* * *
Puddles of sunlight danced on the walls the Turtle Game Shop. Sugoroku Motou yawned as he flipped the 'Open' sign out in the front door. He trudged to the kitchen and collapsed in a chair to wait for his coffee, stretching as he gazed at the blurred letters of the Domino Days newspaper.
It was strange without Yugi to help him open the shop. In usual mornings, all he had to do was wake up to see the morning paper set out by a mug of steaming hot coffee and the early customers dealt with.
Yugi was an obedient boy. He was very trusting and that was his biggest flaw. Sugoroku hoped that 'Mai' wouldn't lead him into her treacherous traps by him believing in her.
He noticed that the coffee was done and dragged himself over to detached the coffee pot and pour the disgusting sludge into the cup he had set out. He couldn't cook anything. Soufflés to instant noodles, they all ended up the same. Burnt and or funny tasting. With distaste, he gulped down the black gunk, hoping that it would keep him alive the rest of the morning.
He decided to call and check up on him to see if he was okay. Hastily, he picked up the cordless phone and dialed that number Yugi left for him.
* * *
Yugi skidded to a stop. Did the phone just ring? His friends froze and stared at him, confused. Yugi raced towards the phone, and in his hurry, he punched in the speaker.
"Yugi?" It was his grandpa.
"Help! Help!" The wails became louder and more insistent.
"Yugi, who is that?" he demanded.
"Um, it's just me and my friends watching a scary movie!" he stammered.
"This early?" Grandpa didn't sound too convinced. "Who's with you?"
"Hey Gramps!" called Joey to show support. "We came over last night with the movie and we're finishing it now. "
"You came over while Yugi was sick?"
"We just went by to cheer him up!" Tea was quick to answer.
"Hmmm . . . Well, I just called to check . . ."
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
"I'll call you later, Gramps! Bye!" Yugi quickly hung up.
"C'mon!" Tristan said. "Lets go and see what all that racket is!"
They all nodded and ran to the source of the noise. Yugi stopped, pressing his lips together.
"What is it now, Yuge?" demanded Joey. "The phone's not ringing."
He shook his head. "It's just that door," he murmured, pointed to where the noises emerged. "I remember Mai told me not to mess with that closet no matter what."
"She's not here, though," Tristan answered firmly. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"PLEASE HELP ME!"
"What if she has someone in there?" asked Tea in a hushed voice.
"Mai? Kidnap someone?"
"You're crazy, Tea!" scoffed Joey. "It's a monster! Mai is a modern, female version of Doctor Frankenstein and has hid her creation in her closet where we will find it and become brutally disemboweled. "
"Yeah . . . and you're saying my idea was crazy." Tea rolled her eyes skeptically.
"You're both crazy!" concluded Yugi. "Mai would not keep and person, or monster, in her closet.
"How do you know?" Joey muttered. "It could be an axe murderer."
Yugi's brows furrowed. "A murderer?"
"Yeah!" Tea looked excited. "Did you hear about the urban legend about the crying baby? Killers lured women out by playing a recording of a baby crying."
Tristan raised a brow. "So you're saying that a killer is in Mai's closet playing a recorder?"
She nodded. "Yeah, except he's playing screams instead of baby cries."
"It could be a baby, a Banshee baby!" Joey winced as the ear-splitting screeches.
"Banshee's don't talk!" said Tea.
"Wait . . . Don't Banshee's scream when death is near?" asked Yugi shakily.
"It's not a Banshee, it's a monster!"
"Banshee's are monsters, you idiot! And it's a kidnapped person!"
"No, I thought we agreed it was an axe murderer."
"Who said that? After all, it could be Mai's monster playing a recording of a Banshee baby!"
Throughout the morning, they argued about whether the screams were from an axe murderer, Banshee, or person,
* * *
Mai appeared at the doorway, apparently confused. She wore a gray tank top and black shorts. Her face was slightly pink and sweaty, as if she had been working out. She set down a sack of groceries and gym bag as she glanced at the frozen friends. "Did I, uh, miss something?" she asked, panting as she tightened her ponytail.
"Mai, we heard lots of screaming in your closet!" gasped Tea. "What was it?!"
