Chapter 39- Siren

Time/ 10:00 am EST

Location/ Just Outside Ryou and Nicole's Home

They had made good time through the woods, only taking a few minutes to reach home. The house didn't look any different, no sign to betray what might be within. Ryou was uneasy, Bakura silent.

"So, what exactly are we up against?"

Nicole, who'd been gazing at the house with a faraway look in her eye, sighed and turned back to her step-brother.

"Three years ago I witnessed a tragic car-accident between and eighteen-wheeler and a Ford pickup. The Ford was fit from behind at eighty miles per hour, the kid driving it was pitched forward so hard that his seatbelt snapped and he went through the windshield and flew fifteen feet. He died there, on the ground."

"Vessel was the only human being with enough sixth-sense to SEE his soul leave the body, so he fixated on her. So far, he hasn't actually HURT her, but he pisses be off and nearly killed Andro, which is no small feat."

"So, what you're saying, is that this... ghost only harms those around you?"

Nicole nodded at her brother's question.

"He's part of the reason why Heather has B, and why Andro hates dead people."

"Andro hates spirits?"

Nessert shrugged.

"Well, yeah. He doesn't mind us when we possess some physical body, he just hates anything that he can't predict, AND that can pop up anywhere, at any time."

"That's why he ALSO doesn't like insects, human beings, pop up ads, and mailmen."

"… So, we're going up against an angry dead kid."

"Well, yes."

"You mortals are so pathetic."

"Hey! I don't like the Modern Dead ether! This kid just acts more like an Ancient Dead."

Bakura quirked an eyebrow.

"There's a difference?"

Nicole shrugged.

"The modern dead are mostly confused and don't accept that they've died, the ancient have been around long enough to realize that they're actually DEAD and that they have all sorts of awesome powers."

Ryou was watching the other three talk, feeling slightly less edgy. His stepsister seemed to know a lot about the subject.

"Have you delt with this sort of thing before?"

Nicole blinked at her stepbrother.

"Well, yeah. Usually we just Exorcize 'em, but this one kid just keeps coming back."

"I think he likes Vessel."

"…"

"Well, he DOES, he hasn't tried to kill you yet…"

Bakura finally snapped.

"THEN CAN WE JUST GET THIS OVER WITH?"

Nicole and Nessert both grinned at the little plushy albino.

"Sure…"

-FIVE MINUTES LATER-

"HEY! LET ME GO!"

"Why? You've said it yourself, you want Ryou to stay safe."

They had tied Bakura up and tossed him inside the door, talking to him through the screen.

"BUT USING ME AS BAIT ISN'T WHAT I MEANT! HOW THE HELL IS THIS SUPPOSED TO WORK?"

Nessert shrugged.

"Siren doesn't like spirits, so he'll go after you."

"OH! SO IT HAS A NAME NOW!"

"Well, we can't just call him 'Evil Deadly Spirit Thing'."

"But, why Siren?"

"You'll see in a moment. Ah, here he comes."

The air had gotten dramatically cooler, the living duo were able to see their breath. From inside the house nothing seemed to happen, until they noticed one corner of the room getting darker. The shadows deepened and spread. Bakura was staring at the corner with a pissed off look in his eye: if this wasn't good, there would be hell to pay.

Suddenly the floor directly under the white-haired thief opened up into blackness and with a curse he disappeared, the floor closing over him.

"Alright, no its time to step in."

Nicole stepped into the house, Nessert perched on her shoulder. Ryou watched, spellbound, as his sibling held up a paper talisman.

"Yo! I know you're here for me, so give up the thief or I'll be forced to take drastic measures! Show yourself!"

The dark corner distended and grew out, forming a human body. The boy was revealed in black and white, as if from a dated film. Dressed in baggy cloths and dripping jet blood from a crushed in ribcage, the teen stared at the young mage with emotionless eyes. His most striking feature was his face, which seemed real enough until you looked into his eyes. Where these would be in a normal human there were black holes that seemed to be deep enough to swallow all light. Normal human eyes peered out of these holes, giving the ghost the appearance off looking through his own face like the eyeholes of a mask held a few feet away from the face. Nessert flinched.

"He doesn't have the seal you put on him last time…"

Nicole's eyes widened.

"Give us the thief or I'll use the First Decree of Light."

The boy opened his mouth, as if to whisper, but instead of a faint response there came the sound of metal tearing, of voices crying from unspeakable pain. The hair stood up on the back of Ryou's neck.

"That's great, but we really want Bakura back. GIVE HIM UP!"

A black hole opened up in the ceiling and a screaming Bakura was spat out, landing with a thump.

"YOU ASSHOLE!"

"Good. Now, be a good little damned and go back to the Darkness."

The boy shrieked once and vanished, though the icy temperature didn't change.

"Shoot, where'd he go…"

A blacked face appeared in the mesh of the screen door, screaming at the boy outside. Ryou jumped back, almost falling off the landing.

"Its alright, I don't think he'll hurt you."

The spirit took a long stare at Ryou before disappearing. The air returned to normal.

Nessert looked around.

"He's still here."

"I know."

"But we have to-"

"No we don't."

"But…"

Nicole knelt and untied Bakura.

"I don't think he's going to hurt Ryou."

Bakura glared, seathing.

"If he does, I SWEAR on my grave I'll kill you both…"