Broken Dreams

Hey, thanks to my loyal reviewers gives big cheesy grin Im know I havent updated in a while but I've just started work and Im in matric and I've been so busy sighs tired sigh and anyway, your lucky Im writing at all cos my dad is really strict about how often I go on the net so if I get on twice in a month his being generous...but other then that I do try and write in between being soooo busy. Okay I've spoken long enough, Read the fic and Review and PLEASE give me some input. Thanks

Zia arrived home panting, she'd run all the way home and pausing to get her keys out she checked her watch...she was already five minutes late....she might be in time for the call, he might not notice...he might not....

Opening the door with trembling fingers and rushing inside she met Croquet, and saw Kemo in the background. Her 'bodygaurds' and jailors from him to wach over her. Croquet held out the video phone to her shaking his head without a word but she saw the disappointment in his gaze, could almost hear him asking her why she always did this to herself, and as Zia walked towards the screen she knew that she had been too late and in her heart begged for Joey to be left out of this mess.

Joey arrived home and opened the door. His dad was still out and he was glad. He couldnt deal with him now...his day had been so good and he didnt want anyone or anything to spoil it. Flopping onto his bed he re-thought the day that he and Zia had met....

He arrived in a clearing and saw another eliminator like Panic holding a girl round about Joeys own age by her neck, while she struggled to free herself, as she dangled a foot above the ground. Even from this distance he saw she was beautiful, and had a vulnerable looking face. Her long hair was being swept around by a breeze that had started up almost as soon as he arrived, it smelt of roses and strangely enough the smell made him feel faintly naseous.

"Put her down." he commanded breathlessly, and shivered slightly as the monsterous looking guy turned towards him.

" Or what?" asked the giant.

" Or else I'll have ta duel you." said Joey with more confidence then he felt.

The girl gave a small feeble kick with her foot as she dangled. Her hands trying to undo the grip on her throat. Her long, waist length hair was reaching out tendrils as the wind blew as if asking Joey for help. Her pale face turning slightly blue.

The monster saw this and slowly lowered the girl down. "Well I was going to be duelling her, but I'll duel you as well." he muttered, and then smiled....a smile with no mirth and that promised only pain and suffering. " My name is Pain and if you duel me thats all you're going to gain." he quoted.

The eliminator placed her on the ground and she sank to her knees, breathing deeply, her face slowly regaining its normal colour....before she could say or do anything Pain grabbed her wrist and started dragged her towards Joey. A light mist started to appear in the trees and spread with an almost supernatural speed as they approached him.

" Hey, I said let her go!" demanded Joey angrily.

The monster stopped and started to laugh, a sound that chilled Joey to the bones. " You presume to tell me what to do, Whelp?"he asked at last once his 'mirth' had died down..

" Er...I...uh..." Joey said starting to stutter, the monster unnerving him as well as the sudden fog that made everything more difficult to see.

Suddenly a video screen appeared inbetween Pain and Joey.

" What...?" began Joey when Pegasus's voice cut in " Bring the girl up to the castle." he stated in his smooth accent from the video screen. He sat in a chair gazing out at Pain.

" But sir..." Began Pain trying to cut in.

" You dare interupt me?" asked Pegasus, his millenium eye glowing.

" No sir!" Said Pain at once.

" Excuse me, but dont I get a say in all of this?" asked the girl in a lilting accent, her voice shaking slightly but her gaze was defiant and she stared straight at Pegasus.

But Pain and Pegasus ignored her " I expect you at once. She is not to be harmed at all. Remember I've got my eye on you."replied Pegasus

" Yes sir."

" Let me go! You stupid gorilla" she yelled, jerking her arm trying to get free. " What have I done wrong, why do you want me?" she yelled looking at Pegasus who didnt reply, just gazed calmly back at her with a slight smile on his lips.

" We will talk soon enough." he said at last before the video screen disappeard. As if that was a sign Joey could move again and he did.

" Let her go. I aint sure what you want with her but she dont wanna go with you. And if she dont wanna then she dont have ta." said Joey at last. Pain turned in his direction again.

"Your lucky kid I've got another job to do, now run off before I come back to duel you."

Before he could reply the girl jerked her arm free and kicked Pain in the groin. He fell at once and lay doubled over on the ground moaning.

" Lets get out of here, before he gets up." said the girl, looking over her shoulder at the giant and then looked back at Joey.

" Uh..sure." said Joey and together, they ran for the cover of trees. The mist soon swallowing them up.

Afew seconds after they left, Yugi and the others arrived in the clearing.

" I guess your wrong Tea." said Bakura

" But Im sure I heard voices! " said Tea impatiently, " Besides how can anyone see anything in this mist."

