Her Sweetness: Hello all. I got a great response to the last chapter, which made me feel warm fuzzies all over. Though, I was a bit lazy with writing this chapter, here's hoping that it gets posted soon.

… I like posting once a day. It gives me even more fuzzies. But I had writer's block with this chapter and so it didn't get out when I planned.

Okay, then, lets get going!

Motel 37

Chapter 10:

"Yugi…? Yugi, wake up."

Ryou lightly tapped the side of the young hikari's face. Earlier, after Yugi had heard the news that his yami had given him, he fainted on the spot and almost went over the railing and into the ocean. But Ryou caught him before he did. And then Malik began to attempt suicide and almost succeeded, if it he hadn't been detained by Ryou and a local policeman. Trying to calm his best friend down, Ryou forgot all about Yugi. And he did eventually drop into the sea.

No one even noticed until they saw a rather large flock of seagulls dive to the water's surface. They thought Yugi was a large sea bass and tried to eat him. Ryou, being an ex-lifeguard, jumped in to rescue him and pulled him to the shore. All the while, Malik had climbed to the top of a nearby rooftop and shouted to the women shopping below, "Michael Jackson, we are one!"

Everyone scattered.

Now, back in their hotel room, Ryou was trying revive Yugi. Malik was sitting on his bed, hugging his legs to his chest and rocking himself in a steady motion.

"Mmm…" Yugi's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Ryou, "… R-Ryou?"

"Oh, good! You're awake. You passed out, you know. And fell into the ocean." Ryou lifted his hand from the boy's cheek and smiled cheerfully.

Yugi sat up fully now and looked over at Malik who was obviously not okay, "W-What's wrong with Malik?"

"… Um, oh." Ryou frowned and then tried to smile once again, "He's just gone crazy. He'll be back soon."

"Bad boy, bad boy, bad boy, bad boy…" Malik chanted.

"Ah." Yugi raised an eyebrow and looked back at Ryou. He remembered the reason he'd fainted, and it wasn't something he'd care to repeat, but… He knew they had to leave and soon, "Ryou… um, Yami called and he told me something. I-I almost can't believe it…"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Yugi?"

"… I-It's Grandpa… Yami said three people have been killed and Grandpa was the first to go missing!"

Ryou 's eyes went wide and he covered his mouth with both hands, "No…! You're joking…!"

"Uh-uh. Yami says he wants us to pick him up…" Yugi sniffed, rubbing at his eye with one hand, "This just isn't right. How could they allow Grandpa to die! It's a motel! And they're supposed to be looking after one-another!"

Ryou nodded, patting Yugi on the back, "It's okay, Yugi… Just let it all out."

Yugi balled his fists and stood up, "POURQUOI!"

"I know, I know…" The other boy sighed and stood with Yugi, "I guess that means we should go get our yamis before they die, too, yes?"

"Humph! I have a good mind to just leave Yami there…"

"Oh, Yugi, you don't mean that!"

"Like hell I don't. I don't appreciate it when my family members die because of the idiocy of my other half. I swear, he can't do anything without me holding his hand. He's such a child!"

"OH! A CHILD! IT'S NOT FAIR!" Malik wailed, falling onto the floor and rolling around and around.

Whilst Malik let out his sobs on the floor, and Yugi was shouting obscenities in French, Japanese, and Arabic, Ryou sighed and turned around, grabbing a suitcase. "I suppose I'll pack, then…"

By this time, the yamis were back in their room. After that conversation between Yami and Marik… (you know, the normal one) the boys did not speak to each other for fear of saying something kind or at least civil. That was a road no one wanted to do down again. But after about five minutes of silence and starring, their restlessness kicked into hyper drive.

"So why were you out there anyway, Pharaoh?" Bakura asked, lying back onto a pillow next to Marik. Yami preferred to keep his distance, though, and was sitting in a lumpy, red chair.

"… I had to use the payphone."

Marik blinked, "Yami, I would expect you to know that pizza men can't come in this kind of weather."

"No pizza! I was calling our hikaris…"

"…" Bakura sat up, dumping Marik off his chest and onto the floor. "What for?"

"Because! If they don't come and pick us up, we might not make it till tomorrow morning! And as much as I hate the idea of leaving Grandpa in this place, we cannot stay here!"

"You are such a wuss." Marik scowled up at Bakura and rubbed the back of his head, "Nothing's going to happen. We're in a hotel with a bunch of people who die because they fall down stairs."

This time, both Yami and Bakura looked at the boy, "… What the hell? What makes you think that?"

"Think about it. Remember that old lady? Remember how her ankles were cut and it was bleeding heavily?"

"Oh, yeah…" Bakura moaned, a river of drool flowing down his shirt.

Marik raised an eyebrow and continued, "Ahem. Anyways. Those cuts could have only come from her tripping down the stairs. And I'd bet that's where Gramps is as well. At the bottom of one of the staircases, moaning and writhing in pain and agony. Heh heh… agony."

"I already told you, Marik, he's in the bathroom." Bakura said, examining his nails, "And when I win the bet, you know what I get…!" He taunted.

"In your dreams. I'm going to win."

"Both of you just cut it out!" Yami yelled, standing up, "Stop treating Grandpa like he was yesterday's weather report! I'll prove it to you! He's not at the bottom a staircase and he's not in the bathroom!"

"Wait, what are you-" Before Bakura could finish his sentence, Yami had gotten up and had ran out of the door. The door banged against the back of the wall, back and forth and slowly came to a halt.

Marik and Bakura looked at each other. "So… how long do you think it'll take him before he comes back?"

