No. It's ingenious."
####
They both just sat for a few minutes, letting their eyes adjust to the dark. Before long, they were able to discern each other's faces.
The storm was still raging outside, but they found that it was no longer as menacing now that they were in one another's presence. Serenity suddenly broke the calm silence, "Do you want to play cards?"
Bakura smiled. "Duel Monsters or Speed?"
Serenity laughed, thinking of how the moment on the train when they'd been faced with the comical misunderstanding. "I was thinking Speed, that's provided we have a deck."
"I bought one back in Sado City for just such an occasion."
Serenity swung her bare legs over the side of the bed. "I have the flashlight in my bag. I should go get it."
Bakura nodded. "Good idea, love. I'll find the cards."
The petite girl stepped back out into the hallway and immediately froze as she felt a bad feeling stir inside her. The hallway was dark, and she could barely see five feet down the corridor. With the wind howling just outside, Serenity felt a panic rise inside of her. Swallowing and wringing her hands, Serenity walked determinedly into her own room.
But that horrified feeling did not go away. Instead, it got worse.
Serenity felt her entire body stiffen. Her bag was by the window. It wasn't like she had to go outside or something of the like, but she had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.
The small girl cast a look over her shoulder, but nothing was there. Her eyes scanned the room, but she found nothing out of place. So Serenity made her way carefully to the window, bending down on one knee.
For a few frantic moments, she rifled through her pack until she felt the circular handle of the flashlight. Her fingers curled around it securely, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could just go right across the hall, and this weird feeling would go away.
'I'm being ridiculous. There isn't anyone watching me.'
Serenity lifted her head to the height of the windowpane and froze, mortified.
####
Bakura was calmly shuffling the cards, calmly waiting for Serenity to return.
A shrill scream ripped through the entire building.
Bakura's head whipped around. He dropped the cards, allowing them to scatter all over the floor. In an instant, he dashed across the hall.
"SERENITY?!"
The petite girl had fallen backwards, supporting herself only by her arms behind her. The flashlight had rolled off a few feet from her, now forgotten. Her entire body was trembling, and her head was turned to the side with her eyes tightly shut. When she heard Bakura's voice, her eyes snapped open, but she didn't move although it did appear that she wanted to.
Bakura knelt beside her, and she curled up against his chest. "What happened, love?"
Serenity was still shivering, small tears brimming in her eyes. "Th-there were eyes in th-the w-window."
The British teen looked to the window, but there was nothing there. Whatever she'd seen was gone now. Seemingly to prove that, a streak of lightning temporarily lit the surrounding area. Nothing out of the ordinary could be seen.
"I s-swear there w-was someone th-there," Serenity whispered, crying quietly
"Sshhh. It's ok. I believe you," Bakura cooed into her ear, rocking her gently back and forth to calm her nerves. If there really was something or someone out there, they should move out of this room. "Come on, love. We should move."
Serenity shuddered, but she was able to grab her pack, and with some help from Bakura, could shakily stand on her feet. "Wh-where are w-we going to g-go?"
The sound of glass shattering from one room over made them both jump.
Bakura's mind was racing. It could have shattered from the storm, but his guess was that it was someone trying to get at them. "For now, we go as far away from that noise as we can."
######
Elenion: Well, the next chapter should be up sometime within the week. Comments, etc are appreciated. Love ya!
