Chapter 12

Tell Me About The Hand That Holds You Down

Yami stood from the bed and shook his head.

"...there's a room..." A soft whisper came from his left. "...no where to hide..." The voices repeated and echoed together. "...Yami..." The soft voice whispered. "...go back...to the beginning..." Yugi was once again standing in front of Yami. His mouth was moving but the boy didn't speak. He was looking up over Yami. Then his eyes shot straight down and stared straight at Yami and he said, "...game over...I lose..." The child's figure disappeared as quickly as it came.

Yami shot up and rushed to the door. Racing to his room he turned on all the lights and ran over to his desk.

"What's happening to me?" He mumbled as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"...the corner...the corner of ...the rooms..." Another soft whisper came.

"Yugi?" He pinched himself to see if he was sleeping. Wincing he knew he wasn't sleeping. Was he going insane?...or had he imagined the pain?

"...Yami..." The soft voice echoed. "...the house on the hill..." Yami stood up from his desk.

"Yugi please tell me that's you. I'm really starting to get scared." Yami said softly.

"...don't be afraid..." The soft voice comforted. "...you're...dreaming..." The child's soft voice echoed. Before Yami knew it he was no longer in the room.

Yami opened his eyes and found himself in a cold dark place. The sky was a dark hazel grey. There was a glowing black moon that floated in the toxic abyss.

"...knick knack patty whack..."

Two little boys, of a different age, were standing off to the side playing hop scotch, bare foot, over broken beer bottles. They looked exactly like Yugi.

"...if that mocking bird don't sing..."

A boy giggled and jumped off the swing, landing hard on the rough cement below. Also like the other Yugis but far younger, maybe 5?

"...and down will fall baby cradle and all..."

A tri haired cooing infant crawled around over broken glass and into what looked like a fox hole. The wind howled and the mist above swirled.

"Where am I?" His voice echoed back at him.

"Follow me." A child's voice came from behind. The small angel boy he saw in Yugi's folder smiled at the man. The preschooler held out his tiny hand. There boy stood in his white ragged t-shirt. "Don't be 'fraid. There's no pain here." Yami took the child's hand.

"Yugi?" The boy giggled and nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Where are we?"

"Nowhere."

"Nowhere?" The boy smiled and nodded. "What do you mean?" The boy just continued to pull the man to a house. He pointed to the house.

"House of Pain." He said softly. Yami looked at the house that sat upon a hill. It looked to be inhabited. Angry shouts and the sounds of crashing were heard inside the house. Silhouettes were seen in the windows. Angry people were raising their fist and hitting something that was not seen. Yugi walked forward and stopped at the door. Twisting the handle he opened it and Yami shut his eyes to the angry blinding white light. When he opened them and noticed he was alone in a house. A bloodcurdling scream came from upstairs. He raced up there.

"Shut up boy!" A slapping sound was heard.

"Please! St-stop!" Yami walked into the room. A dog sat in the middle of the floor. He watched as a small child was restrained by an older man.

"If you move one inch I'll beat the living hell out of you!" Yugi stopped but continued to whimper. "I'm going to show you how this is done then I want you to do it your self. Ok!" Yugi sniffled and wiped his nose with his arm. The man grabbed the dog and pulled him close. Grabbing nails and a hammer he roughly threw the dog on his back and told the boy to hold him down. Yugi shrunk away but complied once he looked at the sneer on his father's face. The father smirked and held a nail over one of the dog's back paws. Raising the hammer he slammed it into the dog's foot and into the floor. The dog howled and whimpered in pain. Tears fell down the boy's face.

"...doggy..." A soft echo whispered.

The man continued to hammer the animal's paws down. Then he took a knife and cut open the dog.

"Look at it son. This is fun." He laughed. He continued to look at the animals insides. He looked at all the animal's organs struggling to keep the suffering dog alive. "Now..." He held the hammer to his son. "...you do the same thing I did with these." The man snickered as his son's eyes grew wide. His father held 6 puppies.

