Forever More
A/N: Sorry about the typo in the last chappy. Thanks to mrchezzy for pointing that out..there is no Jenny,what on earth was I thinking when I typed that? It was supposed to be Pan,but I guess that's what happens when you type while talking to a Jenny on the phone.=P
*~*~*~*
chapter 3: Trapped
*~*~*~*
"Pan! Pan,what's wrong? Say something!"
Trunks' urgent voice sounded distant. She snapped back to reality when Trunks grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
"I..I..Trunks.."
They were all staring at her in confusion,shock,and concern.
"The boy from the store," she managed to get out. "He's the Shadow Man."
"Oh my God,is that all you were worried about? I thought you slipped into some kind of coma or something!" cried Bra.
"And anyway,so what if this guy you met is a cardboard character? Maybe he made this game up,and decided to make himself one of the characters." said Trunks.
Pan realized that what had seemed terrifying to her moments ago,only seemed foolish now. "I'm so sorry you guys," she grinned apologetically. "You know I have an over active imagination."
The others watched her for a moment,then Goten shrugged and said,"Okay,so you guys still want to continue playing?"
Pan wanted to scream. To shout,"No! There's something very wrong with that thing!"
But she kept her mouth shut,and tried to convince herself she was overreacting.
"Yeah,sure. Do you want to,Panny?" asked Trunks.
Pan nodded,and the Game began again.
"It says we have to take an oath," Bra read. "The Oath of the Game."
Marron shivered. "I'm not sure I like this game anymore."
"Oh,come on,Marron. Live dangerously. We have to swear that we are playing this by our own free will,and we know what the consequences might be." replied Bra,shrugging. "Whatever. I swear."
"Me too. I swear." added Goten.
"Oh,what the hell," Trunks mumbled. "I swear."
"I guess I swear too," Marron agreed hesitantly.
"Pan?" Bra prodded.
Pan took a deep breath. "I swear."
"Good. Now,it says we pick three players to turn over three cards,and then the Game will begin."
"I'll pick," said Trunks,turning over a bright orange card. "It says 'you hear footsteps on the roof.'"
"I'm scared out of my mind," said Bra sarcastically.
Suddenly,they heard heavy thumping on the roof. Loud. Insistent.
"Wh-What's that?" Marron asked shakily.
"Just a squirrel,probably." Trunks laughed nervously. "Go ahead,Pan,why don't you pick the next card?"
She did so. "It says,'You go to the door to get some fresh air,but it appears to be locked.'"
No one said anything for awhile.
"Okay,I'm going to go check the door and prove that this is just a game!" Trunks said,and got up.
He tried the door repeatedly. It wouldn't budge.
"Oh,my God," Pan clasped the nearest hand gratefully. It was Goten's.
"I don't get it." Trunks frowned. "It worked fine awhile ago."
"Well,there's always the window," Goten joked. "Anyway,Bra,pick the last card."
"It says,'You hear a clock strike nine.'"
"Pan," Trunks whispered,"You don't have any clocks that chime,do you?"
Pan could only manage to shake her head weakly.
Then they heard the unmistakable sound of a clock chiming.
One.
"Oh,my God. Oh,my God!" Marron cried.
"What the hell is going on?" Bra whispered hoarsely.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
"I can't stand it," Pan murmered,clasping Trunks' hand with all her strength.
Six.
Seven.
*At nine,* Pan thought. "That's what he said. I'll see you at nine.*
Eight.
Nine.
Then the wind came.
*~*~*~*
It was like the only other time Pan had fainted,when she had been about six years old. She rubbed her eyes and tried to stand up,but couldn't feel a thing. There was a strange red fog surrounding her,and the only thing real seemed to be Trunks' shirt which she still held onto tightly.
"Trunks? Bra? Marron?" Now that the fog had cleared away a bit,she could see the others more clearly. They were all next to her,and waking up slowly.
"Pan? I'm here. Where the hell are we?" asked Trunks.
"I have no idea." answered Bra,staring. "Is everyone all right?"
