Chapter Six
"What is that?" Hikari gritted her teeth, pushing her hands against her ears as hard as possible. The noise . . . she couldn't stand it!
Takeru didn't seem to hear. He shouted something inaudible.
"What?!"
He tried again, but she still couldn't make it out. The noise persisted.
Takeru saw a rectangle of light cut its way through the dark, and he grabbed her shirt. He leaned in right next to her ear, and yelled, "That way!"
Together, they helped Taichi up and made a break for it. As soon at the threesome stumbled into the adjourning room, the squeal abruptly stopped and the door behind them vanished, all traces of it gone. Hikari ran her fingers around the spot where the trimming had been. "Weird . . ."
"Yeah? If you think that's strange, look." Takeru's voice was filled with wonder.
Hikari turned. "Nani?" Her jaw hit the floor. "Ohmigod."
They were in the Yagami's apartment.
"No . . . no way . . ." Taichi stuttered.
Everything was in place . . . the couch, the television, the kitchen island, and even Miko's bed! The carpet was the same exact shade it should be, the TV was turned to the Cooking Network (as usual), and the phone was ringing.
Had that been a portal home they had walked through?
As much as Takeru hoped it was, somewhere deep in his heart he knew it couldn't be. That psycho wouldn't have let them off the hook THAT easily. He/She/It had seemed adamant about them kicking the bucket.
Hikari reached out to pick up the phone, but she gasped as her hand passed right through. The ringing stopped.
"Hello," Taichi's voice came out from over the answering machine. "You've reached the Yagami residence. We aren't home to answer your call, so please leave a message after the beep. Arigato."
There was a tone, and now Yamato could be heard.
"Moshi moshi, Miss and Mister Yagami. Have you heard anything from either Taichi or Hikari? Onegai, call me back as soon as possible." He hung up.
"This . . ." Takeru licked his chapped lips, breaking the silence that had spread between the three of them. "Is an illusion."
With that, the serene apartment fell away, as if it was a stage backdrop moving between scenes. Now they stood Izzy's room. He sat there, staring his beloved laptop as he typed away ferociously. "No, no, NO. That's not it, come on, Izumi." He wiped his sweaty brow.
It disappeared again, replaced this time with the Ishida's humble apartment. Yamato leaned over the nightstand, a sigh escaping his lips.
"Onii-chan!" Takeru shouted. He moved towards his brother, but too late. They faded out again just before his fingers could grab hold of his shirt.
"This is mad," Taichi said. He, Hikari, and Takeru were now back in the dungeon-type environment. A skeleton cowered in the corner, its eyes black and empty, mouth hanging loosely from the jaws. Next to it was an iron cage, the door swung open.
"Yay!" She cheered, smiling. Her hazel hues glittered as she twirled her chestnut-colored hair. Staring down at the frightened teens below her, her grin grew wider.
"Mirror image," she hummed, gaze falling upon Hikari. It was tempting to just swoop down and kill them all with a single blow, but she wanted to savor their reactions a bit more. She took out a nail file and began a manicure.
A period of time passed by. Takeru wasn't sure exactly how long it was, but it felt like forever and a day. He sat, quiet, his head hung.
Hikari and Taichi were in similar positions, staying as far away from the dead carcass as possible.
Though a dark cloud loomed over him, Takeru tried to think of happier times.
After a bit of concentration, a vivid memory popped up. It was of his surprise birthday party, approximately one year prior . . .
* Takeru knocked on the door again. Where was Yamato? He still had his CD player he had borrowed without permission!
"Open up, Yamato!" He shouted impatiently.
The door suddenly swung inward, and he was staring at Jyou.
"Uh, hi?" Takeru blinked in obvious surprise.
"Konnichi'wa, Takeru," Jyou shifted his gaze. "Would you, uh, like to come in?"
Takeru looked at him suspiciously, and stepped into the messy apartment.
"SURPRISE!"
A hail of colorful confetti blinded him, as people sprang out of hiding spaces left and right.
Takeru nearly lost his balance. "Wha--?"
"Happy Birthday," Taichi said, blowing on a noisemaker. He handed him a cup of Coke, and then gestured to the buffet table. "Help yourself."
Daisuke slouched in the corner, and gave Takeru a little wave. Sora and Iori hurried up to him, bearing presents. Izzy was surveying a Cheese Curl and murmuring about the complexity of the design, as Miyako hung on his every word. Mimi smiled at him, and smoothed out her dress. Finally, Hikari came up to him.
"Hello," she whispered.
Takeru grinned in elation from simply hearing the words. "Hey. Who threw this party?"
"The idea was all of ours," she replied. "Come on, time to cut the cake!" *
Takeru sighed, and sank a bit deeper down in depression. That hadn't helped at all. It just made the harsh actuality of them being stuck in such a horrid place worse.
She couldn't stand it anymore. She threw her nail file aside casually, and vanished.
She reappeared at the front of the room, near the pile of bones, at which she flashed a smile. "You've been alone, haven't you? No worries, you'll soon have company."
Takeru, Hikari, and Taichi all whirled around and gaped at the new woman. Hikari nearly fainted from the mere sight of her.
"It's . . . it's . . . me . . ."
