Authors Notes: Well, here's chapter 2!! Sorry it took so long but I've
been EXTREMELY busy with school and stuff. I'm actually getting the
confidence to post more of my writing! I'm really glad a lot of you liked
it so I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Although, it gets a little
confusing now. . . oh well, on with the fic!!
Warnings: Blood, Violence and other junk. Rated R.
Disclaimer: Um. . . yeah. Right. . . don't own 'em.
**Touching The Darkness - - Chapter 2**
By: SilverDeathscythe
Max slowly opened his eyes, drinking in the beautiful sunlight that grazed over his tranquil form. There was a slight breeze, rustling the long blades of grass that surrounded his body and making it tickle his pale skin. He laughed happily and sat up to get a better look at where he was. "Man, what happened? How did I end up here? I can't remember a thing. . ." he spoke softly to himself. Max stood up and something caught his eye. A figure only a few meters away, watching him intently. The blond boy took a closer look and a wide smile spread across his face as he recognized who it was. "Dad!" he shouted, running over to his father.
As Max got closer, he noticed that something didn't seem right. The older man was there, unmoving, just watching his son with a grin on his face, beckoning for Max to come closer. //But why. . . why can't I shake this feeling of dread? It must be from Rei's story earlier. . .That's it!// He thought as something clicked in his mind. "This doesn't make sense! I was at the hotel with my friends, so how the heck did I end up here? Wherever 'here' is. . ." He said out loud.
It seemed that as he started to figure out what was really going on, the scene before his eyes changed. His father began to move, shaking with violent, inhuman tremors as his eyes rolled back into his head. Max watched as the man's skin began to come apart, tearing in half straight down the middle with a nauseating ripping sound. //No!// The poor boy watched helplessly with tears in his eyes as the person he loved most in the entire world became something else, a creature of the darkness that was beginning to make it's way back into the atmosphere.
Max mustered all his courage and looked directly at the disgusting sight. He noticed that something was actually coming out of the mutated body. A fairly large brown and black. . . thing. It dripped with blood, puss and slime as it roared, announcing it's arrival. The creature had two scythe- like claws on each arm and three eyes, glazed over with mucus, staring straight at Max. The quivering boy didn't know what to do and as if by instinct, he shut his eyes tight. //It can't be real! Maybe. . .maybe if I just close my eyes everything will be ok and I'll wake up! Just like Rei did. . . but he said it wasn't an illusion! So what if I'm wrong?// He dared to look up again and froze to the spot. The beautiful day in the field was no more, in it's place was a dreadful night in that damned hotel!
A frustrated and terrified shriek escaped his open mouth as his eyes roamed over the rocky ground. He was standing at the side of a large, gaping hold that seemingly led down into nothingness. The deep black that went on for an eternity. He gasped and carefully reversed away from the edge before letting his eyes examine other parts of the room.
They landed on the one and only painting in the chamber, on the other side of the enormous pit. It was an immense, twisted work of art. It was the monster. //Was that what I was seeing? A painting. . .?// Max thought, completely taken aback. It was obviously using the image of his father to lead him into that hole and fall to his blood-spattered death.
Max averted his gaze to something a little less disturbing, a large locked trunk was what drew him in. He slowly moved to it, occasionally looking back over his shoulder at the disgusting picture, and checked the lock. It was a pad lock and it seemed to be chipped in a few places. He reached over and picked up a sharp rock, pounding on the flaws that were evident in the metal.
Eventually it snapped apart with a clinking sound as the pieces hit the ground. Max didn't hesitate to fling open the trunk and peered in. His breath caught in his throat as he examined the spectacular crossbow inside and gently reached in, placing his clammy hands around the handle. "Woah. . .cool!" exclaimed Max. For the first time in his life, he held an actual weapon, a merciless killing machine! He gasped as brief images flashed through his unstable mind. Visions and thoughts of Tyson, his best friend, being shot in the neck by a crossbow bolt!
//Gah! This is why I don't play with sharp objects. . .! Just ignore it and everything will be ok, all ok. . . nothing's wrong with me! Because there's NO way in hell that I'd ever slaughter my friends!// But he honestly didn't know what to think. . . in this crazy place, anything was possible! //But then again, it's my only source of protection! If I leave without it, I may not live to see tomorrow's dawn. . .// Max thought darkly. With that, he looked up at the horrid portrait of the beast, wanting nothing more than to rip it to shreds. For an instant, he thought he saw it move, a little speck of green dripping from its claws. Max shuddered and readied the crossbow, aiming it at the monster's head before shooting at it. He gave an evil smirk as the bullet struck through the center of the painting and made a silent promise to himself that no matter what happened, he would never betray his dearest friends! But weather or not he kept that promise was up to the demons to decide.
