3 days later and I'm posting! Part two is here Enjoy!
Meanwhile back down stairs in the dim lit TV room, April had been about to follow her friends only to find she couldn't. She was looking around as though something was about to jump out and attack her. Mikey had gone, but he left a lingering aura behind him. April went to go stand in the spot on the carpet where the orange turtle had been sitting. Whatever had come over Mikey a moment ago was still here...as in here in the room. She could feel it around her. Something familiar…her breathing had suddenly picked up as the pressure around her had become crushing. In the corner of her eye she could feel someone watching her….but when she looked, a pair of green eyes was staring at her, oh it was just Klunk, sitting on the chair arm. She wanted to smile in relief, but the feeling had not disappeared. In fact it was growing….over her like a light invisible sheet floating down over her head.
"Hey Red you ok?" Casey noticing that like Mikey, she too had suddenly become frozen in front of the Television. "Girl why you panting? You having a panic attack or something? You know it was just a movie, right." He asked but then gasped a little as April looked up towards him, or rather she was looking right through him. Her eyes were blank as in completely. No pupils, just white. A hard pressure was pushing down at the back of her neck.
"Yo….earth to April you reading me? Emmm, Splinter, I think we have another one over here!"
"April?" Splinter had watched his son been taken upstairs turned back to see his other student looking like she was about to faint….the same aura around her that was surrounding his youngest a moment ago. Her eyes had rolled up into the back of her head, but she was still standing. Whatever was here had taken control of her. He felt something to, but it was like it was hiding within the walls. Moving around, he couldn't quite mentally grab hold of it.
"Great now two of them are acting weird. Splinter she's doing a Mikey." Casey shook her a bit not noticing the solo shadow moving around her…
"Attached to your soul 'we' pull the fine thread. Your soul is free but your body is dead…" The words spilled from her mouth as though they had been waiting for her to open her lips, only, it wasn't her voice. It was still a female voice, but it was deeper. A growl lingering behind it. Instantly Casey backed away, a pleading look toward Splinter for help.
"What did you say? April wake up." The rat had quickly made his way over. Concern now growing at an alarming rate as he placed a gentle grip on the side of her neck, lightly squeezing.
At first she flinched at the pressure as it sent a shock down her spine, right to the end of her toes. The vail had started to lift. Not left, more like just hover above her. She blinked, her eyes returning to normal. Whatever it was, it was still there, but now she felt more confused by the perturb expressions on Casey and her sensei's face.
"What…What just happened?" she asked surprised, but that was instantly replaced with a feeling of nausea. She didn't even realise that her body was falling forward until Splinter caught her by the shoulders.
"What is wrong my child?" Splinter trying to get her attention. She didn't know how or why, but she took the hint that she was not supposed to be here right now.
"Red, you just went super freaky for a moment there. Your eyes and everything…." Casey carefully stepped forward again. "Pull the, what? Thread…and then you're dead? What does that mean?" But April couldn't answer. She was shaking too much, a cold sweat becoming visible across her face.
"Sensei something is happening? I, I think I need to sit down." She looked at the old rat begging. He nodded.
"Let us go into the Kitchen. Maybe a glass of water would help." Worried she was going to pass out on him, the rat gently but firmly placed a paw under her arm, leading her away from the cold spot. Not so keen to sit in the room on his own anymore, Casey was on their heels. Was it just him or was it getting a little chilly in here?
In the Kitchen April sat at the table explaining to Splinter the strange feeling coming over her, what was still coming over her, but she only picked it up after it had targeted Mikey.
"I don't think it wants me to see it…? It doesn't want me." She added nervously.
"It?" Casey repeated, his eyes widening. "Wait did I miss something here? There's an 'it' now? When did a feeling become an 'it'?" The teen starting to sound panicked but the two Psychics didn't seem to hear him.
"I know this feeling Sensei, I've had it before. A long time ago."
"What does it want?" Splinter asked and there was a note of urgency in his tone. A part of him already knew and didn't want to hear the answer but he had too. It was only then Donatello and Leonardo walked in. Leo carrying Klunk in his hands.
"We were wondering where you lot had disappeared off to. Think there's a storm coming in, we should go and get Rap -" Donnie was stopped by their spooked faces. April in particular, her eyes looked unfocused. "What's wrong?" The purple turtle practically flew across the room towards her.
Splinter looked at his son then back at April. "April's powers have picked up on a very negative aura in this house, and she believes to know what it is." April flashed her eyes at the rat with panic and uncertainty. "Trust your senses April." The rat encouraged her despite the anxiety building in her eyes, but then sighed in defeat.
