A Turtle's Journey Beyond
Chapter 8: You're Next
*THUMP*
The wild and crazy roller coaster ride appeared to be over. Or was it? After the floating sensation had ceased, Leonardo felt a dull heaviness wash over from the top of his head to the points of his toes. He had no idea where he was heading, but he knew one thing was for sure: Maggie was finally and peacefully at rest. Blinking his eyes open, he found himself lying on his side in some dark and quiet room. Was it really over? Was he in his own time?
Leonardo could see he was back in Margaret's bedroom, only this time, all the lights were out and there was something strapped to his head. Reaching up, he pulled off the object and squinted at it in the darkness. The door to the bedroom was left open, bringing in a familiar red light from the hallway. It was just enough light for him to see what he was holding. Though completely drained of its juices, he could still feel a strong power radiating through the metal and wires. Lifting a tired smile, he knew exactly where he was and what safely returned him.
"AMBER. Thank you for bringing me back..."
Taking a moment to rest against the bed, Leonardo could hear the sound of footsteps climbing up the staircase. That could only be his family coming up to switch on the power. He couldn't wait to tell them his adventures in the forties era, the terrible music he had to put up with, the annoying radio announcers, and of course, the tragedy of two souls separated by a war that should have never happened.
"The lights went out again. I'll go flip the switch." A voice said from the stairs. That sounded like Don. Rolling his head toward the direction of the door, he waited for him to come in. Any minute now. Or any second. "Hey! Guy's, he's back! Leo's back!" Leonardo didn't have time to react when Don rushed into the room and flung himself in his arms. "Leo! Are you all right? We were so worried about you!"
Leo stared at him weakly. "Did I do it, Don? Did I succeed?"
"Er, I--" Don started to say but paused, turning to open the flashing PeeK. An image of Roxanne's face appeared on the screen and an orb of light moved into her headset. Words appeared next, telling them, 'psionic fragment isolated. Insufficient power to process.' "Of course you succeeded, Leo," He sighed, watching the image on the PeeK fade, "but, we're still missing fragments to complete the broken chain. Come on, let's get you out of here."
Donatello stood and pulled his brother up to a standing position, surprised at how dead-weight he was. The power of the head gear must have done a major strain on not just his mind, but his entire body as well. Leonardo was a strong turtle in both physical and mental stamina; to see him so weak was almost an uncommon thing. It wasn't long before the other turtles, Splinter, and Shadow filed up the stairs to join in on the happy reunion.
"Well, look who's back." Raph crossed his arms with a small grin. "Not even venturing around in another world could stop him."
Leo returned the grin. "Wait till you try it--"
"LEO!!!" Donatello went to warn him but Mike already rammed into his brother's side. Gasping, Leonardo would have fallen from the impact if Donatello hadn't been supporting him. "Whoa, sorry! What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"No, Mikey, just very weak." Leo waved a tired hand, slowly walking out of the room and into the hall. Shadow greeted him with a gentle one-arm hug while Splinter sighed with a relieved grin. "Hey, Shadow...Master..." Splinter went to speak but gasped when his son collapsed forward in his arms.
"Whoa!" Don held him up for the most part, but Splinter could nearly feel his full weight upon his chest. "Easy, now..."
"Jeez, it's almost like he's punch drunk." Raph mumbled to Michaelangelo who agreed.
Leo shook his head, catching his foot to stand properly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to, I--"
"Hush, my son." Splinter told him soothingly. "Let us get you to the bed so you can rest."
After the electricity came back on, Leonardo found himself staring up at the ceiling fan along with his family all around him. Shadow had briefly stepped out to make him a cup of tea and asked that he wait to start his story when she returned. It was a long and painful journey for him, and at one point, he noticed her and Michaelangelo wiping their eyes and sniffling.
"So, that's what happened to her?" Mike carelessly tossed another tissue on the floor.
"Yes," Leo whispered with a nod, "and because of it, she was forced to roam around the house in deep question. Her ghost didn't even recognize her own corpse when I first arrived. She had been stuck in that world ever since, trying to find out why she was there and why she couldn't go forward."
"So, you guided her to the light...." Shadow absentmindedly picked up Michaelangelo's tissues but felt her eyes growing misty again, "...to set her soul free." Moaning softly, she dropped all the tissues and reached for a new one. "That is so...beautiful!"
Raph rolled his eyes. "Oh, jeez, you two should work for a soap opera!"
"Ahem, I think we should let you rest for a bit, Leo." Don started to head for the bedroom door. "I mean, we're not going anywhere anytime soon, so just, take all the time you need to recuperate."