**********
Kai looked around the room, flickering light danced across his face to illuminate the fear that was slowly becoming more evident. He always acted strong around his team mates this was totally different! He didn't even know where he was anymore, alone and chilled to the bone. Kai attempted to be strong again, to put the mask of ice over his face as a protecting shield. "Alright, I'm sick of this! Who are you and what the fuck do you want?" he said in a deep, shaky voice.
Low murmurs could be heard from many directions, voices of impending doom that caused Kai to lose focus. //Where? Where is it coming from?!//
"Kai. . .Kai. . . K. . .ai. . .Ka. . .i" the voices were whispering in the shadows. Kai was becoming hysterical! He couldn't move, chained to the wall and unable to defend himself against whatever was doing this.
"Leave me alone. . . just go away! Please! Make it stop. . . oh God, make it stop. . ." Kai felt hot tears streaming down his flushed face. //This can't be happening! Oh man, what's going on? Somebody help me, please, I'm scared. . .// he thought to himself. The voices were becoming louder and echoed in his mind. Scared was definitely an understatement.
"Oh, but this is too much fun! Why would I want to let you go?" A strong, raspy laugh pierced through the darkness. A figure stepped out from behind the fire on the alter, making his face visible. Kai screamed.
"TYSON!?! What the hell? Let me go. . . please! I'm begging you, ok, begging! I don't know what you're doing but just knock it off!" A bead of sweat trailed down the side of Kai's head as he watched Tyson move closer. Then it hit him. This was definitely NOT Tyson! Sure it looked like his friend, but Kai could see the dark, dead eyes that didn't belong to Tyson at all.
A flash of silver glinted in the dim light. A dagger. "Get away from me you psycho!" Kai screamed as loud as he could but his throat was quickly becoming sore. He coughed and shook his head to clear his thoughts.
'Tyson' smirked and came even closer to the visibly shuddering boy hanging on the stone wall. He raised the dagger that was in his right hand and placed it underneath Kai's shirt and gave it a quick tug upwards, completely slicing the shirt apart. Now, with the pale flesh exposed, the edge of the knife came down slowly on Kai's muscular chest. Just enough to touch the skin.
"I can do whatever I want with you, Kai. And you can't stop me!" he said in a rough monotone. Kai swallowed hard as he felt the blade press into his chest. It traced down the delicate flesh and made a shallow incision, about four inches long. Kai winced and gritted his teeth from the sharp pain that split through his upper body.
"I know you're not Tyson so who are you? Why am I here?" Kai hissed. The monster ignored him and continued to cut another bloody smear across the first one to make a cross. Then, completely out of the blue, a sharp object flew through the creature's neck with a disgusting slice, spraying green, slimy liquid everywhere as pieces of the body were scattered. Kai flinched when the gruesome sight met his eyes. He snapped his head up and looked around, trying to find the source.
"M-Max??" Kai stuttered as he saw the blond boy standing a few feet away, looking absolutely revolted. Max gulped and the crossbow slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor without a sound. "Hey Kai. Need some help?" he asked wearily.
"How. . . did you know? How could you tell that it wasn't really Tyson? Get me down from here and then, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Kai growled. Max walked over and inspected the shackles with a sigh. "I don't think I can! They're locked tight!" he exclaimed. Max glanced over at the splattered body and found a small gold key around the oozing neck. He carefully crept closer, afraid to touch the unmoving form that still looked a lot like his best friend. "Hold on, Kai. I'll get the key."
He reached his hand down, heart pounding fiercely in his chest, and looped his small fingers around the chain that held the precious item before giving it a hard yank. "Got it!" Max exclaimed, admiring the key and flicking a bit of slime off it.
"Max! Watch out!" screamed Kai, looking over his friend's shoulder. "What. . .?" Max inquired. Then he felt it. A cold hand wrapped around his ankle and sharp nails dug into his skin. "Argh! Let go! Shit, it's still alive!" he thrashed wildly and gave his leg a strong kick, sending the mutilated body across the room and straight into a rock wall. The two boys watched as it slid down the bumpy surface, leaving a trail of slime in it's path.
Max shuddered, "Oh man, that is SO gross."
"I agree. . . now get me out of here!" Kai demanded.
After releasing the other boy from his restraints, Max quickly led them away from sinister chamber and back to where he'd come from. Grabbing the fallen crossbow along the way.
//I survived. . . for now!// thought Kai as they went through numerous corridors. He wiped away a bit of red blood that trickled from the wound in his chest. Then he remembered something. "How did you find me, Max? And where did you get that weapon?" he asked suspiciously. For once, he was almost afraid to hear the answer, //What if that isn't Max at all? Then what will I do. . .? Nothing, I'll be totally screwed. But right now, I have to trust him! I have no other choice. . .//
"I followed the echo of your voice through the halls, that's how I found you. The crossbow was in an old trunk I discovered earlier. What? You're afraid I'll use it on you or something?" Max laughed dryly. Kai scowled but said nothing. Eventually they might get out of here. . .might.