"My gran and her story of the Ravens. The birds are the MESSENGERS of Death. They take the souls away….The poem…" She rubbed her face in irritation. "I thought it was just a story, now am not so sure…"
"What story? What are you talking about?" Leo cut in. Words like Death suddenly being tossed around were quite alarming in this situation.
"Ok guys seriously. Don't you think we are just getting a little carried away here? It's just a spooky story in a spooky house in the middle of a spooky forest…so you know, we are all just a bit, well, spooked. It doesn't mean anything spooky is actually going on. Right?" Casey replied trying to hold onto the brink of some kind of sanity. Crime lords are easy. Mutant monsters, cool. Aliens, he could handle. But the only thing the ice hockey player didn't like the idea of confronting even more than rats were ghosts. You couldn't fight a ghost.
April looked away unable to take this anymore. Maybe she was just mad? But that was for them to decide. "The last thing my gran told me before she died was the story of the Ravens. When a person is dying, the spirit known as Death will travel to the world of the living inside the birds. As many birds as it needs to bring the soul back with them. Once…..here they hide in the shadows. Not every shadow, but any. The best place for…'them' is in the dark so they can move freely…. But there not evil. Death is nature. The darker side of nature, and they never leave empty handed….." April then gasped as though the pressure on her neck increased. She leaned forward over the table. It was like something was trying to stop her from talking. Like she was breaking some kind of law she didn't even know existed.
"April what is it? What's wrong?" Donnie leaned over her checking her eyes and breathing. He could tell that she was finding it difficult.
"Gran…saw the Ravens just before Grandpa died….. She was in this house all by herself for a year after that. The obsession with the Raven got worse. We thought she was just fine but one morning when she got sick….she said she could see grandpa asking….her to go with him….but it wasn't him. Once a soul has gone to the other side, they can't come back. It was Death taking his form, so she felt easier about letting her spirit go….with him." The force was making her head spin now.
The mutants and the teen looked at one another. The sound of Klunk hissing suddenly startling them back to reality. The little cat struggled in the Leaders hands, scratching and biting his fingers. Leo put the cat down and she ran into the other room as though been chased by something. Feeling very unnerved, Leo looked back up at his human friend. She was looking very unwell. "April I am sorry about your family, but I don't understand what all this has to do with anything that's going on?"
"We thought she was just grieving, but on the night gran died I, I sore the shadow…It was going up the stairs to my grans room. I was only 6, but I remember because Dad came and got me a few moments later, told me Gran had gone to heaven…I said no. She went with the Ravens." Before continuing her story, she looked the turtles in the eyes.
"When life has given you your final call, say your goodbye's as the curtain falls. Because the Ravens are coming to whisk you away, to a land of dark where there can be no day. First they visit as shadows at night, under your covers as they whisper sleep tight. Upon the moment you breathe your last, the Ravens are there to feed on you fast. Attached to your soul they will pull the fine thread, your soul is free, but your body is dead."
At those last words Leo froze. No. No it couldn't be?
"Don't be afraid when the Ravens fly, just say to your family, I miss you and….goodbye." The realisation hit April just as she said the last line of the poem. Oh my god! Mikey! But the moment she finished, every light in the house went out!
No one was sure what happened. At first everybody gasped. The storm must have knocked out the power to the farm house. "Everyone just wait a second." Donnie voice struggled making its way through the crowd. All they could hear was the unmistakable whine of Casey freaking out.
"Dude will you just calm down! It's just a power outage" Leo tried to reassure them, though after what April had just told him, he wasn't doing a good job hiding his fear either. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face. This couldn't have anything to do with what April had just said, could it? It's just a story, about birds for heaven sake…..but the strings?
"Indeed. Everyone please remain calm." Splinter steady voice was still in the chair opposite them. "Once we have light again-" another crash on the floor made everyone jump.
"Sorry. Sorry that was me" Donnie called over from the other side of the room.
"Geez Don, give me a heart attack why don't you!" Casey shuddered.
There were more sounds of objects falling and crashing to the floor as everyone bumped into one another. "As I was saying" Splinter again introjected. "When we have some light, Leonardo, please go and retrieve Raphael and meet us up in your brother's room." They saw the tall silhouette of Splinter stand up ready to leave when suddenly -
"Found it!" the smart turtle called out and a small dim flash light lit up the kitchen. "Everyone alright?" He asked not been able to hide his own nervousness.
"Not really. What's going on around here Ap-" Leo turned around to face the teen girl only to find her seat was empty?
