It had been a long time, very long time since he'd seen the light of day or his friends for that matter. He looked at his wounds; some fresh and bleeding while others were scarred reminders of the pain.
"I have to put faith that Tai will find me, I have to put faith in God to guide him, I have to survive for both." Said Matt falling on his side as a burst of sharp pain coursed through his body.
The chains around his wrists were growing heavier with each passing sleep, his body growing weaker and thinner. He had prayed once that he may find a rat or something to eat, it was answered when he found a nest of beetles in the corner a few sleep periods later. He'd lost track of time so long ago he started keeping track by when he slept.
It had been a long time since his last sleep period; he thought that it might be his last since the beetles were found six periods ago. He looked at the only source of water he found in the room, even in the dark he could make out things; sometimes he was grateful for the lack of color perception in the dark.
It was but a single dripping pipe in the far wall, which in reality wasn't very far at all as it was only two meters away. Crawling to it had become a feat of mind over matter for him in between sleep periods; his lack of food had caused his body to begin breaking down itself for sustenance. Whenever he reached the small pipe, he had to cup his hands for what seemed like hours before he could get enough for a single drink.
His mind was constantly plagued with thoughts of death and dying in the place, which made him furious. He wouldn't die here, not without a fight; it'd be letting whoever brought him here win too easily. He tried to preoccupy his mind instead with lyrics and songs and thoughts of his man desperately searching for him. Sometimes, those thoughts drove him to tears, knowing that somewhere, there was Taichi crying and in pain.
He leaned up against the hard stonewall, pain shooting through his back from the open sores as he did so. He began to think back to when Tai, Ken and him had gone to Himuro Mansion.
"There is the place of legend, the place of death some say." Said Ken pausing in front of the steps.
The mansion was in ruins but standing strong on the hilltop as had done for what some believed centuries. The trees and growth had become sole masters of the structure, growing over the wood and plaster with no regard. No one had been to the place since the researcher had disappeared almost a decade ago, reasons unknown.
"They say it was a place of great life and great death, what that means I have no idea." Said Tai as he looked up at the roof sculptures.
"It means there was great people who were here, the place was full of life and birth but also a lot of death and sacrifice." Said Matt starting to walk up the stairs, his hand grasping the handle of the switchblade in his pocket, just in case.
"What are you doing?" asked Ken in a slightly surprised tone.
"I'm at least going to look around inside, I didn't come this way to just admire the outside." Said Matt turning around to face the other two at the base of the steps.
"You can't do that! You know what the rumors and legends say, you may not return!" exclaimed Tai stepping up on the stairs.
"I just want to look, I won't go far into it maybe into the front entrance and that's all." Said Matt turning back around and continuing up the rotted wood steps.
"Well we'll be right here, I don't like this place...gives me the creeps." Said Ken taking a step forward.
"I won't let you go in alone, wouldn't be right." Said Tai jogging up to walk along Matt's side.
The entrance was partially collapsed as they entered, the room dusty and falling apart. Both young men looked over their shoulders at the slightest sound as they walked around the relatively small room.
"Do you see that?" asked Tai in almost a whisper as he paused in front of a crossbeam that had fallen.
"See what?" asked Matt turning to look, stopping dead in his tracks as the scene before him hit his retina.
Before them both behind a crossbeam and old wooden wall was the figure of a young girl, no more than twelve. Her body glowed in a blue hue, her face full of sadness and hurt. Matt looked down towards the ground where she stood; she had no legs whatsoever which scared the hell out of him. He looked at Tai, his pale face had said it all, get the hell out of here and now.
They turned tail and ran, ran as fast as they could; didn't care how far they ran or where as long as it was far from the place. Ken watched as they ran down the steps and ran past him, he yelled for them but they didn't stop until they reached the car parked forty meters away from the mansion.
Ken jogged to the car, "What the hell happened?!"
Matt and Tai breathed deeply, taking in air looking at each other both sweating bullets still. After a few moments Ken asked again, "What happened?"
"We saw something, something that shouldn't have been there, something that wasn't in this world." Said Tai looking at Matt with fear blazing in his irises.
Matt looked at Ken, the same fear within his own eyes; "Let's go...let's go now."
Matt shuddered slightly at the memory, the image of the girl forever burned within his brain. He leaned his head back, another sleep period encompassed him, a dreamless sleep period.
Tai looked at the clock on the wall, it read four thirty-seven in the morning; he had lost another night of sleep. His mind wouldn't let rest the worry for even a moment but he knew why. Staring into the blackness of the night out the window he thought about the empty spot next to his side. It was a ritual for him when he wasn't on tour with Matt, but now it'd become a nightmare every night. When he wasn't on tour with his lover, he at least got calls or e-mails sometimes even late night talks on instant messenger; he knew he was all right when that happened.