"Yep," Goten and Marron had managed to stand up. "The last thing I remember is that clock striking nine..and then everything blacked out."
"Right. But where ARE we?" Marron repeated.
"In the Game,of course."
They all jerked their heads towards the voice. Pan recognized him immediately.
"It's you! Darren!"
"Yes." His eyes,as blue as the core of a flame,gleamed. He was dressed in black pants and a black vest,but no shirt. A single metallic cuff shone on his upper left arm.
"You do know why you're here,don't you?" he continued.
"Of course not! You can't be serious. How are we in that Victorian house.."
"You all swore that you knew what the consequences were. You did exactly as the Game said to. It was you who wanted danger and fear. So have fun playing."
"Wait,you mean that's it? We just play and get out at the end? No harm done?" asked Bra.
He grinned. "Not quite. You see,I'm going to put Trunks here up at the very top of the mansion. You will face a different nightmare in every room,and if you survive,you may get out. Trunks will be waiting for you at the top. But the danger in here is very real. If you die,that's it. This isn't 'just' a Game."
"Oh my God," Marron breathed.
"But you didn't fully answer my question. How exactly did we get here? This is no ordinary game."
He turned to face Bra. "There is a world much like yours that lies just outside of your reach. The Shadow World. The Shadow Men have access to your world by runes but you cannot even see them. Except me,of course. But now that you are in the Shadow World,you will be able to see all the horrible and beautiful creatures that live in it."
"Why did I see you,then? At the Games store." asked Pan.
"That,my dear,you will find out for yourself."
"I don't believe this guy," Trunks said angrily. "Who the hell are you? You expect us to believe we're that Game and in some kind of Shadow World? Yeah right."
"Perhaps this will change your mind." Darren snapped his fingers,and Trunks disappeared from sight.
"Where is he?!" Pan cried out. "What have you done?"
"I placed him at the top." Darren replied calmly. "H's up there,facing his worst nightmare."
"You know why I'm doing this,don't you?" he asked suddenly,his blue eyes focused on Pan. "I don't just enjoy placing you here and watching you suffer."
"I..I don't know."
"I love you," he replied. "I've watched you all my life. And now,I want to keep you for myself. You can,however all get out of this right now,unharmed,if Pan did just one thing."
Pan,who had been in shock ever since he had said 'I love you',spoke shakily. "What's that?"
"Say yes. Say you'll be mine,and every single one of them goes free. Even Trunks."
"No. I'll never marry you. Trunks is the one I love-"
"He doesn't deserve you! He doesn't care about you anywhere near what I care for you. Just imagine it,Pan. Everything you ever wanted! I can give you that. Diamonds? Pearls? What is it you want? Only I can give you endless happiness,that Trunks will never be able to give."
"I don't need diamonds or pearls," Pan replied coldly. "I only want true love,and I know that I see it in Trunks."
"Fine." he shrugged. "You will be mine at the end of the Game,anyway. If you want to suffer with your friends first,its your choice."
"I won't be yours at the end! You said we could all go free if-"
"You will have changed your mind." he touched her cheek gingerly. His touch was soft and warm,and it bought color to Pan's cheeks. "Trust me."
Pan shook him away,obviously angered. "No,I won't." But he kept smiling,as if he knew a secret that she didn't. "Let's begin."
"Oh,I forgot to tell you one tiny detail..you don't have all the time in the world,you know. In the Shadow World,it's now twelve. I will give you until four to get to the top and face each nightmare. If you don't make it to the top by then,then you lose."
*Four hours..can we possibly make it in just four hours?*
"And I can tell you right now that one of you probably won't make it."
"What! Who?" asked Bra.
"That would be cheating now,wouldn't it?" Darren grinned,studying each of them carefully. His eyes lingered on Pan for awhile.
*Oh,God,what have we gotten ourselves into?*
"And remember: If you lose,there's the Shadow Men to pay."
Then he snapped his fingers,and everything blacked out again.
*~*~*~*
Surprisngly enough,Pan didn't feel as groggy and tired as she had felt the last time she had fainted. She shrugged,thinking you could get used to anything with a little time,even the nightmare-like Shadow World.