//But where are the others? And Mr. Dickinson. . . does he even know what's going on down here?// Max thought to himself with a feeling of dread. Kai had come so close to being killed by that thing, the others could be in the same kind of danger!
"I just knew it wasn't Tyson." Max shook his head. "He'd never hurt you. I know him and he'd never try to harm anyone like that!" Kai nodded, accepting the some what unbelievable answer. No matter what Max saw with his eyes, his heart and conscience could not deceive the truth. But right now, he had to concentrate on keeping himself and Kai alive! He walked in front of them with the deadly crossbow aimed and ready, just in case.
**********
Rei was running. He clutched the leather-bound book tightly to his chest as he tried to concentrate on where he was going. There wasn't a lot of light in the narrow hallways and even for an experienced White Tiger, the task of trying to navigate was difficult. . . especially when he had no idea what could be waiting just around the corner! A deep groan from behind made Rei quicken the pace, trying to get away from whatever was chasing him. It was some kind of undead, zombie with bulging veins and bones showing through paper thin flesh. It just seemed to progress forward without even moving it's legs! //Damn, it's getting closer! I can't keep running forever. . . eventually I'll run out of places to go or I'll collapse!// His breath was coming in hard, ragged pants as he fought to maintain his speed. "Ugh. .. how can he. . . be so. . . fast?" he said to himself, gasping for breath.
Rei's heavy footsteps pounded on the ground underneath his feet as he made a sharp turn, coming face to face with a big wooden door. //Woah. . .let's just hope it isn't locked!// he thought as he grabbed the handle tightly and pulled it back as hard as he could. The door swung open with a creak and Rei dashed in, slamming it firmly behind him and locking it with a massive iron bolt. His eyes were shut tight in the darkness, trying hard to clear his mind and calm his racing heart. The room was pitch black and he couldn't see a thing! He could also hear the sound of claws scratching against the door. This made him even more nervous!
//How the hell am I supposed to calm down when I have some blood-thirsty monster chasing me! Man, I'm gonna crack if I have to put up with this any longer!// he sighed in exasperation and slid down against the door, placing the sacred book on the floor next to him. He hated that book. It was the only logical reason that his friends were nowhere to be seen and horrid monsters were running wild in every direction! But it was also the only clue Rei had so he decided to hang on to it.
Rei could still hear the hallow moans and groans coming from the beast on the other side. He bit his lip and tried to come up with a plan of some kind. Then, the Chinese Beyblader remembered that he still had the candle and Kai's lighter! Rei stifled a laugh when he saw the lighter again. Pink. //Why the heck does Kai have a PINK lighter?! Of all colors. . . but anyway, do I really want to see what's in here?// Rei thought, pulling the ivory white candle from his pocket. He had no choice. //I guess I have to if I plan on surviving!//
The small ember produced a ball of light around Rei's solid form, casting eerie shadows over his features. With the dim light he was able to see a display case. He walked over to it and passed a hand against the beautiful frame, admiring the silver armor behind the glass. It was a Knight's armor! There was also a rather long sword with a well-defined blade that caught Rei's eye. He wanted so badly to touch that sword and make the evil beings in this place feel his wrath!
Without thinking, he slammed his fist through the glass, shattering it completely and watching as the shards fell to the floor with a sparkle. Blood trickled down the top of his knuckles and dripped onto the cream colored carpet, staining it with a deep red. "Shit." Rei enclosed his bleeding fist with his other hand and winced. //What the hell did I do that for. . .? Argh. . .stupid, stupid, STUPID!//
He drew in a quick breath and tried to recover from the pain and shock. "Ok, here's my chance! I just have to take that sword and. . ." Rei's voice trailed off as he heard the door splinter, a bony hand reached through the damaged wood, ripping the door apart. "Oh fuck!!" he screamed and lunged for the blade in the case.
Rei was surprised to feel the icy metal against his skin when he clutched the hilt, swinging the heavy blade into the air. He slashed wildly at the zombie that was now reaching blindly for Rei's throat, the blade cutting into the dead flesh and making a deep gash.
The thing fell to the ground in a messy heap, only a bit of blood trailed from the lifeless body. Rei felt sick but smiled in triumph as he wiped the mess off his blade. "See you in hell, bastard!" he spat to it furiously. Then another noise, footsteps in the distance caught his attention. //More?// Rei held the sword up, ready to attack whatever came around that corner. He could see the shadows of two figures approaching slowly. Closer. Closer to the hall he guarded with a metallic blade.
He stood still, waiting to see what hideous monstrosities were lurking in the shadows as dread pulsed in his veins. As the two figures came into a clearer view, Rei sighed in relief before lowering the blade. "Max!! And Kai? Oh my God, you scared the living shit out of me!" he yelled, hearing his own voice ricochet off the barren walls.
Rei hurried over to greet his friends with a smile on his pale face. //I never thought I'd be so happy to see them! But I am and. . . hey, is that a crossbow?// he eyed the weapon with uncertainty. "Where did you get that Max?" he asked, pointing to the weapon.
