Chapter 8

It was nightfall and there was no lighting whatsoever on the island, but by the light of the moon Mokuba was able to continue to stare at his locket. An old picture of Kaiba stared back at him and he didn't feel so alone.

"Do you think that he'll be okay?" Mokuba asked Roland as he lay in a bivouac that they had made from a small group of bushes.

"Your brother knows how to take care of himself in any situation." Roland told Mokuba as he kept watch for anybody approaching whilst the boy slept. "I'm sure he's just fine."

Mokuba shut the locket and held it closer to him. He closed his eyes to sleep and dreamt about being reunited with his brother.

Emma sat out in the open in total darkness. Joey lay across her as she tried to keep him warm using her own body heat and both of their jackets. She had managed to ease the bleeding but Joey was very weak and she doubted whether or not he would make it through the night. She tried to keep conversation going between them to keep him conscious.

"Keep talking to me Joey." she begged as he had been quiet for a few moments. "Hang in there; you're going to be okay."

"Serenity?" Joey asked weakly.

"She's not here, but she's okay." Emma told him. "We're going to meet up with her in the morning."

"Good." Joey struggled to reply.

"Stay with me." Emma begged again as he went quiet once more. She gripped at his hand tighter and was relieved when he gripped back.

"I'm cold." he told her, and with one hand she pulled him closer to her and the jackets tighter around them.

"You're going to be okay." Emma had lost count of how many times that she had told him that, and now knew that it was a lie. "Just keep talking."

"Mai, I need to tell you ……….. something." Joey had forgotten who was with him.

"Don't say goodbye." Emma's voice began to waver and broke.

"I'm not going anywhere." Joey said, and Emma could just imagine a smile on his face. "I just wanted to say ... that …. I ………"

Emma waited for Joey to say more but he didn't. She felt his breathing stop as his grip on her hand also gave way. Unable to hold it all in she cried hard as she hugged the lifeless body of her friend.

Kaiba, Sarah and Serenity had taken shelter in a cave that they had found. They had lit a fire to keep them warm, using matches that Sarah had in her bag and branches that they had collected. Serenity was fast asleep, exhausted by her jetlag. Sarah sat by the fire as she kept prodding and fuelling it so that it didn't go out. Kaiba stood at the entrance of the cave as he kept watch.

In his hand Kaiba held a device that Serenity had in her bag. It flashed up the positions of everybody wearing a collar that was within a mile radius. It currently just displayed the three of them. He lowered it and instead took hold of his locket to view the picture of Mokuba who smiled up at him. He made a mental note to have new photos taken once this thing was over with as the one in his locket was almost seven years old.

"Player, Joey, has been eliminated. Twelve players still remaining." the speaker voice called out from the darkness.

Kaiba was shocked to hear the announcement, and even though he and Joey didn't get along he wouldn't have wished for this to happen. He looked at Mokuba's picture and was relieved that it hadn't been him as he knew that he would be unable to bear losing his little brother. Then he thought about Serenity. Her brother had just been killed and she was sleeping blissfully unaware. He closed his locket and returned in to the cave.

Sarah who had also heard the announcement watched as Kaiba approached the sleeping Serenity. She blocked his path. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Don't worry I don't intend to gloat." Kaiba told her as he looked down at Serenity. "Her brother is dead and she deserves to know." He would have wanted the same if it had been Mokuba.

"She needs to rest." Sarah told Kaiba. "Upsetting her further won't do her any good."

Kaiba returned his gaze to Sarah annoyed that she was against his thoughtful gesture. A sly evil smile appeared on his face as he leaned closer to her and said; "If you're asleep when they announce Bakura's death then I won't ………" but he didn't have chance to finish his taunt as Sarah hit him hard across the face.

Sarah stood breathing hard as she stared angrily at Kaiba as he brought his hand up to his cheek and returned her stare with one of his own that was equally, if not more, angry then her own. She broke eye contact with him and stormed off outside the cave.

The wind blew the loose strands of hair across Sarah's face. She pulled the shirt she was wearing, which belonged to Bakura, tightly around her for comfort and warmth. Her eyes were big and watery as she stared up in to the stars. "Ryou, I hope you're safe."

The night was peaceful and silent but a moment later it was broken by Serenity's crying that came from inside the cave.