There was no one beside her,next to her,or around her. Pan realized she was alone,wherever she was.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light,and she became aware that she had seen this place before,although she couldn't remember exactly where.
Lilac-patterened wallpaper..
Tall,glossy,marble lamps..
A small leather armchair..
*Of course! The first room in the Victorian house.*
Only,at the time she had seen these things,they had been made of paper.
"Okay,Pan,think. You're alone in the first room of the mansion. You're probably going to have to face something dangerous in order to get to the next room." she said to herself. She was sure that the others were scattered around in different rooms,and she would meet them all eventually. She knew Bra and Goten were brave enough,even Trunks,but she was worried about the look on his face right before he disappeared from sight. And Marron. Soft,fragile,Marron. Pan worried about her more than anyone else.
"And I can tell you right now that one of you probably won't make it.."
Darren's voice still echoed in her head.
Gathering up her courage,she stood up and opened the first door,ready to face whatever came through it.
The door of the room she had been in minutes ago slammed shut behind her,leaving Pan in pitch darkness.
"There is nothing here,there is nothing to be afraid of.." Pan muttered.
"Aaanish.."
Pan jerked her head backwards to see where the voice was coming from,but all she saw was more darkness.
"Aaaaaanishhhh..."
Pan desperately tried to see,and then she saw them.
Eyes.
Red,evil,dangerous,and hungry eyes.
They were all around her,and she knew whose eyes they were.
The other Shadow Men's.
But what were they trying to say? She strained to hear.
"Aaaaaanissshhhhh..."
*Aanish? What on earth?*
And then she knew. She knew exactly what they were telling her.
"Oh,my God! Oh,God!"
"Aaaaanisshhhh!"
Famished.
*~*~*~*
A/N: Very horrible me,it's a cliffhanger..anyway,poor Panny,she's surrounded by a bunch of evil eyes belonging to the other Shadow Men,telling her they're famished! What's she gonna do? And who was Darren referring to when he said 'One of you probably won't make it..' o_o;; But who?? You'll find out!
A/N: Sorry about the typo in the last chappy. Thanks to mrchezzy for pointing that out..there is no Jenny,what on earth was I thinking when I typed that? It was supposed to be Pan,but I guess that's what happens when you type while talking to a Jenny on the phone.=P
*~*~*~*
chapter 3: Trapped
*~*~*~*
"Pan! Pan,what's wrong? Say something!"
Trunks' urgent voice sounded distant. She snapped back to reality when Trunks grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
"I..I..Trunks.."
They were all staring at her in confusion,shock,and concern.
"The boy from the store," she managed to get out. "He's the Shadow Man."
"Oh my God,is that all you were worried about? I thought you slipped into some kind of coma or something!" cried Bra.
"And anyway,so what if this guy you met is a cardboard character? Maybe he made this game up,and decided to make himself one of the characters." said Trunks.
Pan realized that what had seemed terrifying to her moments ago,only seemed foolish now. "I'm so sorry you guys," she grinned apologetically. "You know I have an over active imagination."
The others watched her for a moment,then Goten shrugged and said,"Okay,so you guys still want to continue playing?"
Pan wanted to scream. To shout,"No! There's something very wrong with that thing!"
But she kept her mouth shut,and tried to convince herself she was overreacting.
"Yeah,sure. Do you want to,Panny?" asked Trunks.
Pan nodded,and the Game began again.
"It says we have to take an oath," Bra read. "The Oath of the Game."
Marron shivered. "I'm not sure I like this game anymore."
"Oh,come on,Marron. Live dangerously. We have to swear that we are playing this by our own free will,and we know what the consequences might be." replied Bra,shrugging. "Whatever. I swear."
"Me too. I swear." added Goten.
"Oh,what the hell," Trunks mumbled. "I swear."
"I guess I swear too," Marron agreed hesitantly.
"Pan?" Bra prodded.
Pan took a deep breath. "I swear."
"Good. Now,it says we pick three players to turn over three cards,and then the Game will begin."