Max smirked, "I could ask you the same thing. . ." he said, indicating the long knife in Rei's hand.
Rei sighed, "Whatever, let's just get the hell out of here before one of us ends up decapitated! I don't know how much more I can take! And have you guys seen Tyson or the Chief yet?" Kai visibly shuddered at the mention of Tyson's name. It brought back the fear he felt earlier, the helplessness and terror of when he thought for sure he was going to be murdered!
For the first time since the other two had arrived, Rei noticed the jagged marks on Kai's chest and gasped. Seeing it reminded him of the vision he had earlier back in the hotel room. He didn't have time to ask about it because Max was already attempting to tell him something and honestly, Rei wasn't sure he really wanted to know what happened to Kai.
"No. Well, we did see Tyson. . . sort of. But not the real Tyson! But that Tyson's gone now and we still haven't found the real one!" Max rambled. Kai could only stare at the boy and Rei blinked.
"Huh?" The Chinese Beyblader asked in total confusion. Max only shrugged, being unable to explain the whole thing in detail.
Kai growled, "I'll fill you in as we walk. So shut up and lets get moving!" he stormed off in the opposite direction as he waited for the other team members to follow.
//Oh yeah, I almost forgot. . . // Rei thought. He darted back to the room and picked up the precious book before running to catch up with his friends.
"Hey Rei, do you think we should try to look through that book again?" Max asked as he eyed the text. That book contained the very darkest secrets of the hotel. //I want answers. . . and I want them now.// The only way to find out what was really going on was to read the manuscripts.
Rei bit his lip, an action that was quickly becoming a bad nervous habit, and shrugged. "Are you sure? Don't you remember what happened last time? It nearly killed us all!" he spoke loudly.
"Shut up, Rei! We don't have time for this! In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of being attacked by monsters here!" Kai was becoming impatient, his eyes darting about fearfully. Watching and waiting for something to happen. He didn't expect Rei's fist to connect solidly with his painted cheek and was sent stumbling back against the rough wall.
"Bastard." Kai glared fiercely at his team mate and cringed from the feeling that was swelling in his face. //He's stronger than I thought. . . got to give him credit for that!// Kai thought.
Max didn't know what to say. His friends were fighting at the worst possible time! "Hey! Both of you, give it up and just open the fucking book!" Max shouted, ultimately shocking the other two. One thing Max didn't like to do was swear, even only a little bit, so it definitely got their attention.
"Right, whatever. . ." Rei looked down at the floor, his usually bright eyes were downcast and filled with regret. "Sorry, Kai, I guess I'm just kind of stressed out from everything that's happened. It doesn't make sense! We don't even know exactly where we are in this stupid place and Tyson and Kenny are missing! How am I supposed to feel?" The Chinese boy sighed. //This is madness!//
Kai scowled "Yeah I suppose." He accepted the apology and reached over, claiming the book from his friend's hand and pressing his fingers to the cover. The shiny metallic parts of the surface glinted and shimmered. //Where is it?// Kai thought bitterly, //Where is my reflection?!// he peered deep into the metal and waited, but his confused expression was not returned.
Then, an image began to form. //Finally! I guess I'm not going totally crazy, I'll leave that up to Rei!// Kai let a secret smile cross over his lips but gasped when he noticed that the face in the metal was not his own. //The Devil?!// His heart felt sinister and plagued as he gazed upon the deranged beast, smirking from where his reflection was supposed to be. "No!! What the hell is going on here?!" He shouted, tearing his eyes away from the evil vision. He passed the book back to Rei and fell to his knees. "I'm a monster."
"Kai! You're not a monster, what are you talking about?" Rei questioned, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder and tossing the heavy text to his blond friend. Max yelped as the book was thrown into his arms, making him stumble back against the rugged stone wall. Kai glared and swatted away Rei's hand. "What do I look like to you?"
The Chinese Beyblader shrugged. "Like yourself, Kai. There's nothing different about you so just stop it! We have enough to worry about as it is!" Rei was becoming impatient again.
Kai looked up and blinked. //What the hell am I doing?! This is crazy! I'm letting some stupid vision of Satan control my emotions. . . ok, so maybe that IS freaky but still, I have to stay calm!// Kai drew in a breath and stood up, trying his best to forget about the face of the Devil.
//Ok, while Rei's trying to sort Kai out, I'll look through this thing.// The blond thought as he carefully pried back the cover. The pages were slightly tattered, yet still legible, and written in strange symbols with the exception of a few traditional Japanese words that Max could understand. There were also exotic diagrams and graphics that just seemed to boggle the mind even more. Max looked through the pages with interest until one picture caught his eye. He gasped and slammed the book shut with trembling hands.
"Uhh. . . guys? I think we've got a problem. Tyson's in trouble. . .big trouble!" Max announced.
