The puzzle was calling again. Even in his sleep, even in his dreams, only
one object remained so constant, so focused, so demanding-No matter what he
did, the puzzle was never far away from his thoughts, pulling him towards
the bundle of rags in which he had stuffed the golden pieces, regardless of
the fact that the last thing he wanted to do was put the puzzle together
again.
It reminded him of doing the backstroke for the first time.
He remembered his first time in the pool. His father had brought him there, intent on teaching him to swim. So, after the front crawl, Yuugi had readjusted his goggles and swam over to the deep end with his adorably eager father. Then, for the first time ever, he saw the deep end from underwater.
The ground just dropped down underneath him, and with it, went his stomach. All he could think about was what would happen if he dropped down there, away from all light. Would anybody find him in time?
His dad had him lie on his back, submerging his ears completely so water wouldn't get in them. The instant Yuugi did, all sounds vanished.
Kicking slowly, he felt himself move, and suddenly realized that there was one sound: the harsh, jagged sound of his own panicked breathing as he struggled to refrain from thinking about the distance between his back and the floor, and how the only thing holding him up was water-water! Water, what Yuugi drank everything, water, which he could easily have dipped his hand into. He was supposed to trust that to keep him safe?
Engrossed in his thoughts, it came as a shock to him when he hit his head against the edge. Immediately, he leapt up and grasped the comforting edge, unwilling to let go even when his arm went numb. Though sounds flooded back into his ear, children laughing, people splashing, he couldn't forget how he had felt drifting in what seemed like nothing, feeling like he was the last person existing with nothing but his fear to keep him company.
That's how his dreams felt, every night, only on top of his fear, there was a voice, one he knew all too well. "The puzzle," it crooned to him, "Come solve the puzzle..."
Every night, he woke to find himself desperately fitting pieces together.
In horror, he nearly threw the puzzle to the ground, but something wouldn't let him break it again. And Yuugi knew who it was. Instead, he wrapped the puzzle up, trying to hide it from himself. But it was futile. Every night, it took him a little longer to wake up. Every night, he found that a little more of it was solved. If only he could muster the courage to break the accursed puzzle.
But no. This had been happening for... how long was it? Two weeks? Yes, that's right. He had arrived at the Kame game shop about eleven days ago. The first time he had solved the puzzle, it had taken him eight years. No luck this time. It looked as though the puzzle might be finished within the next week.
Not knowing what to do, Yuugi thrust it back in his closet and lay on his bed, shivering silently, knowing that sleep would not come for the rest of the night.
~~
"Yuugi! Yuugi, it was terrible! Anzu beat me! An' she's just a beginner and everything!" Jou moaned in greeting upon storming into the game shop and taking a seat. Anzu came in after him, laughing and teasing. And, following them, was Honda, look clearly saying 'I don't know them.'
Yuugi laughed, but it was half-heartedly, and the smile on his face was fake. He'd have to tell them. Soon. But not now, he begged silently, just let me have friends for a few more minutes...
"Is something wrong, Yuugi?" Anzu asked, looking concerned. "You look like you haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in weeks."
"...Two and a half, actually," Yuugi announced. "I-there's something I have to tell you. I..." Somehow, this was a lot harder with three sets of eyes staring at him than it was practicing in front of his mirror. "I know I should've stopped this before it started, this becoming friends thing of course, but I... I just couldn't... It just felt so wonderful having friends again... I'm sorry, but now it may be too late... I..."
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Yuugi fell silent, looking down.
By now, all three of his friends were looking concerned, but before any of them could voice the general, unanimous opinion that Yuugi needed a couple days of rest and some cough syrup, Yuugi fixed his pained gaze on them. That shut them up.
"I... I've been keeping a secret from you."
He had awoken the previous night to find the puzzled complete except the central piece, the one with the eye on it. (Yuugi noted briefly that this was the piece that he had put in last the first time, too.) Holding the last piece in his hand, inches away from sliding it into the gap, Yuugi found that he was trembling, no, quivering, and covered with sweat. Desperately, he tried to drag his arm away, and when he found that he was frozen, he let the puzzle drop. Obviously, the force trying to make him put the puzzle together wasn't expecting that. The puzzle rolled a bit across the desk, but didn't break, to Yuugi's combined relief and disappointment.
It was obvious that Yuugi would be able to fend off the spirit within the puzzle no longer. It was also obvious that Yuugi needed to confess. Now. Before it happened again. Before... Yuugi shook his head, knowing that thinking about it wouldn't do any good.
"See, it's like this... My secret... might kill you."