TBC! (Suspenseful yet again! O_o)
"What is that?" Hikari gritted her teeth, pushing her hands against her ears as hard as possible. The noise . . . she couldn't stand it!
Takeru didn't seem to hear. He shouted something inaudible.
"What?!"
He tried again, but she still couldn't make it out. The noise persisted.
Takeru saw a rectangle of light cut its way through the dark, and he grabbed her shirt. He leaned in right next to her ear, and yelled, "That way!"
Together, they helped Taichi up and made a break for it. As soon at the threesome stumbled into the adjourning room, the squeal abruptly stopped and the door behind them vanished, all traces of it gone. Hikari ran her fingers around the spot where the trimming had been. "Weird . . ."
"Yeah? If you think that's strange, look." Takeru's voice was filled with wonder.
Hikari turned. "Nani?" Her jaw hit the floor. "Ohmigod."
They were in the Yagami's apartment.
"No . . . no way . . ." Taichi stuttered.
Everything was in place . . . the couch, the television, the kitchen island, and even Miko's bed! The carpet was the same exact shade it should be, the TV was turned to the Cooking Network (as usual), and the phone was ringing.
Had that been a portal home they had walked through?
As much as Takeru hoped it was, somewhere deep in his heart he knew it couldn't be. That psycho wouldn't have let them off the hook THAT easily. He/She/It had seemed adamant about them kicking the bucket.
Hikari reached out to pick up the phone, but she gasped as her hand passed right through. The ringing stopped.
"Hello," Taichi's voice came out from over the answering machine. "You've reached the Yagami residence. We aren't home to answer your call, so please leave a message after the beep. Arigato."
There was a tone, and now Yamato could be heard.
"Moshi moshi, Miss and Mister Yagami. Have you heard anything from either Taichi or Hikari? Onegai, call me back as soon as possible." He hung up.
"This . . ." Takeru licked his chapped lips, breaking the silence that had spread between the three of them. "Is an illusion."
With that, the serene apartment fell away, as if it was a stage backdrop moving between scenes. Now they stood Izzy's room. He sat there, staring his beloved laptop as he typed away ferociously. "No, no, NO. That's not it, come on, Izumi." He wiped his sweaty brow.
It disappeared again, replaced this time with the Ishida's humble apartment. Yamato leaned over the nightstand, a sigh escaping his lips.
"Onii-chan!" Takeru shouted. He moved towards his brother, but too late. They faded out again just before his fingers could grab hold of his shirt.
"This is mad," Taichi said. He, Hikari, and Takeru were now back in the dungeon-type environment. A skeleton cowered in the corner, its eyes black and empty, mouth hanging loosely from the jaws. Next to it was an iron cage, the door swung open.
"Yay!" She cheered, smiling. Her hazel hues glittered as she twirled her chestnut-colored hair. Staring down at the frightened teens below her, her grin grew wider.
"Mirror image," she hummed, gaze falling upon Hikari. It was tempting to just swoop down and kill them all with a single blow, but she wanted to savor their reactions a bit more. She took out a nail file and began a manicure.
A period of time passed by. Takeru wasn't sure exactly how long it was, but it felt like forever and a day. He sat, quiet, his head hung.
Hikari and Taichi were in similar positions, staying as far away from the dead carcass as possible.
Though a dark cloud loomed over him, Takeru tried to think of happier times.
After a bit of concentration, a vivid memory popped up. It was of his surprise birthday party, approximately one year prior . . .
* Takeru knocked on the door again. Where was Yamato? He still had his CD player he had borrowed without permission!
"Open up, Yamato!" He shouted impatiently.
The door suddenly swung inward, and he was staring at Jyou.
"Uh, hi?" Takeru blinked in obvious surprise.
"Konnichi'wa, Takeru," Jyou shifted his gaze. "Would you, uh, like to come in?"
Takeru looked at him suspiciously, and stepped into the messy apartment.
"SURPRISE!"
A hail of colorful confetti blinded him, as people sprang out of hiding spaces left and right.
Takeru nearly lost his balance. "Wha--?"
"Happy Birthday," Taichi said, blowing on a noisemaker. He handed him a cup of Coke, and then gestured to the buffet table. "Help yourself."
Daisuke slouched in the corner, and gave Takeru a little wave. Sora and Iori hurried up to him, bearing presents. Izzy was surveying a Cheese Curl and murmuring about the complexity of the design, as Miyako hung on his every word. Mimi smiled at him, and smoothed out her dress. Finally, Hikari came up to him.
"Hello," she whispered.
Takeru grinned in elation from simply hearing the words. "Hey. Who threw this party?"
"The idea was all of ours," she replied. "Come on, time to cut the cake!" *
Takeru sighed, and sank a bit deeper down in depression. That hadn't helped at all. It just made the harsh actuality of them being stuck in such a horrid place worse.
She couldn't stand it anymore. She threw her nail file aside casually, and vanished.
She reappeared at the front of the room, near the pile of bones, at which she flashed a smile. "You've been alone, haven't you? No worries, you'll soon have company."
Takeru, Hikari, and Taichi all whirled around and gaped at the new woman. Hikari nearly fainted from the mere sight of her.
"It's . . . it's . . . me . . ."
TBC! (Suspenseful yet again! O_o)