*claps* Thank you Solus and Kia! ^^ You rox mah sox. Next chapter…woot. Am trying to get it up, so you don't think it's gone dead. Or something. *blink* What kind of author would I be if I let a story die? …well?
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~Trapped In Reality~
Chapter Two: Lady Fear
Teo blinked, rapping his fingers on the plastic lunch tray as he waited in line. It actually smelled decent today, one of the reasons why he was so anxious to get lunch. But the line was long, and the issue with people cutting in line didn't help. He frowned, examining the tiled floor. His stomach growled angrily, and he was sure every person in line could hear it. Slowly turning red, Teo looked around at everyone. Many were already seated, enjoying their lunches with friends.
"Hey!" A loud shout came from a table or two away. "You watch it, girl!" One of the tougher students had leapt up, grabbing the offender and shaking her roughly. Teo startled.
"Nekura?" He blinked. Nekky was lippy sometimes, but she had more sense than to mess with Damien. "Hey!" He hesitated before giving up his hard-earned spot in line, raising the tray like a bludgeon. As soon as he would have struck the boy, Nekura raised a hand.
Teo stopped. So did everyone else. No sounds issued from any corner of the cafeteria. No voices, noises, or even the buzz of flies' wings could be heard. The students were frozen in the moment, expressions fixed. Nekura easily removed herself from Damien's grasp, eyes colorless.
"Nekky, what happened?" Teo demanded. "What is this?"
When Nekura spoke, it was a voice very unlike her own…harsh and gravelly with time. "Come to the shadows, Teo'kanu. I am waiting."
Shivers went up Teo's spine as the hair on the back of his neck prickled up. "What do you want?" He asked, voice more than a little shaky.
"Only you, shadow spirit." It laughed, the hell -sent noise echoing horribly off every surface. Nekura extended a hand, mocking. "Come." Her eyes flashed, malice in every expression.
Something clicked in Teo's brain. He'd heard that voice too many times to ignore it again, ever again. This had to be a dream…a dream gone horribly wrong.
"I'm real, Teo!" The thing shrieked, lunging forward to grab the boy's wrist, digging animal-like claws into his flesh to draw droplets of blood. Teo winced, struggling in the fierce grasp. "It's no use."
He braced his legs, twisting his arm away with a gasp of pain. It was no longer Nekura that stood before him, but something much worse. Something that might have been Nekura at one point, but was too twisted and deformed now to ever be sure. Her eyes were sunken in, and seemed to pulse with an unnatural light. A dark gray robe billowed around her, large enough for three people if anyone would have cared to try that. Her claws were nearly three inches long, one set on a hand now dripping with blood. He could not see her feet, and was glad.
"What did you do to her, Stophes?" He panted, nursing his lacerated arm. The blood loss was making him dizzy.
"I have done nothing to your 'friend'." Stophes laughed. "From now on, this is her true form. My true form, I suppose…I had almost given up hope of finding a suitable host body, lad…but then I saw her in your mind, and knew I could easily lure you to me with her." He shook a finger, as if lecturing. "And I will."
Teo could only look on, not quite comprehending. "..what…"
"Follow me, Teo'kanu. Follow me to death and beyond." He beckoned, disappearing in a wave of black mist. Teo leaned forward, but could not see through the ominous cloud. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into it…
…and immediately fell, cascading down an bottomless pit of echoing screams and moans of tortured souls, shadows and blood whirling before his eyes. His heart raced, and then the darkness entered his mind, silencing him until the time would be right for him to awaken.
~*~
"…Teo. Teo'kanu." Someone was pushing him roughly, whispering. Teo blinked, rolling over. It was dark and murky…the smell of rot and decay was everywhere and his arm felt like a wolf had gnawed on it. He groaned, sitting up.
"Who's there?" He blinked, but saw no one. The voice did not speak again. Standing rather shakily, he felt a very comfortable weight on his belt. "My deck…" He mumbled, torn between happiness and despair. "I thought I left this behind." As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Teo could just make out the shape of a building before him, and other smaller ones. A town? Who would build in such a desolate area? It certainly looked deserted…
He stood, brushing the dust off his clothes. Someone had bandaged his arm. Teo stared at it in wonder, poking it gingerly. It hurt.
"Awake yet?"
Teo stiffened.
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked, voice falling flat. "Why?!"