" It is very strange." said Yugi in his quiet way. " But it might just be the climate, this island is very different from back home." he added at Tea's glare.

" You can say that again." agreed Tristan, nodding his head.

They left again, not noticing the doubled over eliminator on the ground.

A sudden crash from downstairs interupted Joeys thoughts. Just great, he thought, just as Im starting to relax and think that everythings gonna be alright he has to come home. He heard feet on the stairs and realised his father was coming up to get him....this wasnt good.' He must be more drunk then his been in ages.' Thought Joey with dismay. He got up and went to his door intending to lock it. Only then would he be safe.

As he walked towards it, it swung open with a crash and his father stumbled in. "Dad!" exclaimed Joey in surprise and shock. His father stumbled towards him with a drunken leer.

" Joseph, so nice..nice to see you b..boy. "he muttered drunkenly as he careened round Joey's room. " Look at dis place...." he slurred " You neva could tidy things up. But I'll..I'll help you," Swiping an arm towards Joey's bookcase, he casually knocked everything over. One of the ornaments fell onto the floor and shattered, spraying shining silver shards over everything. The snowglobe his mom had given him when he was eight. Joey looked up at his father in disgust and pity.

" Dad, stop...maybe you should go downstairs." Said Joey, realising that his dad was totally out of it after all. But if he played his cards right, maybe he wouldnt get beaten tonight, maybe he could get his dad out of his room and then Pop's would fall into a drunken sleep instead.

But maybe's count in horse shoes and wasted wishes were all Joey knew. His father suddenly turned cold. " Whas wrong boy? Dont ya like your old man giving ya some help?" he slurred, facing Joey again.

" No dad its just I dont think..."

He didnt see it coming as his dad hit the side of his head knocking him to the ground.

" Your jus like your mother.....:" Mr Wheeler said angrily, breathing out alchoholic fumes into the air, and kicked Joey in the ribs, knocking the breath out of him. " A soft, buttermilk kid...wheres ya spirit? Huh?"

" Dad..." he pleaded weakly gasping for breath, but his father kicked him again and he crouched over, trying to protect his stomach and get some air back into his body.

" Get up an face me" yelled his father " I said get up!" he yelled again when Joey didnt move.How could he hurt his own father? Even if he was a bastard. Reaching down Mr Wheeler grabbed Joeys collar and hauled him to his feet. " Your trash, ya know that! Trash!" he screamed, spittle flying out his mouth and landing on Joeys face...with every word and curse he now spoke he hit out at Joey, and started kicking him when he fell to the floor. " You make me sick.....your no childa mine." he spat and threw Joey against the wall.

" Please stop." murmured Joey, the tears falling free off his face." Please no more..." His lip was swollen and his body ached from all the punches, but the gods were deaf and he had to put up with the physical abuse that seemed to have no end. The glass from the broken snowglobe cut into his face, leaving red trails on the ground.

After what seemed like an eternity his father stopped beating him, he was either too worn out from the 'exercise' or it finally hit him what he was doing.

" Your all da same..." he muttered angrily, staring at his child lying broken on the floor before slowly staggering out, slamming the door behind himself.

Left alone at last Joey finally broke down, letting the sobs shake his bruised and battered body, and the tears flow onto the ground. 'Why?' his mind wailed ' Why does this always happen?Cant he see what his doing to me? Cant he tell?' he lay there and sobbed with the tiny glass shards cutting into his skin. After what seemed like hours, the tears stopped and he lay still. Slowly he picked himself off the ground and brushed the glass from his skin. Looking around he picked up the biggest, last surviving piece of the snow globe and slashed it down onto his left upper arm, looking at the red flow of blood winding its way down his already mottled flesh. The pain almost made him cry out again like he had duringhis dad's beating but he bit his lip and watched in fascination as the droplets passed the bruised skin and went down his wrist to at last fall onto the carpet. How easy it would be to end this nightmare...afew well placed slashes on his wrist and he'd be free. He teased the glass over his arm again, pressing lightly....but he couldnt. Not now that he'd finally found Zia again...not now that they were finally going to talk. Staring out the window, he estimated he could get a couple of hours sleep in before he'd see her again. Tossing the glass piece onto the floor, he threw himself onto the bed and tried to sleep. But his tortured mind couldnt be still...Maybe this was all he deserved. Maybe this was his fate...Maybe...

Well, that's it! I words a lot today....I hope you all liked it! -

Please review me, and make my day...please! puppy eyes

Pretty please?

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Hey if you give me input as to what can happen next I might even include you in a guest character appearance!?! Is that a good idea or not?!?