- - To Be Continued
Authors Note: So what did you guys think? Strange, right? Well that's ok because the next chapter's going to be even weirder! Yay! I'd really appreciate any comments or constructive criticism on my writing, ok? So that means you have to review now! ^_^ Bye for now!
Warnings: Blood, Violence and other junk. Rated R.
Disclaimer: Um. . . yeah. Right. . . don't own 'em.
**Touching The Darkness - - Chapter 2**
By: SilverDeathscythe
Max slowly opened his eyes, drinking in the beautiful sunlight that grazed over his tranquil form. There was a slight breeze, rustling the long blades of grass that surrounded his body and making it tickle his pale skin. He laughed happily and sat up to get a better look at where he was. "Man, what happened? How did I end up here? I can't remember a thing. . ." he spoke softly to himself. Max stood up and something caught his eye. A figure only a few meters away, watching him intently. The blond boy took a closer look and a wide smile spread across his face as he recognized who it was. "Dad!" he shouted, running over to his father.
As Max got closer, he noticed that something didn't seem right. The older man was there, unmoving, just watching his son with a grin on his face, beckoning for Max to come closer. //But why. . . why can't I shake this feeling of dread? It must be from Rei's story earlier. . .That's it!// He thought as something clicked in his mind. "This doesn't make sense! I was at the hotel with my friends, so how the heck did I end up here? Wherever 'here' is. . ." He said out loud.
It seemed that as he started to figure out what was really going on, the scene before his eyes changed. His father began to move, shaking with violent, inhuman tremors as his eyes rolled back into his head. Max watched as the man's skin began to come apart, tearing in half straight down the middle with a nauseating ripping sound. //No!// The poor boy watched helplessly with tears in his eyes as the person he loved most in the entire world became something else, a creature of the darkness that was beginning to make it's way back into the atmosphere.
Max mustered all his courage and looked directly at the disgusting sight. He noticed that something was actually coming out of the mutated body. A fairly large brown and black. . . thing. It dripped with blood, puss and slime as it roared, announcing it's arrival. The creature had two scythe- like claws on each arm and three eyes, glazed over with mucus, staring straight at Max. The quivering boy didn't know what to do and as if by instinct, he shut his eyes tight. //It can't be real! Maybe. . .maybe if I just close my eyes everything will be ok and I'll wake up! Just like Rei did. . . but he said it wasn't an illusion! So what if I'm wrong?// He dared to look up again and froze to the spot. The beautiful day in the field was no more, in it's place was a dreadful night in that damned hotel!
A frustrated and terrified shriek escaped his open mouth as his eyes roamed over the rocky ground. He was standing at the side of a large, gaping hold that seemingly led down into nothingness. The deep black that went on for an eternity. He gasped and carefully reversed away from the edge before letting his eyes examine other parts of the room.
They landed on the one and only painting in the chamber, on the other side of the enormous pit. It was an immense, twisted work of art. It was the monster. //Was that what I was seeing? A painting. . .?// Max thought, completely taken aback. It was obviously using the image of his father to lead him into that hole and fall to his blood-spattered death.
Max averted his gaze to something a little less disturbing, a large locked trunk was what drew him in. He slowly moved to it, occasionally looking back over his shoulder at the disgusting picture, and checked the lock. It was a pad lock and it seemed to be chipped in a few places. He reached over and picked up a sharp rock, pounding on the flaws that were evident in the metal.
Eventually it snapped apart with a clinking sound as the pieces hit the ground. Max didn't hesitate to fling open the trunk and peered in. His breath caught in his throat as he examined the spectacular crossbow inside and gently reached in, placing his clammy hands around the handle. "Woah. . .cool!" exclaimed Max. For the first time in his life, he held an actual weapon, a merciless killing machine! He gasped as brief images flashed through his unstable mind. Visions and thoughts of Tyson, his best friend, being shot in the neck by a crossbow bolt!
//Gah! This is why I don't play with sharp objects. . .! Just ignore it and everything will be ok, all ok. . . nothing's wrong with me! Because there's NO way in hell that I'd ever slaughter my friends!// But he honestly didn't know what to think. . . in this crazy place, anything was possible! //But then again, it's my only source of protection! If I leave without it, I may not live to see tomorrow's dawn. . .// Max thought darkly. With that, he looked up at the horrid portrait of the beast, wanting nothing more than to rip it to shreds. For an instant, he thought he saw it move, a little speck of green dripping from its claws. Max shuddered and readied the crossbow, aiming it at the monster's head before shooting at it. He gave an evil smirk as the bullet struck through the center of the painting and made a silent promise to himself that no matter what happened, he would never betray his dearest friends! But weather or not he kept that promise was up to the demons to decide.
**********
Kai looked around the room, flickering light danced across his face to illuminate the fear that was slowly becoming more evident. He always acted strong around his team mates this was totally different! He didn't even know where he was anymore, alone and chilled to the bone. Kai attempted to be strong again, to put the mask of ice over his face as a protecting shield. "Alright, I'm sick of this! Who are you and what the fuck do you want?" he said in a deep, shaky voice.