Once out in the hallway, he pulled out the PeeK and stared at the screen. He knew he wasn't going to get any answers at the moment, but he couldn't let anyone see the small tears in his eyes. Sad news also made him weepy, however, he held it in a lot stronger than Michaelangelo and Shadow. The others could take care of their own feelings while he headed downstairs to the living room, away from that bedroom and its memories of the ghost woman. Yes, she was at peace, and now the group had to move on to the next ghost in dire need.
Shadow took the empty tea cup from the night stand and headed for the door, catching Michaelangelo and Raphael talking in the hallway. Thinking she'd better not interrupt their conversation, she casually walked by and down the stairs.
"So, are you going to put it on?" Mike dangled the headset like it was some kind of toy.
"What's the rush?" Raph rested against the banister. "Leo just got back. I don't see why I have to go so soon."
"Because we don't want to be here any longer than we need to, that's why!" Mike spat to him.
"No, you mean, you don't want to be here any longer than you need to." Raph corrected with a sneer, dropping his brow at him. "And if you're so adamant about all this, maybe you should go next!"
"No way!" Mike tossed the headset to the ground as if it were a deadly snake. Raphael watched it hit the wood floor with a harsh clank. "Besides, I thought we were going in order of age. I'm the youngest, as you know, so I should go last."
"You're also the dumbest, but I won't tell anyone." Raph reached over to retrieve the headset to give it a good inspection. It felt warm to the touch. "Look, I'm just not ready to go yet, okay? I'll go when I feel prepared to go."
"Uh-huh." Mike nodded. "Like we were prepared for this whole trip! You're just scared, Raph! Admit it, admit that you're--"
"Aargh!" Raph's eyes flashed and he shoved him against the wall, almost knocking over a framed painting. Michaelangelo gasped when he saw a sai was pulled out and raised dangerously close to his neck. "Say the word again, and I'll rip out your goddamn throat!"
"Hey! Raphael, let him go!" Splinter hissed from the bedroom doorway. Raphael growled and released his brother, taking off for the stairs. Splinter called after but he ignored him, moving faster and angrier to the exit. Shadow caught him in the hallway and flattened herself against the wall, letting him pass. Raphael slammed the front door so hard, she feared the stained glass on the frame would shatter. Donatello rushed over from the living room just as Michaelangelo and Splinter came trampling down the staircase.
"What happened?" Shadow asked, looking to each of them for an answer. Donatello looked as if he was about to ask the same question, but only stared wide-eyed at everyone.
"As usual, I pissed him off." Mike said, rubbing his sore neck.
Raphael continued to march over to the clearing in the north, past the garage and over to the grassy hill where he paused at the bottom. Much as he wanted to leave this nightmare of a place, he wasn't ready to throw on the headset and jump into a portal to God knows where. No one could tell him he was scared and get away with it, not even Michaelangelo who could see right through him. The turtle tried to hide his fear as best as he could. He knew he was only fooling himself.
"I'm not scared." He told the heavens above. The skies rumbled a distant thunder in response. It felt and smelled like rain again. Just what he needed before leaving this world. A nice downpour and some lightning to go out like a flash. Raph let out a growl and kicked up some dirt, thinking deeply to himself. Why did they come here? What possessed them to get in Shadow's SUV and drive several hundred miles out to a haunted estate? He looked up again with fists balled. "Do you hear me? I'm NOT scared!"
"But, it's okay to be." Raphael whipped his head around to see Shadow standing a few feet away from him. His movement was so fast, it almost startled her. He could see she was literally cringing where she stood. Did she think he would attack her? He knew he would never lay a hand on her even if he was in the worst of moods. She, however, knew he was unpredictable, like a dormant volcano that could erupt at any place and at any time.
"Did they send you out after me?"
"I came on my own." Her brow deepened. "So, is it safe now?"
"Safe for what?" He asked gruffly.
"To talk to you." Her eyes strayed downward, away from his. "I didn't want to say anything back there...or I didn't have a chance to...but, I heard you and Uncle Mike talking and...well...it's okay to be...um, you know..." She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and said the word, "...scared."
"For the record, kid, I'm not scared." Raph took one step forward as she stood still, keeping her gaze to the grass. "And if there's anything I hate in the world is being called something I'm not. I'm just...not ready to go walk into some unknown portal without being prepared first."
"Prepared?" She whispered feebly. "You heard what Uncle Don said. You go in the portal alone. You'll have no weapons to use, no help from us, and most of all, no physical body. You become an invisible entity within a whole different universe, assisting the spirit that is stuck dwelling there." She was telling all of this to the grass, as Raphael never took his fixed gaze off of her. "Believe me, there is nothing to prepare for except to know what you're going up against and how you're going to deal with it."
That whole talk required a smirk. "I think you've been hanging around Boy Genius too long." Raph leaned back with arms crossed. "You're starting to sound like the little paranormal know-it-all expert he expects you to be."