"N-no!" Yugi stammered and dropped the hammer. He heard the older dog whimper.

"Hold on I need to get the video camera." The man said grinning and racing out of the room. Yugi stared into the dogs eyes. Grabbing the hammer he raised it over his head and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry." The child whispered and slammed the hammer into the mother dog's skull. The dog went limp and her pain was all gone. He looked over at the whimpering puppies. Walking over he rushed them to the bathroom. Locking the door he turned on the sink. After he filled the sink he grabbed the fist pup. "I'm sorry." The child whimpered and held the puppy under the water. The puppy struggled for air. After a few minuets he went limp. Yugi pulled the dog out and placed him on the ground. The other puppies whimpered as if knowing their fate. Grabbing a resisting puppy a tear fell down his cheek.

Yami reached out to try to wipe it away but his hand went right through him.

"I'm sorry." The boy murmured each time he drowned a puppy.

"Boy! Where are you!"

Yugi's angelic form walked through the door and over to Yami. He giggled and gently placed his hand in Yami's hand. Wrapping his tiny fingers around the young man's pointer finger he pulled him through the door and out of the room, and back outside.

"I guess if you play the game long enough you'll eventually lose." The young child chided. The tri haired man looked confused at the angel like boy.

"What do you mean? What game?" The little boy giggled once again.

"Life."

Yami sat straight up once again. 'Man these dreams feel more real every time.' The young man thought to himself. Sighing he stood up from the unmade bed and gathered his supplies and headed for his car. He looked into the alley near the school and was sure he saw the boy lingering in the shadows. Shaking it off he got inside and pulled out of the school drive way. 'Tomorrow I get to see Yugi.' Yami thought to himself as he turned right and into his drive way. He made his way inside his small house and finished grading the last few papers, and grabbed himself a snack before heading to bed.

... . . . .. .. .. . . . .. . .Dream Sequence .. . . ... .. . . . .. . . .. .

A cross hung above a child's head. The boy was kneeling in front of a faceless man in white robes. Chanting was heard through out the building and echoed off the high ceiling and walls. Pews were sitting perfectly in a row.

"You're lying..." A voice hissed.

The pews slowly gained fading occupants. One by one faceless people faded into a seat on the long benches.

"He'd never hurt anyone you stupid boy..." Another voice hissed even louder.

"...I don't think I want to be an altar boy any more..." A child's voice whimpered in a hushed voice. No one was moving. Yami walked up to where the child, that was kneeing, was. The boy had a huge robe draped over his head. When Yami reached the child he saw little amethyst eyes and immediately knew who it was.

"Yugi?" His voice echoed through out the room. A loud banging sound was heard from behind him. The pews were pushed back all at once as everyone stood up. Now their faces held only a mouth that seemed to quickly mouth words but they were never heard. Yami was a little frightened at the sight. Then all of them at once whiped their heads up and screamed. The young man flinched and covered his ears until a soothing voice met his ears.

"Yami please don't fear." A soft child voice whispered. He looked down at the figure of the child. Had he said it? Uncovering his ears the people were still screaming but it was like Yami had gone deaf. Blood soaked the many peoples white robes they were wearing. Blood leaked out of there mouth and trailed down their necks. Yami closed his eyes.

A slight tugging was felt on his sleeve. Opening one eye he looked down. Yugi was standing there looking up at him. The child smiled his perfect little smile.

"Hi." He said softly.

"He-hello." Yami said hesitantly softly back at the beaming child. The little boy pointed at Yami with his little finger.

"Why do you cry?" The young man reached up and touched his cheeks. He hadn't realized he was crying. Maybe because that was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen, he wasn't sure.

I'm such a morbid freak. Oh well...I guess that's my specialty

Thank You!

blue-soljah

inuyashapup

ailisa d. frieson

Moonjava

Living Arrow

Masami Mistress Of Fire

kameeko

Anaru-Minime

Pikpik246

Kayla Tsukino