"Because I need you, Teo'kanu." Stophes laughed. Teo could almost see him, eyes mocking. "Now that we are here, I can take my natural form…soon I will explain. Your friend is here with me…so don't try to do anything rash." The voice vanished from his head, but an echo remained of a voice that was not the spirit's. Nekura? "…follow the jasper…"
Teo looked around. Everything looked ominous, like the very environment was going to rise up and devour him.k
"But he needs me." Teo said out loud, staggering up the steps of the large building. Maybe someone was inside… "He wouldn't let me die." Or would he? Maybe Stophes just needed him dead. Maybe he needed him alive. Better not to take chances.
The doors on the old building came open with an ear-splitting screeching…before he even had a chance to reach for them. A bit more nervous, Teo stepped inside.
A thick layer of dust covered the fine furniture that was shoved against the far wall. The hardwood floors, once probably shining and waxed, were chipped and splintering. The only thing that looked slightly used was the giant duel arena.
"A giant duel arena." Teo repeated his thoughts out loud. It was all too unreal…
A rustling in the rafters drew his deep blue eyes to look…but nothing was there. Probably just a bat, or a barn swallow. Teo sighed, turning back to exploring the huge room. The first thing he did was investigate the duel arena…it was surprisingly modern, with the latest technologies. He ran his hands over the sides as he stood at one of the duel stations, envious. He'd never had a chance to use something so grand…but even if it worked, who was there to fight?
"You may fight me." Someone he hadn't noticed upon entering was standing at the opposite station. A woman with sallow skin and eyes like black holes stared across the hologram field at him. Her hair was unkempt, a dusty black. She wore a collared cape, tied with a blazing orange jewel. Something eerie lurked about her features, but Teo couldn't tell what. "I have been waiting so long for another…"
"Fight you? You mean..duel?" He was cautious. She didn't seem aggressive…but everything might be different in this world. "Who are you?"
"I am the undead of this town. I carry with me every person that has ever lived here: their memories, loves, thoughts and feelings…all of it. My name is Najaet." Najaet did not blink. "But you may call me Naja, for our purposes. Have you a deck?"
"..I..I've got a deck…" Teo stammered, fumbling to place his precious deck in its groove. "How long have you been waiting for me?"
Naja smiled, but her eyes showed no trace of emotion. "Five thousand years."
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~Trapped In Reality~
Chapter Two: Lady Fear
Teo blinked, rapping his fingers on the plastic lunch tray as he waited in line. It actually smelled decent today, one of the reasons why he was so anxious to get lunch. But the line was long, and the issue with people cutting in line didn't help. He frowned, examining the tiled floor. His stomach growled angrily, and he was sure every person in line could hear it. Slowly turning red, Teo looked around at everyone. Many were already seated, enjoying their lunches with friends.
"Hey!" A loud shout came from a table or two away. "You watch it, girl!" One of the tougher students had leapt up, grabbing the offender and shaking her roughly. Teo startled.
"Nekura?" He blinked. Nekky was lippy sometimes, but she had more sense than to mess with Damien. "Hey!" He hesitated before giving up his hard-earned spot in line, raising the tray like a bludgeon. As soon as he would have struck the boy, Nekura raised a hand.
Teo stopped. So did everyone else. No sounds issued from any corner of the cafeteria. No voices, noises, or even the buzz of flies' wings could be heard. The students were frozen in the moment, expressions fixed. Nekura easily removed herself from Damien's grasp, eyes colorless.
"Nekky, what happened?" Teo demanded. "What is this?"
When Nekura spoke, it was a voice very unlike her own…harsh and gravelly with time. "Come to the shadows, Teo'kanu. I am waiting."
Shivers went up Teo's spine as the hair on the back of his neck prickled up. "What do you want?" He asked, voice more than a little shaky.
"Only you, shadow spirit." It laughed, the hell -sent noise echoing horribly off every surface. Nekura extended a hand, mocking. "Come." Her eyes flashed, malice in every expression.
Something clicked in Teo's brain. He'd heard that voice too many times to ignore it again, ever again. This had to be a dream…a dream gone horribly wrong.
"I'm real, Teo!" The thing shrieked, lunging forward to grab the boy's wrist, digging animal-like claws into his flesh to draw droplets of blood. Teo winced, struggling in the fierce grasp. "It's no use."