Mai smiled tentatively. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tea." As she spoke, she gently brushed her fingers across her ear.
"But . . . but . . . she heard it! We all did!" Yugi's mouth was agape.
She shook her head, still smiling faintly. "I assure you, there is nothing in my closet but some junk. You must be tired. Drink, anyone?" As calm as calm could be, she strode into the kitchen and opened the fridge door. Stunned glances were traded across the room.
"Joey? What would you like to have?"
"Um . . . whatcha got?"
"Hmmm . .. " Mai rested her hand on her knee as she bent down further, studying the contents. Yugi caught Joey eyeing her in a strange way. He felt Yami nudging him and knew what he meant.
"I have some Coke, lemonade, tea . . . I think I bought some Sprite . . ." She looked up at Joey, who still staring.
"Uh? What? Oh . . . A Coke'll be fine."
"I'll have some lemonade," said Tea quickly.
"That Sprite sounds pretty good now," answered Tristan.
Mai smiled, a pleased smile as she went to get glasses from the cupboard. When she wasn't looking, Tea jabbed Joey in the stomach, giving him a discerning glare.
She stopped," Yugi? Do you want anything?"
"No . . . Um, Mai . . . what were you doing this morning?" Yugi asked, trying to sound casual.
"Well, as you can see, I went out to the gym," Mai replied, reaching to get another glass on a high shelf, her shirt rising up a fair amount.
"I see," said Joey, fascinated.
She set the glasses and poured the drinks as she conversed with Yugi and his friends. Tristan and Tea kept on glancing at Yugi, as if wondering if they should bring up the closet issue, while Joey seemed enchanted by her.
Mai finished pouring the last glass and handed it to Joey. "Here you are, Joseph."
"Thanks." Joey took a long sip, but never took his eyes off of her.
"Mai . . ." started Yugi. "About that closet . . . "
"Huh? Oh, the closet. " Mai looked a bit blank.
"Yes . . . We just wanted to take a look and see if there isn't a Ban- anything there, I mean."
Mai shrugged much to Yugi's disappointment. "Sure, go ahead."
Tristan bravely walked towards the closet and swung it open, wincing a little as if a killer would pop out in any minute. But there was nothing. Nothing but a few cardboard boxes.
"See?" she said calmly. " Nothing important in there."
Tea accidentally spat out the tea and turned white. "Bu-bu-but!" she stammered," I could've sworn . . ."
"That you were imagining it," finished Mai coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. I only came back because I forgot my work-clothes. I need to be back in time and won't come back until 3:00."
"Mai, what do you do?" asked Joey.
"Oh, I'm a dancer." She responded as she started her way to her bedroom.
"Like Tea?"
Mai grinned. "Nice guess." (A/N: :-D)
Everyone's jaw seemed to fall through the next apartment. Mai frowned. "I was only kidding. I'm a manager at a boutique. They have dress code . . ." Her sentence ran off. They still looked befuddled. A slow smile spread across her lips. "You thought I was for real, right?" she said teasingly.
"What?!?!)
"Are you kidding?"
"You; a dancer?!"
"Ahahaha . . . we were just pulling one on ya!"
"Well, alright," she said, still biting her lip from laughter. When she disappeared, they let out a big breath of relief.
Tristan sighed. "Wow . . . What a way to spend the morning!"
Tea, who was still muttering about the closet, was shaking her head. "We heard those screams . . . I know it!" she declared.
"Well, we can comb it over when she's gone," said Yugi in a low tone.
"Yeah," agreed Joey.
Mai appeared in a simple, sleeveless shirt and cropped black skirt. She slung a purse over her shoulder and cast and friendly glance at them. " I guess I'll see you, bye!"
As soon as she left, the single second she closed the door, they attacked the closet. Steadily, but quickly, they tore open the boxes to sift through the contents. Suddenly, Joey's eyes widened as he hand hit something. He raised it to get a closer look. "Oh my God . . ."
Sorry this chapter took awhile! I've been busy all summer long and have had zero time for writing and the internet. It's not my best work, but I guess it'll do for now. Please review!