"April….?" Everyone-with only a torch for guidance- realised the teen had disappeared.
"April where are you?" Donnie exclaimed, franticly flashing the light around the kitchen. She had been here a moment ago
"Wha- Hey where is Casey!" Leo realising that he too had gone. "Casey!" They all called out.
"Down here." the Hockey player embarrassed but fearful voice floated up from under the table. The mutants looked down as Donnie directed the flash light towards the floor.
"Is April under there with you?" Donnie couldn't keep a small smug chuckle from escaping him. The sound of the wind outside had picked up, echoing that creepy noise making everybody tingle.
"No. It's just me. Bloody shadows dude, freaking me out with the ghost stories. They can move around in the dark, but they're not getting me!" He snapped as he crawled out from under the wooden bench and stood up. "Mind where you point that D." He held his hand up shielding his eyes. "Red must be hiding for a joke -" Casey started to say when suddenly Raphael came bursting in through the kitchen doors making everyone give a yelp.
"Raph! Don't do that!" Casey gasped again.
"MIKEY…. HIS OWN…THERE!?" Raph said between a yell and a pant.
"What are you talking about?" but before any of them could finish, they heard a shirking scream coming from the TV room. It was April!
"APRIL!" Donnie was across the room in seconds, zooming into the TV room.
As everyone burst in looking for the source of the scream, there was the sound of some heavy bumping coming towards them. Donnie flashed the light towards the stair case, to their horror, they saw April tumbling back down. Her body limp like a rag doll. Splinter leapt forward catching the girl before she hit the bottom step…..
The moment April had said the poem, she knew. She knew the Ravens were real. She knew they had taken her grandparents, as they had taken everyone, and now they were here for Mikey. Mikey should have died two weeks ago. It was only because of Don that he hadn't….at least physically, but this was different. From someone who was going to die from an injury, from someone who wanted to die! What Mikey had become, his depression, April knew that to some degree his soul was ready to let go and move on. The injury was just a way for his body to catch up with his mind, his soul. The small turtle was a perfect target for Death, for the Ravens to take him. Even if his body wasn't dying any more, his soul still was and Death never leaves empty handed…..
The lights went out. April didn't even think, she just took off towards Mikey's room. They wouldn't take him, she wouldn't let them, not this time. Still in some kind of psychic induced trance, April quickly made it as far as the TV before she saw it. A thin narrow shape shadow was gliding up the stairs and across the landing, heading for her grandmothers room…Mikey's room.
"No!" She took off up the stairs after it. "You're not taking him. He's not ready to go!"
"April?"
A new little voice made April stop in her tracks at the top of the stairs. "My little April." The figure immerged from Mikey's room in a long cream dressing gown and a light pink night dress. The last thing her grandmother was wearing while still in the land of the living. April felt as though an ice bucket had just been poured over her…..she couldn't breathe. "It can't be. No you're not her. You're not my Gran!"
"April O Neil you should never speak the secrets of the Ravens. No matter how powerful you are, you have no right to interfere with the higher forces of nature. No mortal does!" The woman scowled her.
April remain frozen to the spot. Petrified with fear as the pale face she remembered from so long ago looked up to greet her. "Death will test the young turtle fairly. But a choice must be made." She stepped forward. "Don't be afraid when the Ravens fly, just say to your family, I miss you and goodbye." A gasp escaped the teen girl as she looked up into the black eyes. That wasn't her grandmother. That was someone, something else. She couldn't help it. April let out a terrified and deafening scream as she stumbled back from the figure, forgetting that she was at the top of the stairs. The last thing she remembered was losing her footing….The next thing she knew she was in Splinter's furry warm arms as he supported her head. Donatello's voice was distraught as he shined the torch swinging all over her to check for injuries. She wished he wouldn't do that, it was hurting her eyes.
"A- April?" She felt the tip of Donnie's fingers brushing away the hair from her face. There was a small cut on her forehead. "April can you hear me? What happened?" she tried to shake her head but it hurt too much. All she managed was a small whimper. "I think her wrist is broken?" The girl heard him say. Damn it. He was right. She could feel Donnie's fingers around her arm, and it was throbbing…Mikey! Mikey was with the Ravens….
"What the shell is going on?" she heard Raph demanding an answer. When had he arrived? She could feel everyone around her…..No Mikey….Have to find Mikey.
"Mikey" She could only manage a whisper. Her body was starting to shake as she felt Splinter stiffen and everybody else went quiet.
