A/N: Wow okay sorry for the extremely delayed update, I'm ashamed. In fact, I just lost the will to write this story any longer. So I will finish this chapter, but after this I think I might cancel the fic, I just don't want to write it anymore. If there is anyone out there who is willing to take over my story, let me know through email, and I will give you some insight as to what direction I had planned for the story.

Thanks.

Mystery at the Sohmas

Chapter Three:

Shock

o

The rain had finally let up for a bit, it was only sprinkling now, much to Kyo's relief. The walk to the main house isn't a short one, and Kyo wasn't sure he would make it if the rain continued to fall the way it was before. His shoes were coated in mud and with each step he took more mud sprayed everywhere clumping at the ends of his pants. But Kyo wasn't paying attention to any of that, his mind was more fixed on what had happened in the house. 'Something was there,' he thought. 'I am sure of it.' Kyo absentmindedly gripped the handle of his umbrella tighter. 'That stupid rat better have a good plan for going to the main house.' Kyo wasn't for sure what Yuki was thinking, but he did have a good guess. Akito wasn't available when he and Shigure went earlier, (not that he had wanted to see the freak, he was just pissed that they waited so long for no reason.) could that be who Yuki thinks hurt Shigure?

Shaking his head Kyo looked onward. The main house was forming in the distance, he wondered if he would even be allowed to enter…

Kyo's worries subsided as the reached the main house. Yuki seemed moved like he was on a mission. He burst opened the doors and stomped a few feet inside. Turning around he waved on Tohru and Kyo to follow him, making it clear that he thought it was okay for them to enter as well. After closing their umbrellas, and slipping off their muddy shoes, they made their way down the hallway. Tohru shuffled quietly behind Yuki, her mind spinning. His pace seemed to quicken even more and his strides were deliberate. She didn't understand his frustrated urgency.

The trio passed a few more rooms down the hallway then made a sudden right turn. Yuki seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go.

"Yuki!"

Yuki stopped abruptly, and turned around. Tohru and Kyo also glanced over their shoulders. Hatori was coming up behind them looking surprised.

"What are you three doing here?" he asked as he made his way up to the group.

"We need to see Akito," Yuki said quickly, before anyone else could answer.

Hatori shook his head, "Akito is not feeling well, and requests to be alone." He glanced at Kyo, "Kyo you should know this already."

"Yes but-"

'Shigure is hurt!" Tohru finally broke out, tears threatening to fall again. All the composure she had managed to control, broke through.

Hatori's normally calm eyes widened. "What?" he asked shocked.

"We don't know what happened," Tohru babbled, "The storm caused the power to go out. And when Shigure-san went to fix it, he didn't come back. Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, and I went searching for and found him…well…lifeless…" she trailed off, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Yuki cut in to add detail to the subject. "He looked as though he was in a coma," he spoke softly, "I don't understand it, his face was so pale, it looked as thought he was dead, but he had a pulse."

"Then why are you here?" Hatori shot out a bit angrily, "Why did you leave him alone?"

Tohru sniffled behind Yuki and Kyo. Kyo bit back out with built up frustration, "Because, whoever did that to Shigure was still in the house! I could tell!"

Hatori stepped back, his shoulders still tense but his mood turned concerned. "We will have to go back," he said his lower lip trembling. "We need to get Shigure out of the house and get him some medical attention." Everyone nodded. "Tohru, you stay here," Tohru-san opened her mouth in protest, "please, for your own safety." Hatori continued. "Yuki-kun go and get Haru, we will need all the help we can get. " Yuki nodded again, although he wanted to confront Akito, he understood Hatori's urgency and knew it was best. He walked swiftly down the hallway.

Five minutes later Yuki, Haru, Hatori, and Kyo were all rearing to go at the entrance of the Sohma households gates. Haru had also been informed by Yuki. Hatori, unlocked his car and they all piled in. Hatori's normal cautious driving approach was totally forgotten as he sped down the road, stirring up puddles and mud. The rain, which had let up earlier, was coming down again in heavy sheets. Hatori switched on the windshield wipers and gripped his steering wheel more tightly. The weather was getting increasingly worse, and so were Hatori's worries. He was afraid for Shigure, and afraid because he did not know what could be going on. He was always supposed to know what was happening. But this time he didn't, this time Hatori was utterly confused and it bothered him deeply. The car was silent, save for the heavy plunks of raindrops hitting the windshield, finally Shigure's house could be seen in the distance.

Hatori parked his car right up to the porch of Shigure's house. Before anyone got out of the car, Hatori turned to face all the boys. "We are only coming in to get Shigure, and then we are leaving right away. Everyone one of you be on your best guard, remember there could still be something inside." They all acknowledged Hatori's advice, and silently shook there heads.