Summonedskull007
Puddles of sunlight danced on the walls the Turtle Game Shop. Sugoroku Motou yawned as he flipped the 'Open' sign out in the front door. He trudged to the kitchen and collapsed in a chair to wait for his coffee, stretching as he gazed at the blurred letters of the Domino Days newspaper.
It was strange without Yugi to help him open the shop. In usual mornings, all he had to do was wake up to see the morning paper set out by a mug of steaming hot coffee and the early customers dealt with.
Yugi was an obedient boy. He was very trusting and that was his biggest flaw. Sugoroku hoped that 'Mai' wouldn't lead him into her treacherous traps by him believing in her.
He noticed that the coffee was done and dragged himself over to detached the coffee pot and pour the disgusting sludge into the cup he had set out. He couldn't cook anything. Soufflés to instant noodles, they all ended up the same. Burnt and or funny tasting. With distaste, he gulped down the black gunk, hoping that it would keep him alive the rest of the morning.
He decided to call and check up on him to see if he was okay. Hastily, he picked up the cordless phone and dialed that number Yugi left for him.
* * *
Yugi skidded to a stop. Did the phone just ring? His friends froze and stared at him, confused. Yugi raced towards the phone, and in his hurry, he punched in the speaker.
"Yugi?" It was his grandpa.
"Help! Help!" The wails became louder and more insistent.
"Yugi, who is that?" he demanded.
"Um, it's just me and my friends watching a scary movie!" he stammered.
"This early?" Grandpa didn't sound too convinced. "Who's with you?"
"Hey Gramps!" called Joey to show support. "We came over last night with the movie and we're finishing it now. "
"You came over while Yugi was sick?"
"We just went by to cheer him up!" Tea was quick to answer.
"Hmmm . . . Well, I just called to check . . ."
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
"I'll call you later, Gramps! Bye!" Yugi quickly hung up.
"C'mon!" Tristan said. "Lets go and see what all that racket is!"
They all nodded and ran to the source of the noise. Yugi stopped, pressing his lips together.
"What is it now, Yuge?" demanded Joey. "The phone's not ringing."
He shook his head. "It's just that door," he murmured, pointed to where the noises emerged. "I remember Mai told me not to mess with that closet no matter what."
"She's not here, though," Tristan answered firmly. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"PLEASE HELP ME!"
"What if she has someone in there?" asked Tea in a hushed voice.
"Mai? Kidnap someone?"
"You're crazy, Tea!" scoffed Joey. "It's a monster! Mai is a modern, female version of Doctor Frankenstein and has hid her creation in her closet where we will find it and become brutally disemboweled. "
"Yeah . . . and you're saying my idea was crazy." Tea rolled her eyes skeptically.
"You're both crazy!" concluded Yugi. "Mai would not keep and person, or monster, in her closet.
"How do you know?" Joey muttered. "It could be an axe murderer."
Yugi's brows furrowed. "A murderer?"
"Yeah!" Tea looked excited. "Did you hear about the urban legend about the crying baby? Killers lured women out by playing a recording of a baby crying."
Tristan raised a brow. "So you're saying that a killer is in Mai's closet playing a recorder?"
She nodded. "Yeah, except he's playing screams instead of baby cries."
"It could be a baby, a Banshee baby!" Joey winced as the ear-splitting screeches.
"Banshee's don't talk!" said Tea.
"Wait . . . Don't Banshee's scream when death is near?" asked Yugi shakily.
"It's not a Banshee, it's a monster!"
"Banshee's are monsters, you idiot! And it's a kidnapped person!"
"No, I thought we agreed it was an axe murderer."
"Who said that? After all, it could be Mai's monster playing a recording of a Banshee baby!"
Throughout the morning, they argued about whether the screams were from an axe murderer, Banshee, or person,
* * *
Mai appeared at the doorway, apparently confused. She wore a gray tank top and black shorts. Her face was slightly pink and sweaty, as if she had been working out. She set down a sack of groceries and gym bag as she glanced at the frozen friends. "Did I, uh, miss something?" she asked, panting as she tightened her ponytail.
"Mai, we heard lots of screaming in your closet!" gasped Tea. "What was it?!"