"What do you mean Mikey? He's in bed!" Leo's voice rang out from somewhere above.
"No! He's in the garden. I saw him. He was walking towards the forest." Raph's mumbles were by the door now.
"WHAT?" They all shouted.
"The Ravens took him…Hurry." April breathed out and then everything went black.
Splinter quickly scooped the girl up in his arms before taking her towards the couch. "Mr Jones, help me with her. My sons go and get your brother, quickly!"
"Guys, where are you?" The youngest turtle thought as he travelled further into the forest. Mikey rubbed his arms as he continued on underestimating the utter blackness swamping the woods like a cloak. Even the silvery moon with the twilight, twinkling stars could not penetrate the dense canopy ready to swallow him. Mikey felt his breathing become rapid as the cold air chilled his bones, the darkness pressing him from all sides, his body screaming out to run, but wouldn't.
His brothers are here…or at least somewhere.
The word claustrophobic rings to mind as the teen walked down a narrow path the swooshing sound of bushes creating a hollow noise mixing together with the crowded trees circling him from above. The orange brother's heart tightened suddenly realizing he had no clue where the path was leading him. Was it his imagination? Did he fall asleep and decided to have a nightmarish dream of following his big brothers in a ghostly, ominous deepest part of the forest? No he was awake and extremely terrified.
"Leo, Raph, Donnie?" Mikey stopped his blue eyes searching for his siblings in the pitch-black. His freckled face scrunched up, as the tears burned behind his eyes as he whimpered. They slid down to his chin onto the grimy ground. Mikey hiccupped looking around like a lost puppy or in his case a lost turtle, his brothers were nowhere.
"This was a mistake I shouldn't have come. It was all a lie, my bros still hate me" He crunched down sobbing in his arms. He was alone, nobody was coming for screwed up, useless being like him and then suddenly he felt it. A small breeze whooshing around his left side like something was touching his shoulder.
"Mikey"…
His blotchy face stared in the distance. Leo?
"Little brother it's ok don't be afraid, hear my voice".
"Mikey stood on shaky legs, wrapping his arms around him for warmth as he trailed forward. He pushed past a few more bushes before reaching the other side…to see a cliff? Why did they bring him here? A flow of cold water splashed his heart, something was wrong here. So why was he moving upwards to stand on the edge with his feet almost dangling off the side? Why did he feel like someone was tugging him…pulling on his strings. His senses sent out an alarm signal, a sinister intuition causing him to step back snapping on a branch. He then jumped as a hand pressed against his shell to prevent him from falling. He sighed in relief as he saw his three brothers.
"Mikey you ok?" Said Donnie who moved closer to his left side.
"You scared us Mikey, thought we lost you back there" Stated Leo placing his hands on each shoulder.
Mikey's smiled slightly as Raph gently punched his chest as he came upon the other side.
"We love you bro, you can't leave us, we all have to stay together….no matter what"
The chilling sensation was back. What did he mean no matter what and why was Raph even here? How can he be so casual after everything that had happened between them? In fact they all look so relax and cheery….perhaps too cheery. What's going on? The smile started to enlarge across their features and is their skin turning darker? Mikey moved his body struggling to be released as the hands kept him firming in place.
"Mikey don't be scared of us, we are your brothers" Leo's voice was different it sounded empty and emotionless. He wasn't the only one. Donnie and Raph also murmured in his ears like a spooky chant when you stand in a circle with candles and a spell underneath the captive. "I'm so stupid they are not my brothers!" Terrified Mikey kicked at his eldest brother's stomach and knocked his elbows in his others bros faces to free himself of their hold. He ran passed them hoping to jump into the bushes before they got up to chase him. The orange turtle leaped into the air only to crash land as a pair of shadows grabbed his legs pulling him back.
Mikey wished he'd hadn't turn to see his so-called brothers, they had faded away to be replaced by the deformed, distorted figures from his nightmares. "There from my dream, they are real!" He scraped his hands across the ground, his fingers red and blisters as they hauled the youngest to the edge, their bodies already floating in the air ready to take their little charge.
He was getting too close, "I'm going to die! No please help me bros, sensei, April, Casey please save me!" Tears damped the Earth as a final idea came to mind.
He screamed.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
The rush patting of several feet collided with bushes as they ran through the void of darkness to find their youngest member of the family. Leo slashed his way through with his swords.
"Raph did you see which way he went?" said Leo staring at his brother's guilty expression.
"No…I didn't. I'm sorry Leo I should have gone after him!"
The leader gaze softened, he didn't blame his brother they should have all kept a closer hold on Mikey.