Without bothering with umbrellas, Hatori, Yuki, Kyo, and Haru all jumped out of the car and ran into the house. It was eerie, for some reason. The house that was so familiar to all of them, suddenly seemed cold and uninviting. The candles they had lit earlier, were blown out. The power was still out, and only the windows served as small bits of light, from the flashing of lightning. Shadows pooled across the carpet and there was a thick foul smell that none of them recognized, that floated heavily in the air. Hatori's worries erupted ten times, the whole aura of the home spelled out bad news. "Yuki, Kyo, lead the way," he spoke, his voice impossible stoic, despite the shivers that ran up his spine.

Haru wasn't fairing any better than Hatori. Shock was the only word that properly described his feelings when Yuki had first informed him of what happened to Shigure. Now all of his negative emotions seemed to be weighing heavily down on him, and his gut twanged nervously, from the moment he entered the house. He followed behind Yuki and Kyo, and brought his arms protectively across his middle. What was wrong with him? He couldn't figure it out. Normally, nothing scared him, his reaction was always that of indifference. But now, he was literally shaking, this wasn't pretend anymore, this was real, and he was scared, really scared.

Yuki clicked on the flashlight he had grabbed while in Haru's room. He was beginning to regret leaving Shigure in the house, they had been gone no more than 30 minutes, but the house already seemed…different. Everything was cold, not just the temperature, but the atmosphere and the dark quality. The stench that hung in the air seemed only to worsen as they made their way down the hallway. Something creaked, and all five jumped. "It was just the wind…" Yuki mumbled, hoping that if he said it out loud he would believe himself. The situation all five guys found themselves in almost seemed like a laughing matter. Five normally brave, and accomplished martial artists jumping out of their skin because of a scary noise. But none of them were laughing, none of them found the situation they were in very funny at all, in fact all of them weren't feeling too brave at the moment.

The hallway was nearing an end, and Yuki's flashlight was just piercing through the darkness to the end wall. They could all see Shigure's slumped body; Hatori quickened his pace, and pushed himself in the front. He kneeled down beside Shigure, his expression unreadable. "Yuki shine the flashlight on Shigure, I need to figure what kind of condition he is in," Hatori said sharply, and Yuki was quick to oblige. Hatori placed his hand on Shigure's forehead, it was ice cold. He leaned his head on Shigure's chest, there was a heart beat, but it was faint. After a moment of evaluating Shigure, Hatori shook his head. "I have never seen anything like this…" he muttered to himself.

Kyo took his gaze off the hallway and turned to Hatori. "You don't know what is wrong with him?" he asked in disbelief. Hatori shook his head, "No but maybe if I run a few tests at the main house I will be able to figure out--"

There was a loud thump, Hatori stopped talking and stood up. All five pairs of eyes glanced down the hallway, Yuki's flashlight also lit up the hallway. "What was that?" Yuki asked his voice breathy, as if the wind had just gotten knocked out of him.

No one answered, but they were pretty sure it wasn't the wind. A moment of silence enveloped the trembling group, as they looked fixedly down the hall.

"There!" Kyo spoke in a high whisper.

"What?" Haru asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I just saw something move down there," Kyo said, his voice was shaking now.

They all unknowingly clumped closer together. "Are you sure?" asked Yuki his eyes also narrowing.

"Yes," Kyo insisted his voice strained. Hatori, Haru, and Yuki squinted, but still saw only black beyond the flashlight's beam. They did not have the cat's eyesight.

There was a creak of a floorboard, Kyo gasped and stepped back nearly tripping over Shigure. "Did you see that! It's coming!" Kyo spoke, his whisper shrill, no one had ever seen him this hysterical. He was shaking all over, and his eyes kept darting, he looked like he was trapped.

"Kyo," Yuki said trying to calm him. "I don't see anything." He shook the flashlight a little but the beam didn't spread any further. He only saw the hallway fading into dark.

"It's coming," Kyo whispered his knees buckling.

Their eyes followed the flashlight, a shadow grew on the wall, and spread down the floor, there was another creak. No one breathed. Yuki's flashlight flickered. "Oh s--t," one of them mumbled. The light went out.

o

Chapter End

Author's note: Well, there you go. Hopefully that gave you chills. Anyways like I said before, I have decided to not write this fic any more, but if any of you worthy reviewers would like to give it a shot and continue my story, email me and I will give the details as to what direction I would like the story to go.

Thanks and until next time

zone-out (author 1)