Lost In Shadow

Chapter 10

Leonardo carefully pushed the door to their home open. Everything was quiet once more. He had to make sure they didn't upset the ghost again so they had a chance to speak to Mike.

Michelangelo was still sitting on the sofa... gazing at the TV... Leonardo frowned... it was a show Mike didn't even like... The number of times Mikey complained about that show... why was he watching it?

"Mike."

Michelangelo turned. "Hi Leo, listen... don't upset her... she's part of the family now."

"Mike, she doesn't belong here... not with us." Leo began.

"She does. She really appreciates everything you've done for her... trying to find out how she was murdered and trying to put her at rest... but the thing is... she's happy here with us." He smiled. "With me... y'know... she said if I were human she be totally in love with me." Mikey grinned.

Leo felt his stomach churn... and looked over at the ghost. She sat a few feet away from Mike on a bean bag and smiled at Leo.

"We love each other, "Mike said. "And we need each other... Don't make me choose."

"Mike you don't have to choose," Leo shook his head. "You know how much we care about you..." He glanced hatefully at Suzie, but knew he had to be subtle. "And I'm sure ...Suzie... cares about you just as much... We need to compromise... Suzie can't just kick us out because we disagree on some things. I mean imagine Raph or me kicking the other one out every time we had a disagreement! We'd never see each other."

Mike smiled. "I guess not." He looked at Suzie. "See... families have disagreements you don't have to keep kicking my brothers out."

Suzie nodded and gave Leo a derisive look.

"Excellent." Splinter walked lightly over to the sofa and sat down beside Michelangelo. "Well then my sons... Life is back to normal then, eh?"

Leo, Don and Raph followed Splinter's cue and they all sat on the sofa with Mike.

"So... what are we watching?" Raph asked Mike... latching onto the fact that Mikey hated the show.

"I dunno... just... stuff." Mike shrugged.

"You don't care what you're watching?" Don asked.

"No... I'm pretty happy just sitting here watching the picture."

"You know..." Donatello leant back. "April was asking after you... wondering how you were getting on..."

"Yeah... Casey too," Raph added. "You should go visit them... they're starting to think you're some kind of recluse, Mikey."

Mike smiled... "I will. Soon."

"We could go now..." Raph suggested... "Then we can come straight back." He stood up... the ghost had appeared to his side glaring spitefully at him.

"You don't mind... do you, Suzie?" Raph pulled Mikey up.

Mike went limp... he looked down at his legs... they felt like rubber... they also kind of looked like rubber... He began to giggle with agitation. Raph could barely hold up Mike's dead weight so Don grabbed Mikey's other side and supported him between the two of them.

"We'll be back." Raph scowled.

Suzie shook her head.

"We will return." Splinter said. "I promise."

Suzie shook her head again and made a quick and violent gesture with her arm. The room went pitch black... there was also an odd creaking noise as thought something in the room was waking... or Splinter thought with horror... the room itself was waking...

Raph and Don felt as though they'd been hit by some kind of large motor vehicle right in the centre of their shells, the force was so strong. Both refused to let go of Mike as they fell to the ground, though they were equally convinced that their shells had shattered and broken... they gripped Mike tighter... through the pain that spread across their backs... up and down their spinal cords... across their ribs... until they had to yell to release some of the strain.

Don realised this wasn't going to stop... and that they'd have to crawl, inch by agonising inch dragging Mike with them to the doorway. He felt Raph jerk and knew he had the same idea... he tried to pull himself along the floor but another shockwave of pain burst along his arms, he screwed up his eyes and groaned... Raph's shout of pain beside him illustrated that the same thing was happening to Raph.

Leo heard his brothers' cries and was convinced she was killing them. He attacked but, of course, fell straight through her. "Let them go you bitch!!" He wished there was some way he could really hurt her, kill her... his anger was so great. Susan's searing scream drowned out Raph and Don's tortured cries... Leo grasped his head in pain and stumbled to his knees... his skull felt as though it would split into bloody pieces.

"Release him" they all heard her voice in their heads "release him or I will kill you all."

Don was sick with pain... and Raph felt himself loosing consciousness but both clung to Mikey even tighter through gritted teeth.

Splinter was now afraid for the lives of all his sons, not just Michelangelo's. Though his head was on fire... and he was blinded by sheer agony he reached over Raphael's tense body and tried to loosen his grip on Mike... it was a struggle... Raph didn't seem to want to cooperate... but Splinter finally managed it. Then he crawled over and repeated the process with Don.

The screaming ceased and their pain lessened. Raph and Don reached tentatively behind their backs checking their shells were still intact. Leo looked up exhausted... peering through the darkness.

"Are you guys okay...?" He was dreading the answer.

"I think..." Don got shakily to his feet.

Raph only grunted, but Leo heard him stand.

..."Mike..?"

No reply...

Splinter leant over him. "He is unconscious... but fine..."

"...get away from him..." The invisible force threw them across the room again; they smashed against the door and lay groaning for a second. Leo struggled to his feet but the same force held him back. They'd had their chance and failed. The door slowly creaked open behind them and again they were flung into sewage.

Don stood up, coughing. "Master... Leo... What are we going to do?"

Splinters eyes narrowed. "We will find a way."

Raph kicked and punched at the door, boiling with rage. "That bitch is gonna be glad that she's dead...!" He punched at the door until exhaustion took him over and he slumped down... his back against the doorframe.

They looked at each other each hoping for a plan, waiting for the door to open again.