That is if everything goes according to plan. Which it never does when it comes to my fics…. Does anyone else notice this?
Ha! Thanks, and enjoy.
Motel 37
Chapter 4:
"Oh no… Not again, this isn't good!"
Yami's hands were on his head as he paced around the bed, mumbling to himself, sometimes yelling out things and breaking down, crying. And all the while that Yami was freaking out, Marik and Bakura sat on the bed and played with cards that they found in the bureau drawer. Earlier, when Yami had figured out that Grandpa wasn't in the room, Bakura was the first to through something at Yami's head, hoping to knock him out before he did anything stupid.
But… it missed. And, instead, the vase hit Marik in the face. They fought over it for a moment, until they found the cards. And that's when they settled down.
"Boom, baby! Straight flush. Okay, Bakura, you know the rules. Off with your pants."
Bakura through his cards down, "Marik, this is not strip poker!"
"Hey, you owe me!" He pointed to the bump on his head where the vase had beaned him. It was red still but the puffiness had subsided with some cold stuff that Bakura found under the bed. He didn't know what it was, but it sure was cold. "I could have brain-damage now, thanks to you!"
"… Nah. It's too easy." Bakura chuckled to himself.
"Y-You guys! Help me out here!" Yami had ceased talking to himself and put his hands on his hips. "Grandpa's missing! I mean, don't you care? Or is your stupid strip poker game more important?"
"We're not playing strip poker!"
"Look, Yami. What did I tell you before? He went to help that freaky guy out in the kitchen."
"It's been like forever, since we left him with Shivers! How long does it take for two people to wash and put up dishes? For Ra's sake there were only seven bowls! Maybe he got lost… this place is kinda big."
Bakura nodded, "He said his old bones need a work out. This long walk could be just the thing he needs. And anyway, Yami, you should be happy."
"H-Happy…?"
"I mean, he's 'lost' in a motel. Nothing can happen to him here. It's like starving in McDonalds."
"What? What does that mean?"
"I dunno. I saw it on an infomercial."
Yami huffed and walked over to the door, "I don't know what you guys are thinking, but I'm going out to look for my hikari's grandfather!" He flung the door open and quickly screamed. Shivers was standing at the threshold, holding a candlestick in one hand and a silver key in the other.
"GAH! Ah… Oh Ra, what are you doing?" Yami grabbed at his chest, hopping to slow his rabbit-like heart. It was unknown to Yami, but at that moment, he'd jumped back more than three feet. (A new record for our Pharaoh.)
Shivers shook his head from side to side, "Time for bed. I am locking your door."
"Wait, no!" Yami cried, "Y-You can't! You see, our Grandpa is somewhere in the motel! I think he's lost because he hasn't come back and it's been almost half an hour! Have you seen him?"
"…No."
Marik rolled his eyes and shook a card at the man, "What do you mean no? You were the last person to see him. He helped you with the dishes didn't he? So, that means you should know where he is."
"…" Shivers' gaze rested on Marik, giving him a blank stare which was beginning to really freak the blonde out.
Bakura winced, "Hello? Yeah, where's the old man? If he's on the can, just tell us. We wont be offended."
Yami glared at him and Marik busted out into laughter.
"… I haven't seen your elderly friend since you three left. Before we even entered the kitchen, he said something about his uvula cramping. He turned back after you."
Yami faltered, "B-But…! That doesn't make any sense! We weren't going fast, we could've easily heard or seen him. He must've been-"
"Well, good night." Shivers interrupted and grabbed onto the doorknob, pulling it to a close.
"Stop!" The Pharaoh held the door open with his body, having to suck his stomach in so he wouldn't be squished, "Why are you locking us in? What if we have to go to the bathroom?"
Bakura and Marik raised their hands, "I already went."
"Shut it! I'm not talking about you." He turned back to Shivers who had apparently said something and Yami didn't hear, "What did you say?"
"We have a curfew in this motel. I'm sorry but, really, you should stay in your room. Now, I must be going, I must lock the other rooms. Good night." He shut the door and Yami could hear the tumblers in the doorknob locking. It stopped and Shivers' footsteps could be heard, walking away.
"… I-I can't believe this…!" He whirled around to Marik and Bakura, "He locked us in here! D-Do you believe this!"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, terrible… You have any threes, Bakura?"
Bakura looked through his hand, "Nope. Go fish."