He braced his legs, twisting his arm away with a gasp of pain. It was no longer Nekura that stood before him, but something much worse. Something that might have been Nekura at one point, but was too twisted and deformed now to ever be sure. Her eyes were sunken in, and seemed to pulse with an unnatural light. A dark gray robe billowed around her, large enough for three people if anyone would have cared to try that. Her claws were nearly three inches long, one set on a hand now dripping with blood. He could not see her feet, and was glad.
"What did you do to her, Stophes?" He panted, nursing his lacerated arm. The blood loss was making him dizzy.
"I have done nothing to your 'friend'." Stophes laughed. "From now on, this is her true form. My true form, I suppose…I had almost given up hope of finding a suitable host body, lad…but then I saw her in your mind, and knew I could easily lure you to me with her." He shook a finger, as if lecturing. "And I will."
Teo could only look on, not quite comprehending. "..what…"
"Follow me, Teo'kanu. Follow me to death and beyond." He beckoned, disappearing in a wave of black mist. Teo leaned forward, but could not see through the ominous cloud. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into it…
…and immediately fell, cascading down an bottomless pit of echoing screams and moans of tortured souls, shadows and blood whirling before his eyes. His heart raced, and then the darkness entered his mind, silencing him until the time would be right for him to awaken.
~*~
"…Teo. Teo'kanu." Someone was pushing him roughly, whispering. Teo blinked, rolling over. It was dark and murky…the smell of rot and decay was everywhere and his arm felt like a wolf had gnawed on it. He groaned, sitting up.
"Who's there?" He blinked, but saw no one. The voice did not speak again. Standing rather shakily, he felt a very comfortable weight on his belt. "My deck…" He mumbled, torn between happiness and despair. "I thought I left this behind." As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Teo could just make out the shape of a building before him, and other smaller ones. A town? Who would build in such a desolate area? It certainly looked deserted…
He stood, brushing the dust off his clothes. Someone had bandaged his arm. Teo stared at it in wonder, poking it gingerly. It hurt.
"Awake yet?"
Teo stiffened.
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked, voice falling flat. "Why?!"
"Because I need you, Teo'kanu." Stophes laughed. Teo could almost see him, eyes mocking. "Now that we are here, I can take my natural form…soon I will explain. Your friend is here with me…so don't try to do anything rash." The voice vanished from his head, but an echo remained of a voice that was not the spirit's. Nekura? "…follow the jasper…"
Teo looked around. Everything looked ominous, like the very environment was going to rise up and devour him.k
"But he needs me." Teo said out loud, staggering up the steps of the large building. Maybe someone was inside… "He wouldn't let me die." Or would he? Maybe Stophes just needed him dead. Maybe he needed him alive. Better not to take chances.
The doors on the old building came open with an ear-splitting screeching…before he even had a chance to reach for them. A bit more nervous, Teo stepped inside.
A thick layer of dust covered the fine furniture that was shoved against the far wall. The hardwood floors, once probably shining and waxed, were chipped and splintering. The only thing that looked slightly used was the giant duel arena.
"A giant duel arena." Teo repeated his thoughts out loud. It was all too unreal…
A rustling in the rafters drew his deep blue eyes to look…but nothing was there. Probably just a bat, or a barn swallow. Teo sighed, turning back to exploring the huge room. The first thing he did was investigate the duel arena…it was surprisingly modern, with the latest technologies. He ran his hands over the sides as he stood at one of the duel stations, envious. He'd never had a chance to use something so grand…but even if it worked, who was there to fight?
"You may fight me." Someone he hadn't noticed upon entering was standing at the opposite station. A woman with sallow skin and eyes like black holes stared across the hologram field at him. Her hair was unkempt, a dusty black. She wore a collared cape, tied with a blazing orange jewel. Something eerie lurked about her features, but Teo couldn't tell what. "I have been waiting so long for another…"
"Fight you? You mean..duel?" He was cautious. She didn't seem aggressive…but everything might be different in this world. "Who are you?"
"I am the undead of this town. I carry with me every person that has ever lived here: their memories, loves, thoughts and feelings…all of it. My name is Najaet." Najaet did not blink. "But you may call me Naja, for our purposes. Have you a deck?"
"..I..I've got a deck…" Teo stammered, fumbling to place his precious deck in its groove. "How long have you been waiting for me?"
Naja smiled, but her eyes showed no trace of emotion. "Five thousand years."