"Don't worry Raph will keep searching, I doubt he went too far". Fearless said determined, while trying to hide his anxiety. "What happened after we left the room? What or something made Mikey leave just around time the house became haunted and went berserk! April telling us Mikey is in danger and once again I failed! I should have stayed, what is wrong with me!"
The two brothers listened to their eldest scowling; they all felt the same way and the same question popped in their heads. Why didn't they protect Mikey?
"It should have been obvious! Mikey had explicit symptoms since practically the beginning, the silence, the loneliness, nightmares and the absent of his big brothers. How can something so simple become discarded like trash? He needed us and we let him down, please forgive us Mikey" Donnie gritted his teeth shaking his head to hide away the tears.
Raph clenched his fists observing the never-ending darkness. His baby brother was in this spine-chilling woods all on his own, without any of his siblings to watch his back. His delicate, vulnerable heart crying out for his bros to come rescue him. "Unless he thinks we don't care nor love him. Mikey, my beloved baby brother that is not true, none of it is. We will find you I promise".
The three brothers boosted their speed when they heard the loud piercing scream.
AHHHHHHHHHHH!
"That's Mikey!" Shouted Raph, his heart fluttering registering his younger brother's voice was not gone forever.
Leo swung his sword straight ahead. "It came from this direction hurry!"
Without delay they charge through the cluttered forest to the clearing of their distress, frighten youngest sibling. But they then halted as their eyes widened in horror. The turtles couldn't comprehend the sickening vision in front of them….they; they could see a form of themselves around their younger brother as Mikey was clinging for life as half of his body was dangling off a cliff because of…them? These hideous, twisted monsters have transformed into his eldest brothers and lured him here to take him away, to take his soul away from them.
The repulsion and rage filled their system when the grotesque creatures cracked a sinister smile, their onyx eyes staring down at their brother who hands were losing their grip. Their weapons were summoned when Mikey tried to reach them with his hand, mixture with dirt and blood. They launched and attack when their youngest whined.
"Get the hell away from him!" Roared Raphael jumping off the ground leaping for his own counterpart, his Sais ready to slice the thing to pieces, when it smirk grabbing Raph off guard swinging him round by his foot. The red-clad teen harshly hit the rubble knocking the air out of his lungs.
"What the shell! How can they be so strong?" Leo watched his toughest bro struggle to rise before charging his twins Katanas attempting to slice through when…nothing happened. The leader gasped in horror as his swords slash through the middle like it was a hologram. His blue orbs unable to avoid the pitch-black bottomless pit staring down into his soul. The blue teen shivered at the menacing grin when it grabbed Leo by the neck throwing him like tossing a toy across the floor next the Raph.
"Leo" exclaimed the hothead helping his brother into the sitting position.
He winced at the bruises already started littering his plastron and shell. Where are those things? Why do they look like us? What does this mean?" Thought Leo feeling helpless in rescuing his sibling who was unsuccessfully trying to escape their grasp. "What should I do, I can't even touch them!"
The three shadow brothers were preoccupied with Mikey, their gleeful faces splitting with joy as the youngest nearly reach the end of the cliff. The youngest burst out into tears wanted to voice out for his brothers to be his hero's to protect him like always. Why can't he just speak out already! Leo and Raph rushed towards their enemy when shockingly the doubles were caught off guard and swung to the side by their Donnie's bow.
"How did Donnie hit them? Or better yet why did he wait so long?" questioned Leo. Maybe Donnie had an idea in that oversized brain of his?
With the two shadow creatures out the way Donnie rushed forward just seconds before Mikey was about the fall off into the ocean. His little brother frantically wrapped his arms around his purple brother, his body trembling. Dabbing an arm round his shell Donnie swung his bow straight ahead just inches from his other Donatello's blank void features. He could have sworn a hint of surprise had entered those soulless orbs.
"Let. My. Little. Brother. Go. Now!" The kind and gentle voice was overpowered by the burst of anger erupting from his throat. A rarity it was to get their peaceful brother mad, however they rather not because it is a force to be reckon with.
Minutes of silence as the two Donnie's battle each other emotionally. Refusing to remove their hold on Mikey whose body still halfway between life and death, when the purple-turtle noticed something unusual, it smiled.
"As you wish"
A burst of light appeared lightening the forest with a whitest flash they have even seen. The oldest brothers shielded their eyes as it began to dull down and fade. When they opened them their shadowed double-gangers had vanished leaving behind two unconscious figures lying limb in the dirt.
"MIKEY! DONNIE!"