"Ah! Listen to me, Ra dammit! I demand your attention, right now!" Yami jumped up and down, stomping his foot like a unattended child, "Now, now, now!"
Before Marik or Bakura could react to anything Yami had just said, a loud crash echoed through their room. The lights flickered for a moment and another boom came. Bakura smoothed his hair down and looked out the glass window. The lightning was coming faster now and the rain hadn't stopped since they were pushed up to the motel. Branches of a tree scratched up against the windowpane and made a long streak on the glass.
"Eh… You guys, I-I think we should find Grandpa. Now. We can't just stay here and let him wander around this awful place without us."
Marik looked up to Yami, "And just where exactly would we look? We don't know this place any better than he does and besides that, the door is locked."
"What kind of excuse is that? We've got the King of Thieves with us! Shouldn't that count for something when it comes to unlocking doors?"
"… Me?" Bakura blinked, inching away from Yami as he moved closer, "What the hell are you talking about! I'm not finished playing my hand, yet!" His protests were in vain as Yami dragged him by hand over to the door.
"Please, Bakura, don't you want to find Grandpa? Doesn't he mean anything to you?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
"Bakura!"
"Oh, alright…" Bakura heaved a sigh and cracked his knuckles. He tested the doorknob, thought for only a second, and flicked it under the handle and the door slowly opened. "There. Happy, now, my Pharaoh?"
"… T-That was amazing Bakura!" Yami gasped, examining the lock closely.
Marik got up from the bed and walked into the hallway. "Well, okay. We're out but now what do you suggest we do? I mean- What? Yami! Yami, get back here!"
As soon as Yami was able to get out, he flew down the dark hallway, without even saying anything to Marik or Bakura. He did however hear Marik say something like 'I hope you get lost!' But, of course, he didn't pay any mind to that. He had more important things to worry about. When Yami rounded the corner, he slowed to a walk and looked around. It was then that he noticed a lot of the candles mounted on the walls, had gone out. There were only a few still lit and he followed those with great caution.
He hoped that maybe he'd be able to find Shivers and they could go looking for Grandpa. But then he thought that since Shivers was no help before, he wouldn't be again. And besides that, he didn't trust Shivers very much. If only for the reason that he talked funny and was always starring at Marik.
"… Hmm. Grandpa!" Yami shouted towards the darkness. A candle beside him blew out and he jumped to the side. "Gah… uh, okay. M-Maybe he's further down here…" He pushed his back towards the wall and slid about forty feet that way, trying to keep away from the wall that had the weird candles.
Meanwhile, Bakura and Marik were going down another hallway, not looking for Grandpa, but kind of looking for Yami. Although they didn't want to admit to themselves that they actually wanted to find Yami, they convinced themselves that they were doing it for Yugi. Although they didn't like him much either. Oh well, the point is… they were walking.
"Ugh. Face it, the old man's gone and now Yami's gone too. I swear, it's like some kind of magic act." Bakura halted and looked backwards. The lightning was still going on outside and that set the mood for all the darkness. And though most people would be rushing back to their rooms, Marik and Bakura felt at home in the quiet dark. All they needed was a sandwich and they'd be good to go.
"Well, I say we just find Yami and throw him back into the room. The old man's gonna be okay. Wasn't you who said that he couldn't possibly get into any trouble at a motel?"
"… Mmm, yeah. Alright, let's just-"
"AAAHHH!"
Both yamis whipped their heads around at the scream. It seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. Marik had to resist the urge to jump into Bakura's arms and shriek. And he resisted quite well, considering the fact that it was Bakura who'd jumped into his arms.
"W-What was that…!" The white-haired boy looked around from side to side. His long hair whipping Marik in the face.
"Get off of me!" Marik dumped Bakura onto the floor and started speed-walking. Bakura followed him down the hallway and they turned two corners.
"What do you think it was?"
"I don't know, but maybe it was just a- Yami…?"
They stopped after turning the third corner. Gaping at this scene on the floor. Yami was hovering over the same woman they'd seen at dinner, sleeping in her soup. Drops of blood led a trail to her body where her arms and legs were bathing a crimson pool. Yami looked up suddenly, "… I…"
Bakura's gaze finally rested on the blood, staining the front of his sneaker. He licked his lips, "Ooh. Hey, is that free?"
"Not now, Bakura!" Marik yelled at him, stopping when Shivers rounded the corner.