Low murmurs could be heard from many directions, voices of impending doom that caused Kai to lose focus. //Where? Where is it coming from?!//
"Kai. . .Kai. . . K. . .ai. . .Ka. . .i" the voices were whispering in the shadows. Kai was becoming hysterical! He couldn't move, chained to the wall and unable to defend himself against whatever was doing this.
"Leave me alone. . . just go away! Please! Make it stop. . . oh God, make it stop. . ." Kai felt hot tears streaming down his flushed face. //This can't be happening! Oh man, what's going on? Somebody help me, please, I'm scared. . .// he thought to himself. The voices were becoming louder and echoed in his mind. Scared was definitely an understatement.
"Oh, but this is too much fun! Why would I want to let you go?" A strong, raspy laugh pierced through the darkness. A figure stepped out from behind the fire on the alter, making his face visible. Kai screamed.
"TYSON!?! What the hell? Let me go. . . please! I'm begging you, ok, begging! I don't know what you're doing but just knock it off!" A bead of sweat trailed down the side of Kai's head as he watched Tyson move closer. Then it hit him. This was definitely NOT Tyson! Sure it looked like his friend, but Kai could see the dark, dead eyes that didn't belong to Tyson at all.
A flash of silver glinted in the dim light. A dagger. "Get away from me you psycho!" Kai screamed as loud as he could but his throat was quickly becoming sore. He coughed and shook his head to clear his thoughts.
'Tyson' smirked and came even closer to the visibly shuddering boy hanging on the stone wall. He raised the dagger that was in his right hand and placed it underneath Kai's shirt and gave it a quick tug upwards, completely slicing the shirt apart. Now, with the pale flesh exposed, the edge of the knife came down slowly on Kai's muscular chest. Just enough to touch the skin.
"I can do whatever I want with you, Kai. And you can't stop me!" he said in a rough monotone. Kai swallowed hard as he felt the blade press into his chest. It traced down the delicate flesh and made a shallow incision, about four inches long. Kai winced and gritted his teeth from the sharp pain that split through his upper body.
"I know you're not Tyson so who are you? Why am I here?" Kai hissed. The monster ignored him and continued to cut another bloody smear across the first one to make a cross. Then, completely out of the blue, a sharp object flew through the creature's neck with a disgusting slice, spraying green, slimy liquid everywhere as pieces of the body were scattered. Kai flinched when the gruesome sight met his eyes. He snapped his head up and looked around, trying to find the source.
"M-Max??" Kai stuttered as he saw the blond boy standing a few feet away, looking absolutely revolted. Max gulped and the crossbow slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor without a sound. "Hey Kai. Need some help?" he asked wearily.
"How. . . did you know? How could you tell that it wasn't really Tyson? Get me down from here and then, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Kai growled. Max walked over and inspected the shackles with a sigh. "I don't think I can! They're locked tight!" he exclaimed. Max glanced over at the splattered body and found a small gold key around the oozing neck. He carefully crept closer, afraid to touch the unmoving form that still looked a lot like his best friend. "Hold on, Kai. I'll get the key."
He reached his hand down, heart pounding fiercely in his chest, and looped his small fingers around the chain that held the precious item before giving it a hard yank. "Got it!" Max exclaimed, admiring the key and flicking a bit of slime off it.
"Max! Watch out!" screamed Kai, looking over his friend's shoulder. "What. . .?" Max inquired. Then he felt it. A cold hand wrapped around his ankle and sharp nails dug into his skin. "Argh! Let go! Shit, it's still alive!" he thrashed wildly and gave his leg a strong kick, sending the mutilated body across the room and straight into a rock wall. The two boys watched as it slid down the bumpy surface, leaving a trail of slime in it's path.
Max shuddered, "Oh man, that is SO gross."
"I agree. . . now get me out of here!" Kai demanded.
After releasing the other boy from his restraints, Max quickly led them away from sinister chamber and back to where he'd come from. Grabbing the fallen crossbow along the way.
//I survived. . . for now!// thought Kai as they went through numerous corridors. He wiped away a bit of red blood that trickled from the wound in his chest. Then he remembered something. "How did you find me, Max? And where did you get that weapon?" he asked suspiciously. For once, he was almost afraid to hear the answer, //What if that isn't Max at all? Then what will I do. . .? Nothing, I'll be totally screwed. But right now, I have to trust him! I have no other choice. . .//
"I followed the echo of your voice through the halls, that's how I found you. The crossbow was in an old trunk I discovered earlier. What? You're afraid I'll use it on you or something?" Max laughed dryly. Kai scowled but said nothing. Eventually they might get out of here. . .might.
//But where are the others? And Mr. Dickinson. . . does he even know what's going on down here?// Max thought to himself with a feeling of dread. Kai had come so close to being killed by that thing, the others could be in the same kind of danger!