"I'll pick," said Trunks,turning over a bright orange card. "It says 'you hear footsteps on the roof.'"
"I'm scared out of my mind," said Bra sarcastically.
Suddenly,they heard heavy thumping on the roof. Loud. Insistent.
"Wh-What's that?" Marron asked shakily.
"Just a squirrel,probably." Trunks laughed nervously. "Go ahead,Pan,why don't you pick the next card?"
She did so. "It says,'You go to the door to get some fresh air,but it appears to be locked.'"
No one said anything for awhile.
"Okay,I'm going to go check the door and prove that this is just a game!" Trunks said,and got up.
He tried the door repeatedly. It wouldn't budge.
"Oh,my God," Pan clasped the nearest hand gratefully. It was Goten's.
"I don't get it." Trunks frowned. "It worked fine awhile ago."
"Well,there's always the window," Goten joked. "Anyway,Bra,pick the last card."
"It says,'You hear a clock strike nine.'"
"Pan," Trunks whispered,"You don't have any clocks that chime,do you?"
Pan could only manage to shake her head weakly.
Then they heard the unmistakable sound of a clock chiming.
One.
"Oh,my God. Oh,my God!" Marron cried.
"What the hell is going on?" Bra whispered hoarsely.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
"I can't stand it," Pan murmered,clasping Trunks' hand with all her strength.
Six.
Seven.
*At nine,* Pan thought. "That's what he said. I'll see you at nine.*
Eight.
Nine.
Then the wind came.
*~*~*~*
It was like the only other time Pan had fainted,when she had been about six years old. She rubbed her eyes and tried to stand up,but couldn't feel a thing. There was a strange red fog surrounding her,and the only thing real seemed to be Trunks' shirt which she still held onto tightly.
"Trunks? Bra? Marron?" Now that the fog had cleared away a bit,she could see the others more clearly. They were all next to her,and waking up slowly.
"Pan? I'm here. Where the hell are we?" asked Trunks.
"I have no idea." answered Bra,staring. "Is everyone all right?"
"Yep," Goten and Marron had managed to stand up. "The last thing I remember is that clock striking nine..and then everything blacked out."
"Right. But where ARE we?" Marron repeated.
"In the Game,of course."
They all jerked their heads towards the voice. Pan recognized him immediately.
"It's you! Darren!"
"Yes." His eyes,as blue as the core of a flame,gleamed. He was dressed in black pants and a black vest,but no shirt. A single metallic cuff shone on his upper left arm.
"You do know why you're here,don't you?" he continued.
"Of course not! You can't be serious. How are we in that Victorian house.."
"You all swore that you knew what the consequences were. You did exactly as the Game said to. It was you who wanted danger and fear. So have fun playing."
"Wait,you mean that's it? We just play and get out at the end? No harm done?" asked Bra.
He grinned. "Not quite. You see,I'm going to put Trunks here up at the very top of the mansion. You will face a different nightmare in every room,and if you survive,you may get out. Trunks will be waiting for you at the top. But the danger in here is very real. If you die,that's it. This isn't 'just' a Game."
"Oh my God," Marron breathed.
"But you didn't fully answer my question. How exactly did we get here? This is no ordinary game."
He turned to face Bra. "There is a world much like yours that lies just outside of your reach. The Shadow World. The Shadow Men have access to your world by runes but you cannot even see them. Except me,of course. But now that you are in the Shadow World,you will be able to see all the horrible and beautiful creatures that live in it."
"Why did I see you,then? At the Games store." asked Pan.
"That,my dear,you will find out for yourself."
"I don't believe this guy," Trunks said angrily. "Who the hell are you? You expect us to believe we're that Game and in some kind of Shadow World? Yeah right."
"Perhaps this will change your mind." Darren snapped his fingers,and Trunks disappeared from sight.
"Where is he?!" Pan cried out. "What have you done?"
"I placed him at the top." Darren replied calmly. "H's up there,facing his worst nightmare."
"You know why I'm doing this,don't you?" he asked suddenly,his blue eyes focused on Pan. "I don't just enjoy placing you here and watching you suffer."
"I..I don't know."