Bakura thought, "About ten minutes."

"I say four minutes. Wanna bet on it?"

"We've already bet our hikaris, what else do we have?"

"Mmm… I say our hikaris' clothes!"

"Right on!" They shook hands, "This is going to be fun."

As soon as the words came out of the boy's mouth, Yami's face peeked around the corner of the open door. His cheeks stained with blush, he shuffled his feet back and forth and whispered, "C-Can someone come with me…?"

"Boom, baby! Oh yeah!" Marik jumped off the bed and pointed at Bakura, "Ryou's clothes are mine!"

"What? No!"

"You guys…!" Yami whined, "Grandpa's not going to wait forever. Let's go." He stomped his foot and walked out of the room, both boys groaning and followed. When they got out into the hallway, Yami was already speed walking and was beginning to turn a corner.

"Oh, here we go again…!" Marik groaned, both he and his friend walking behind the spiky haired teen. He seemed pretty confident in where he was going, although he'd never seemed this way before. Marik blinked, "Hey, Pharaoh, how come you're not your usual chickeny self?"

He glared back at the boy; "I'm never a chicken, you big bully! I'm just cautious. And you know, it wouldn't hurt you two to be a bit more careful… People are dying in the same motel that you're staying in, doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"… Well. I suppose it is a little scary when it's not me who's doing the killing." Bakura said thoughtfully.

Marik nodded in agreement, "I guess. But I'm trying not to think about it. Although it's not working thanks to Mr. We're All Going To Die!"

"Well, excuse me for being concerned about everyone involved."

Bakura grinned and looked at Yami as they turned down another corner and went down a flight of stairs, "Hey… If we don't make it out of here alive… How do you think we're gonna die?"

"W-What!" Yami turned around and starred at Bakura, mouth agape, "Don't say that! We're going to be fine!"

Marik smirked, inching towards the smaller, trembling yami, "I dunno, Yami… After all, it was you who said we're all in big danger. That there's a murderer in here… voices. And of course, you've got to wonder… Will he slash or hang us?"

"Stop it! Just stop it right now, you awful person! I know what you're trying to do and it isn't working. I stand by what I said. I heard that voice again and it's telling me to bring something… I just don't know what."

"Whatever you say…"

"Hmm…" The old man was wondering the shadows. His previous excitement about finding the boys was almost gone. How would he expect to find anything in this godforsaken darkness? And he'd managed to get a candle from the wall, sure, but what help was one candle when he had a four-story motel to search?

But there was one thing he remembered about their whereabouts. Their room was on the second floor. And he knew that the bathroom he was in before was on the third floor. He'd gone down to flights of stairs, so he was on the first floor. Now all he had to do was go back up and search the second floor. Then maybe, he'd find the boys.

As he got to another staircase, he thought he'd heard something. A voice? Oh, now it's three voices. And they're arguing! This was probably the best sound that he'd heard all day. In a dusty old, weird-looking motel, who else but Yami, Marik and Bakura could be arguing with such a passion? It was music to his hearing aid.

He climbed the stairs and, though his voice was a bit weak, called their names.

Meanwhile, the yamis were in the middle of a hallway. They'd stopped walking because of the fact the Marik didn't believe Yami knew where he was going. And he didn't. And that's when the problem arose.

"I cannot believe you took us from our room to go out here and get lost!" Bakura shouted at the boy.

"It was not my intention to get us lost, you big fat meanie! I thought we were going the right way… Besides, this is where I heard that voice before, I think. When you hear it, you'll-"

Marik slapped Yami on the side of the head, "Get it through your pitifully small brain, Pharaoh! There is no voice, there is no ghost! There is just you and two other yamis who want very much to skin you alive!"

Yami sniffed, tearfully and held back a sob, "Y-You… you don't believe m-m-me… do you…! Guh… Eh…"

"Aw, dammit, look what you did, Marik!"

"What I did? It's not my fault, he-"

"AaaAAaAAaa…! Augh…! I-It's not f-fair…!" He became a fountain right then and there, tears falling rapidly to the floor and making somewhat of a puddle.

"Ah… Hey, calm down, Yami." Bakura scratched the back of his head, thinking of something. Then he got an idea. This always worked when Ryou became upset. Bakura stretched his face and wiggled in front of the crying Pharaoh, "Nani nani nani! We're going to be happy today! Nani, nani, nani!"

Marik looked on in disbelief as Yami stopped his blubbering and watched Bakura intently. "…" Yami blinked.

The blonde clutched at his heart. Bakura being motherly? Sickeningly motherly? "I… I think I'm having an out-of-body experience."

Yami! Bakura! Marik!

Suddenly a voice came from somewhere nearby. The three boys looked around, apparently, they'd heard it at the same time. The voice sounded awful. Scratchy and hoarse, almost a moan.

"Oh, crap!" Bakura jumped on Marik, landing in his arms, "What the hell was that!"

Yami blinked twice and took a step behind Marik, "Um… I don't like the sound of that…"

Yami! Bakura! Marik! Come to me…!

"Gah!" Yami squealed and jumped on top of Bakura. All this extra weight that Marik was carrying wasn't doing anything nice for his lower back. Yami cuddled up to Marik and Bakura's chests. "W-We should get out of here! Now!"

"Good idea!" Marik dumped both boys on the floor as the voice neared and he ran off in the opposite direction.

"Marik, you idiot, get back here!" Bakura yelled, running after him.

Yami scrambled up after them both, "W-Wait for me!"

Not two seconds later when the boys had gone off, a tired old man appeared in the spot where they once were. "Hey… Where'd everybody go?"