"I just knew it wasn't Tyson." Max shook his head. "He'd never hurt you. I know him and he'd never try to harm anyone like that!" Kai nodded, accepting the some what unbelievable answer. No matter what Max saw with his eyes, his heart and conscience could not deceive the truth. But right now, he had to concentrate on keeping himself and Kai alive! He walked in front of them with the deadly crossbow aimed and ready, just in case.
**********
Rei was running. He clutched the leather-bound book tightly to his chest as he tried to concentrate on where he was going. There wasn't a lot of light in the narrow hallways and even for an experienced White Tiger, the task of trying to navigate was difficult. . . especially when he had no idea what could be waiting just around the corner! A deep groan from behind made Rei quicken the pace, trying to get away from whatever was chasing him. It was some kind of undead, zombie with bulging veins and bones showing through paper thin flesh. It just seemed to progress forward without even moving it's legs! //Damn, it's getting closer! I can't keep running forever. . . eventually I'll run out of places to go or I'll collapse!// His breath was coming in hard, ragged pants as he fought to maintain his speed. "Ugh. .. how can he. . . be so. . . fast?" he said to himself, gasping for breath.
Rei's heavy footsteps pounded on the ground underneath his feet as he made a sharp turn, coming face to face with a big wooden door. //Woah. . .let's just hope it isn't locked!// he thought as he grabbed the handle tightly and pulled it back as hard as he could. The door swung open with a creak and Rei dashed in, slamming it firmly behind him and locking it with a massive iron bolt. His eyes were shut tight in the darkness, trying hard to clear his mind and calm his racing heart. The room was pitch black and he couldn't see a thing! He could also hear the sound of claws scratching against the door. This made him even more nervous!
//How the hell am I supposed to calm down when I have some blood-thirsty monster chasing me! Man, I'm gonna crack if I have to put up with this any longer!// he sighed in exasperation and slid down against the door, placing the sacred book on the floor next to him. He hated that book. It was the only logical reason that his friends were nowhere to be seen and horrid monsters were running wild in every direction! But it was also the only clue Rei had so he decided to hang on to it.
Rei could still hear the hallow moans and groans coming from the beast on the other side. He bit his lip and tried to come up with a plan of some kind. Then, the Chinese Beyblader remembered that he still had the candle and Kai's lighter! Rei stifled a laugh when he saw the lighter again. Pink. //Why the heck does Kai have a PINK lighter?! Of all colors. . . but anyway, do I really want to see what's in here?// Rei thought, pulling the ivory white candle from his pocket. He had no choice. //I guess I have to if I plan on surviving!//
The small ember produced a ball of light around Rei's solid form, casting eerie shadows over his features. With the dim light he was able to see a display case. He walked over to it and passed a hand against the beautiful frame, admiring the silver armor behind the glass. It was a Knight's armor! There was also a rather long sword with a well-defined blade that caught Rei's eye. He wanted so badly to touch that sword and make the evil beings in this place feel his wrath!
Without thinking, he slammed his fist through the glass, shattering it completely and watching as the shards fell to the floor with a sparkle. Blood trickled down the top of his knuckles and dripped onto the cream colored carpet, staining it with a deep red. "Shit." Rei enclosed his bleeding fist with his other hand and winced. //What the hell did I do that for. . .? Argh. . .stupid, stupid, STUPID!//
He drew in a quick breath and tried to recover from the pain and shock. "Ok, here's my chance! I just have to take that sword and. . ." Rei's voice trailed off as he heard the door splinter, a bony hand reached through the damaged wood, ripping the door apart. "Oh fuck!!" he screamed and lunged for the blade in the case.
Rei was surprised to feel the icy metal against his skin when he clutched the hilt, swinging the heavy blade into the air. He slashed wildly at the zombie that was now reaching blindly for Rei's throat, the blade cutting into the dead flesh and making a deep gash.
The thing fell to the ground in a messy heap, only a bit of blood trailed from the lifeless body. Rei felt sick but smiled in triumph as he wiped the mess off his blade. "See you in hell, bastard!" he spat to it furiously. Then another noise, footsteps in the distance caught his attention. //More?// Rei held the sword up, ready to attack whatever came around that corner. He could see the shadows of two figures approaching slowly. Closer. Closer to the hall he guarded with a metallic blade.
He stood still, waiting to see what hideous monstrosities were lurking in the shadows as dread pulsed in his veins. As the two figures came into a clearer view, Rei sighed in relief before lowering the blade. "Max!! And Kai? Oh my God, you scared the living shit out of me!" he yelled, hearing his own voice ricochet off the barren walls.
Rei hurried over to greet his friends with a smile on his pale face. //I never thought I'd be so happy to see them! But I am and. . . hey, is that a crossbow?// he eyed the weapon with uncertainty. "Where did you get that Max?" he asked, pointing to the weapon.
Max smirked, "I could ask you the same thing. . ." he said, indicating the long knife in Rei's hand.