"I love you," he replied. "I've watched you all my life. And now,I want to keep you for myself. You can,however all get out of this right now,unharmed,if Pan did just one thing."
Pan,who had been in shock ever since he had said 'I love you',spoke shakily. "What's that?"
"Say yes. Say you'll be mine,and every single one of them goes free. Even Trunks."
"No. I'll never marry you. Trunks is the one I love-"
"He doesn't deserve you! He doesn't care about you anywhere near what I care for you. Just imagine it,Pan. Everything you ever wanted! I can give you that. Diamonds? Pearls? What is it you want? Only I can give you endless happiness,that Trunks will never be able to give."
"I don't need diamonds or pearls," Pan replied coldly. "I only want true love,and I know that I see it in Trunks."
"Fine." he shrugged. "You will be mine at the end of the Game,anyway. If you want to suffer with your friends first,its your choice."
"I won't be yours at the end! You said we could all go free if-"
"You will have changed your mind." he touched her cheek gingerly. His touch was soft and warm,and it bought color to Pan's cheeks. "Trust me."
Pan shook him away,obviously angered. "No,I won't." But he kept smiling,as if he knew a secret that she didn't. "Let's begin."
"Oh,I forgot to tell you one tiny detail..you don't have all the time in the world,you know. In the Shadow World,it's now twelve. I will give you until four to get to the top and face each nightmare. If you don't make it to the top by then,then you lose."
*Four hours..can we possibly make it in just four hours?*
"And I can tell you right now that one of you probably won't make it."
"What! Who?" asked Bra.
"That would be cheating now,wouldn't it?" Darren grinned,studying each of them carefully. His eyes lingered on Pan for awhile.
*Oh,God,what have we gotten ourselves into?*
"And remember: If you lose,there's the Shadow Men to pay."
Then he snapped his fingers,and everything blacked out again.
*~*~*~*
Surprisngly enough,Pan didn't feel as groggy and tired as she had felt the last time she had fainted. She shrugged,thinking you could get used to anything with a little time,even the nightmare-like Shadow World.
There was no one beside her,next to her,or around her. Pan realized she was alone,wherever she was.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light,and she became aware that she had seen this place before,although she couldn't remember exactly where.
Lilac-patterened wallpaper..
Tall,glossy,marble lamps..
A small leather armchair..
*Of course! The first room in the Victorian house.*
Only,at the time she had seen these things,they had been made of paper.
"Okay,Pan,think. You're alone in the first room of the mansion. You're probably going to have to face something dangerous in order to get to the next room." she said to herself. She was sure that the others were scattered around in different rooms,and she would meet them all eventually. She knew Bra and Goten were brave enough,even Trunks,but she was worried about the look on his face right before he disappeared from sight. And Marron. Soft,fragile,Marron. Pan worried about her more than anyone else.
"And I can tell you right now that one of you probably won't make it.."
Darren's voice still echoed in her head.
Gathering up her courage,she stood up and opened the first door,ready to face whatever came through it.
The door of the room she had been in minutes ago slammed shut behind her,leaving Pan in pitch darkness.
"There is nothing here,there is nothing to be afraid of.." Pan muttered.
"Aaanish.."
Pan jerked her head backwards to see where the voice was coming from,but all she saw was more darkness.
"Aaaaaanishhhh..."
Pan desperately tried to see,and then she saw them.
Eyes.
Red,evil,dangerous,and hungry eyes.
They were all around her,and she knew whose eyes they were.
The other Shadow Men's.
But what were they trying to say? She strained to hear.
"Aaaaaanissshhhhh..."
*Aanish? What on earth?*
And then she knew. She knew exactly what they were telling her.
"Oh,my God! Oh,God!"
"Aaaaanisshhhh!"
Famished.
*~*~*~*
A/N: Very horrible me,it's a cliffhanger..anyway,poor Panny,she's surrounded by a bunch of evil eyes belonging to the other Shadow Men,telling her they're famished! What's she gonna do? And who was Darren referring to when he said 'One of you probably won't make it..' o_o;; But who?? You'll find out!