~~
Next time: A very long flashback. ("...And... I didn't know what to do... everybody would just die because of me. Then, I thought, what if I... killed myself first?")
It reminded him of doing the backstroke for the first time.
He remembered his first time in the pool. His father had brought him there, intent on teaching him to swim. So, after the front crawl, Yuugi had readjusted his goggles and swam over to the deep end with his adorably eager father. Then, for the first time ever, he saw the deep end from underwater.
The ground just dropped down underneath him, and with it, went his stomach. All he could think about was what would happen if he dropped down there, away from all light. Would anybody find him in time?
His dad had him lie on his back, submerging his ears completely so water wouldn't get in them. The instant Yuugi did, all sounds vanished.
Kicking slowly, he felt himself move, and suddenly realized that there was one sound: the harsh, jagged sound of his own panicked breathing as he struggled to refrain from thinking about the distance between his back and the floor, and how the only thing holding him up was water-water! Water, what Yuugi drank everything, water, which he could easily have dipped his hand into. He was supposed to trust that to keep him safe?
Engrossed in his thoughts, it came as a shock to him when he hit his head against the edge. Immediately, he leapt up and grasped the comforting edge, unwilling to let go even when his arm went numb. Though sounds flooded back into his ear, children laughing, people splashing, he couldn't forget how he had felt drifting in what seemed like nothing, feeling like he was the last person existing with nothing but his fear to keep him company.
That's how his dreams felt, every night, only on top of his fear, there was a voice, one he knew all too well. "The puzzle," it crooned to him, "Come solve the puzzle..."
Every night, he woke to find himself desperately fitting pieces together.
In horror, he nearly threw the puzzle to the ground, but something wouldn't let him break it again. And Yuugi knew who it was. Instead, he wrapped the puzzle up, trying to hide it from himself. But it was futile. Every night, it took him a little longer to wake up. Every night, he found that a little more of it was solved. If only he could muster the courage to break the accursed puzzle.
But no. This had been happening for... how long was it? Two weeks? Yes, that's right. He had arrived at the Kame game shop about eleven days ago. The first time he had solved the puzzle, it had taken him eight years. No luck this time. It looked as though the puzzle might be finished within the next week.
Not knowing what to do, Yuugi thrust it back in his closet and lay on his bed, shivering silently, knowing that sleep would not come for the rest of the night.
~~
"Yuugi! Yuugi, it was terrible! Anzu beat me! An' she's just a beginner and everything!" Jou moaned in greeting upon storming into the game shop and taking a seat. Anzu came in after him, laughing and teasing. And, following them, was Honda, look clearly saying 'I don't know them.'
Yuugi laughed, but it was half-heartedly, and the smile on his face was fake. He'd have to tell them. Soon. But not now, he begged silently, just let me have friends for a few more minutes...
"Is something wrong, Yuugi?" Anzu asked, looking concerned. "You look like you haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in weeks."
"...Two and a half, actually," Yuugi announced. "I-there's something I have to tell you. I..." Somehow, this was a lot harder with three sets of eyes staring at him than it was practicing in front of his mirror. "I know I should've stopped this before it started, this becoming friends thing of course, but I... I just couldn't... It just felt so wonderful having friends again... I'm sorry, but now it may be too late... I..."
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Yuugi fell silent, looking down.
By now, all three of his friends were looking concerned, but before any of them could voice the general, unanimous opinion that Yuugi needed a couple days of rest and some cough syrup, Yuugi fixed his pained gaze on them. That shut them up.
"I... I've been keeping a secret from you."
He had awoken the previous night to find the puzzled complete except the central piece, the one with the eye on it. (Yuugi noted briefly that this was the piece that he had put in last the first time, too.) Holding the last piece in his hand, inches away from sliding it into the gap, Yuugi found that he was trembling, no, quivering, and covered with sweat. Desperately, he tried to drag his arm away, and when he found that he was frozen, he let the puzzle drop. Obviously, the force trying to make him put the puzzle together wasn't expecting that. The puzzle rolled a bit across the desk, but didn't break, to Yuugi's combined relief and disappointment.
It was obvious that Yuugi would be able to fend off the spirit within the puzzle no longer. It was also obvious that Yuugi needed to confess. Now. Before it happened again. Before... Yuugi shook his head, knowing that thinking about it wouldn't do any good.
"See, it's like this... My secret... might kill you."
~~
Next time: A very long flashback. ("...And... I didn't know what to do... everybody would just die because of me. Then, I thought, what if I... killed myself first?")