"Well, I think he's got more courage then I'll ever have." She said, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. "You saw how I acted when the back door knob was shaking or when the living room turned into an indoor cyclone. I was a chicken, screaming like a baby!"
"No, I think the one screaming like that was Mikey." Raph pointed with a grin.
Shadow only got more upset. "I just don't how much more of this I can take..."
"Hey, you're doing fine so far. Other people couldn't handle what you've been through. Trust me, you're a lot braver than you think." That didn't seem to help. She still looked and felt like a total whimp. "You just gotta be strong, kid."
"I'm trying to be, I really am. I know you're not scared, but after all that's happened to us tonight," Shadow closed her eyes, letting a tear fall down her cheek, "I'm absolutely terrified we won't get out of here alive--"
"Hey, hey..." Raph stepped closer and put a hand to her shoulder, the other one brushing the tear away. "Don't say that. I would die before I let any harm come to you. So help me if my brothers and I succumb to the forces of darkness of this place, I will see to it you get out of here alive and ticking."
"But, what about Roxanne?" Shadow asked softly.
Raphael pulled back a little. Roxanne. Who can forget the poor girl trapped in suspended animation? Stuck in the loft of the drafty garage, unaware of what was going on in and around her, a soul crying out for help from the far reaches of the universe. In his line of duty, Raphael rescued all types who were helpless, women being his specialty. He couldn't let her down either, he just couldn't.
"Who do you think I am, kid, the Man of Steel? Roxanne will have to wait a little longer." Raph looked away and missed a cute smirk on her lips. "But, don't worry. We'll get her back. We're gonna get through this."
"Yes, we are." Raphael and Shadow looked to see they had an audience. All of them stood there, watching like silent statues. Don stepped forward and handed him the headset, glancing to Leonardo who kept staring at the horrid thing. "We gotta keep going. Are you ready, Raph?"
"Guess so." Raph took the set and stared at it. An odd-looking thing it was, looking like what Michaelangelo had said earlier: the top portion worn when a criminal is about to be zapped to death in the electric chair. "Well, here goes nothin'..." Placing it on, he didn't feel any different. The others watched for any changes, but nothing seemed to happen. Until... "Whoa, crap!" Shadow gasped and backed away as Raph pressed his hands to his ears, squinting heavily.
The eerie sounds were a lot different in this new area. Compared to the simple incoherent whispers Leonardo received, Raphael was hearing a whole barrage of screaming spirits, all wanting his undivided attention. Their voices were relentless, evil-sounding, and above all, dangerously mesmerizing. Many enjoyed a hearty cackle while others groaned babbling words of hate, sorrow, and pain.
"What's he hearing?" Shadow asked, cringing near Michaelangelo as Raphael looked like he was about to either explode or go more insane than usual.
"I don't know." Mike shook his head while caressing her shoulder, "but, then again, I don't think I want to know!"
"Come on..." Leo waved a hand to them.
The group walked cautiously behind Raphael as he made his way to the log stairs, staggering up each one with much difficulty. With every new step, the voices grew louder with howls and curses in agony. Donatello was looking in all directions, Leonardo and Splinter kept a watchful eye on Raphael, and Michaelangelo supported Shadow who looked like she was going to start crying again. He could feel her grip tightening when they reached the dark and foreboding area of the shabby gazebo. Raphael paused at the stairs and stared up, dropping his jaw. A strange vertical light was flashing on the gazebo's roof, the beam shooting straight into the darkened skies.
"Do you see that?" He pointed.
"We can't see anything." Don sighed. "Nor can we hear what you hear."
"Be careful, Raph." Leo muttered, hoping he could hear him.
Raphael slowly climbed up the stairs, almost looking as if he were on his way to a medieval torture device. He hadn't even returned from his quest and already he looked drained of energy. The group stood breathless at the bottom as they watched him lift his head up to the ceiling of the gazebo.
This was it. No turning back now. A possible final destination was on his way when the vertical beam made instant contact with his body. A flood of weightlessness shot through him and something forced him to spin around violently. He saw his family standing there one more time before being yanked upward, through the gazebo's roof and disappearing within the clouds.
"Oh, my God!" Shadow screamed. "What happened to him?"
"Whoa." Mike gasped. "Scotty beamed him up!"
"We gotta help him!" Shadow turned to a gawking Leonardo and grabbed at his arm. "Do something, please!"
Leonardo stared at her blankly. He, nor did anyone else, knew what do at that point. Unable to see it the first time, he got to witness what it looked like when Raphael vanished into thin air. It seemed he was fortunate to have entered a more safer environment within the walls of the house. Raphael looked like he was shot out of a cannon in reverse, being hurled up into some place he had no idea what to expect. All they could do now is wait for answers, and for his safe return.