Mai smiled tentatively. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tea." As she spoke, she gently brushed her fingers across her ear.
"But . . . but . . . she heard it! We all did!" Yugi's mouth was agape.
She shook her head, still smiling faintly. "I assure you, there is nothing in my closet but some junk. You must be tired. Drink, anyone?" As calm as calm could be, she strode into the kitchen and opened the fridge door. Stunned glances were traded across the room.
"Joey? What would you like to have?"
"Um . . . whatcha got?"
"Hmmm . .. " Mai rested her hand on her knee as she bent down further, studying the contents. Yugi caught Joey eyeing her in a strange way. He felt Yami nudging him and knew what he meant.
"I have some Coke, lemonade, tea . . . I think I bought some Sprite . . ." She looked up at Joey, who still staring.
"Uh? What? Oh . . . A Coke'll be fine."
"I'll have some lemonade," said Tea quickly.
"That Sprite sounds pretty good now," answered Tristan.
Mai smiled, a pleased smile as she went to get glasses from the cupboard. When she wasn't looking, Tea jabbed Joey in the stomach, giving him a discerning glare.
She stopped," Yugi? Do you want anything?"
"No . . . Um, Mai . . . what were you doing this morning?" Yugi asked, trying to sound casual.
"Well, as you can see, I went out to the gym," Mai replied, reaching to get another glass on a high shelf, her shirt rising up a fair amount.
"I see," said Joey, fascinated.
She set the glasses and poured the drinks as she conversed with Yugi and his friends. Tristan and Tea kept on glancing at Yugi, as if wondering if they should bring up the closet issue, while Joey seemed enchanted by her.
Mai finished pouring the last glass and handed it to Joey. "Here you are, Joseph."
"Thanks." Joey took a long sip, but never took his eyes off of her.
"Mai . . ." started Yugi. "About that closet . . . "
"Huh? Oh, the closet. " Mai looked a bit blank.
"Yes . . . We just wanted to take a look and see if there isn't a Ban- anything there, I mean."
Mai shrugged much to Yugi's disappointment. "Sure, go ahead."
Tristan bravely walked towards the closet and swung it open, wincing a little as if a killer would pop out in any minute. But there was nothing. Nothing but a few cardboard boxes.
"See?" she said calmly. " Nothing important in there."
Tea accidentally spat out the tea and turned white. "Bu-bu-but!" she stammered," I could've sworn . . ."
"That you were imagining it," finished Mai coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. I only came back because I forgot my work-clothes. I need to be back in time and won't come back until 3:00."
"Mai, what do you do?" asked Joey.
"Oh, I'm a dancer." She responded as she started her way to her bedroom.
"Like Tea?"
Mai grinned. "Nice guess." (A/N: :-D)
Everyone's jaw seemed to fall through the next apartment. Mai frowned. "I was only kidding. I'm a manager at a boutique. They have dress code . . ." Her sentence ran off. They still looked befuddled. A slow smile spread across her lips. "You thought I was for real, right?" she said teasingly.
"What?!?!)
"Are you kidding?"
"You; a dancer?!"
"Ahahaha . . . we were just pulling one on ya!"
"Well, alright," she said, still biting her lip from laughter. When she disappeared, they let out a big breath of relief.
Tristan sighed. "Wow . . . What a way to spend the morning!"
Tea, who was still muttering about the closet, was shaking her head. "We heard those screams . . . I know it!" she declared.
"Well, we can comb it over when she's gone," said Yugi in a low tone.
"Yeah," agreed Joey.
Mai appeared in a simple, sleeveless shirt and cropped black skirt. She slung a purse over her shoulder and cast and friendly glance at them. " I guess I'll see you, bye!"
As soon as she left, the single second she closed the door, they attacked the closet. Steadily, but quickly, they tore open the boxes to sift through the contents. Suddenly, Joey's eyes widened as he hand hit something. He raised it to get a closer look. "Oh my God . . ."
Sorry this chapter took awhile! I've been busy all summer long and have had zero time for writing and the internet. It's not my best work, but I guess it'll do for now. Please review!
Summonedskull007