But now, now it was different, he didn't know if Matt was all right or even alive for that matter. It hurt him so badly to think such thoughts but it was unavoidable for his mind, he cared so much. He watched the starless sky hoping that he will see a star; Matt had always loved to watch the night sky. They even had a special star that was their own; it was between the two brightest in the night sky.
He laid there for hours hoping that their star would shine through the clouds in all it's glory, it never happened. Before he knew it, the clock read six fifty-five and the alarm broke his concentration, yet another day was upon him. He reached over and hit the button to shut the infernal machine up, which was what Matt had always called it anyways. He sighed heavily, rolling over and sitting up, "Matt, where ever you are, I will find you, I will search until the day I die." He said looking at the picture on the nightstand.
He stood up and picked it up, a memory frozen in time he thought. It was a picture of him and Matt at the Cleveland Science Center in Ohio. A tear fell to the glass as the memory came to him, vividly.
"Look the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame." Said Tai looking at the huge building.
"I wish I was good enough to be in there," said Matt looking over the fountain, "It would be so awesome, a wax figure of me with my guitar and mike would be just so cool."
"You know you're good enough," said Tai placing his arm around Matt's waist, "But you've already made into another Hall of Fame."
"Really? Where?"
"Mine, you've been in my heart's Hall of Fame for the longest time, in fact you've been there since the beginning." Said Tai with a smile.
"Oh, Tai..." said Matt blushing slightly as he looked at the brunette, "You're the top attraction in my Hall of Fame."
"I love you too..."smirked Tai as he put his head on Matt's shoulder.
Matt kissed his forehead and looked beside the structure before the Hall of Fame, "Cleveland Science Center, hmm...hey want to take a field trip?"
"Why not? Besides maybe we can learn something"
"Hey if I wanted to learn anything I'd go to college." Matt said starting to walk with Tai up to the big glass and metal doors into the science center.
"Hey Tai! Come here and check this out!" exclaimed Matt as he stood in front of a doorway.
"What is it?" asked Tai putting down the fiber optic phone and walking over to where Matt stood.
"Wanna go in here? Check out the stars?" asked Matt point to the sign that read, "See the Stars of the Northern Hemisphere".
"Is it going to be dark?"
"Well yeah it's a observatory, it displays the stars of the night sky on the ceiling and makes you feel like your really there."
"Why do you like astronomy so much anyways?" asked Tai looking at some of the constellation signs outside the room.
"I don't know, it's like a free concert in the night sky every night for me. It's where I look when I need inspiration or help." Said Matt walking in the room with Tai at his side.
"Do you have a favorite constellation?" asked Tai as Matt went down a row and sat in the last seat at the end.
"Of course, the one I love most is Vulpecula otherwise known as The Fox." Said Matt as Tai sat beside him.
The lights grew dim and soon the dome lit up like the night sky, northern hemisphere constellations were outlined. The automated voice began to speak of the different stars and constellations and soon it came to Vulpecula.
"Vulpecula is a more modern constellation devised by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687. It contains no bright stars greater than the fourth magnitude, which makes it quite dim.
Originally Vulpecula was pictured with a goose in it's mouth and was known as Vulpes et Anser or Vulpecula et Anser which both mean The Fox and The Goose. But over time it became shortened to just the fox hence the nickname The Little Fox." Said the automatic computer recording.
Tai put his head on Matt's shoulder as the constellation became animated and ran around the dome. Matt's arm instinctively went around Tai's shoulder holding him close.
A knock came on the door, a light but stern knock interrupting his thoughts, "Coming." Said Tai walking out to answer it. He opened the door to see no one, he poked his head out and looked both ways down the hall, "What the hell is wrong with people?"
He about closed the door but it stopped about an inch from closing, he looked down at the threshold to see a yellow envelope. Picking it up he thought to himself, "What the hell? This better not be some porn or something." He closed the door and went to the chair by the window, sitting down.
He examined the envelope, it seemed to be an ordinary business enveloped like the kind Matt got his record contracts in but it seemed to be roughed up pretty bad. He opened it up to have a videotape and piece of paper fall into his lap. Tai picked up the letter and opened it to reveal scrawled writing.
Blood pure, love true
Find your man to be with you.
If you don't he shall die
Which will lead you to cry.
Your soul to his
Your lips share a kiss.
Tape as hint
Stop the upcoming event.
You alone no one other
He can have no other.
Find him now or you will see
What happens when you mess with me.
Show me to all
Death to him shall befall.
Warned have been you
So says one of a few.
He stared at the note and read it over twenty times before he realized what was in his hands. Information to find his one and only and it showed he was in danger and only he was able to do anything. His mind raced, his heart beat fast as ever as he looked at the tape, "I will find you...I will do everything I can, I promise." He whispered.