Rei sighed, "Whatever, let's just get the hell out of here before one of us ends up decapitated! I don't know how much more I can take! And have you guys seen Tyson or the Chief yet?" Kai visibly shuddered at the mention of Tyson's name. It brought back the fear he felt earlier, the helplessness and terror of when he thought for sure he was going to be murdered!
For the first time since the other two had arrived, Rei noticed the jagged marks on Kai's chest and gasped. Seeing it reminded him of the vision he had earlier back in the hotel room. He didn't have time to ask about it because Max was already attempting to tell him something and honestly, Rei wasn't sure he really wanted to know what happened to Kai.
"No. Well, we did see Tyson. . . sort of. But not the real Tyson! But that Tyson's gone now and we still haven't found the real one!" Max rambled. Kai could only stare at the boy and Rei blinked.
"Huh?" The Chinese Beyblader asked in total confusion. Max only shrugged, being unable to explain the whole thing in detail.
Kai growled, "I'll fill you in as we walk. So shut up and lets get moving!" he stormed off in the opposite direction as he waited for the other team members to follow.
//Oh yeah, I almost forgot. . . // Rei thought. He darted back to the room and picked up the precious book before running to catch up with his friends.
"Hey Rei, do you think we should try to look through that book again?" Max asked as he eyed the text. That book contained the very darkest secrets of the hotel. //I want answers. . . and I want them now.// The only way to find out what was really going on was to read the manuscripts.
Rei bit his lip, an action that was quickly becoming a bad nervous habit, and shrugged. "Are you sure? Don't you remember what happened last time? It nearly killed us all!" he spoke loudly.
"Shut up, Rei! We don't have time for this! In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of being attacked by monsters here!" Kai was becoming impatient, his eyes darting about fearfully. Watching and waiting for something to happen. He didn't expect Rei's fist to connect solidly with his painted cheek and was sent stumbling back against the rough wall.
"Bastard." Kai glared fiercely at his team mate and cringed from the feeling that was swelling in his face. //He's stronger than I thought. . . got to give him credit for that!// Kai thought.
Max didn't know what to say. His friends were fighting at the worst possible time! "Hey! Both of you, give it up and just open the fucking book!" Max shouted, ultimately shocking the other two. One thing Max didn't like to do was swear, even only a little bit, so it definitely got their attention.
"Right, whatever. . ." Rei looked down at the floor, his usually bright eyes were downcast and filled with regret. "Sorry, Kai, I guess I'm just kind of stressed out from everything that's happened. It doesn't make sense! We don't even know exactly where we are in this stupid place and Tyson and Kenny are missing! How am I supposed to feel?" The Chinese boy sighed. //This is madness!//
Kai scowled "Yeah I suppose." He accepted the apology and reached over, claiming the book from his friend's hand and pressing his fingers to the cover. The shiny metallic parts of the surface glinted and shimmered. //Where is it?// Kai thought bitterly, //Where is my reflection?!// he peered deep into the metal and waited, but his confused expression was not returned.
Then, an image began to form. //Finally! I guess I'm not going totally crazy, I'll leave that up to Rei!// Kai let a secret smile cross over his lips but gasped when he noticed that the face in the metal was not his own. //The Devil?!// His heart felt sinister and plagued as he gazed upon the deranged beast, smirking from where his reflection was supposed to be. "No!! What the hell is going on here?!" He shouted, tearing his eyes away from the evil vision. He passed the book back to Rei and fell to his knees. "I'm a monster."
"Kai! You're not a monster, what are you talking about?" Rei questioned, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder and tossing the heavy text to his blond friend. Max yelped as the book was thrown into his arms, making him stumble back against the rugged stone wall. Kai glared and swatted away Rei's hand. "What do I look like to you?"
The Chinese Beyblader shrugged. "Like yourself, Kai. There's nothing different about you so just stop it! We have enough to worry about as it is!" Rei was becoming impatient again.
Kai looked up and blinked. //What the hell am I doing?! This is crazy! I'm letting some stupid vision of Satan control my emotions. . . ok, so maybe that IS freaky but still, I have to stay calm!// Kai drew in a breath and stood up, trying his best to forget about the face of the Devil.
//Ok, while Rei's trying to sort Kai out, I'll look through this thing.// The blond thought as he carefully pried back the cover. The pages were slightly tattered, yet still legible, and written in strange symbols with the exception of a few traditional Japanese words that Max could understand. There were also exotic diagrams and graphics that just seemed to boggle the mind even more. Max looked through the pages with interest until one picture caught his eye. He gasped and slammed the book shut with trembling hands.
"Uhh. . . guys? I think we've got a problem. Tyson's in trouble. . .big trouble!" Max announced.
- - To Be Continued
Authors Note: So what did you guys think? Strange, right? Well that's ok because the next chapter's going to be even weirder! Yay! I'd really appreciate any comments or constructive criticism on my writing, ok? So that means you have to review now! ^_^ Bye for now!