NOTE: Hey! A couple notes to you all! In regards to the question of what the sting in Serenity's mouth was? Mokuba a "vampire" now, remember? As to what the "tingly" sensation was? You'll find that out later. Coughcoughcough! Secondly: please do not refer to the ghost as a pervert. He's not obsessing…well, sort of. He just wants what any boy wants: a pretty and kind girl. And that's just what Tea is. Okay? His identity will be revealed soon enough…. Thank you all so much for your reviews! You make me feel loved and inspire me to go on with this story! I'm also glad some of you say that you actually are scared with the story. Honestly, I had no idea I could write like that! I didn't think this fic would make it that far: I didn't think I could write freaky stuff, as you say. Thanks again! PLEASE READ!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 10: To Save Our Lives!

Mai and Tristan walked through the maze with growing apprehension. Where was Serenity? And where had Joey disappeared to? They had just realized he had gone. But where was the question!

"Should we stay here and wait for him? Or her?" Mai whispered. She was flipping out. Joey couldn't be gone! He had always been there for her! What would she do without him? No offense to Tristan…but he just wasn't the same.

"No, let's keep walking. We're bound to run into one or the other soon enough," Tristan set his face and walked on. "Don't let this place scare you, Mai. It's probably all just some fake piece of crap. Besides, the Mai I know isn't scared of…much."

"Earth to Tristan!" Mai suddenly stood in front of him, waving her arms, "This place is totally real! Yes, I am freaked out! Our friends are disappearing before our very eyes! There's a ghost about the place-"

"Probably just a hologram-"

"CAN A HOLOGRAM TOUCH YOU AND YOU NOT TOUCH IT!"

"Yeah! Kaiba made his holograms lifelike!"

"Yes, but we can touch them, can't we?"

"…You have a point there…. Maybe these are cheap holograms-"

"Not if there's a Kaiba running this operation. Besides, Tristan…that ghost was too…lifelike. He was far too real-"

But before they could finish their argument, a crash sounded off not too far from them. Some pieces of wood even managed to fly over them.

"What the heck was that!" Tristan hissed, covering his head.

Mai listened carefully. There was a motor running….

"Tristan, listen to that!" He stopped and did as she said.

"It sounds like a motor…."

There was a sudden screeching of tires and Tristan and Mai both spun around to face the alley from which they had come.

Joey was sitting atop a motorcycle with his head bent low so that his bangs covered his eyes. He was revving the bike.

"Joey!" Mai cried happily, running to him, "You're back! And you found a way to get us out, didn't you-"

Joey's head suddenly lifted and an insane grin was plastered across his face as he suddenly floored the motorbike. His now red eyes flashed with madness.

Mai screamed in terror at both what he was doing and what he looked like.

"Mai, JUMP!" Tristan suddenly came up behind her and threw here into the bushes; he vaulting right after her. Joey pushed down the brakes and the bike spun to the side as he stopped.

"Come on!" Tristan winced as a branch cut his cheek. He grabbed Mai's arm, with was all scratched up now and they tore out from the opposite side of the bushes in a dead run to get out.

Rounding a corner, they froze.

"JOEY!"

"Ohhh…my head," Yugi grimaced as he slowly rubbed his aching skull. His back was on fire and he felt no motive to get up from his sprawled position.

I've got to get up…. I must see where Ryou landed…. Yugi tried as best he could to sit up. He couldn't. In fact, he couldn't even feel his legs.

Am I…paralyzed! Yami! Yami, help me! I can't get up! YAMI! Yugi continually shouted in his mind. The spirit was not answering. Was he unconscious?

"Yugi? Are you there?" a voice coughed to his left.

Yugi craned his neck slightly and saw a few ends of white hair laying next to him.

"Ryou? Are you alright?"

"I think so," he wheezed, "Just got the wind knocked out of me. A few broken ribs, I think. Hopefully, no punctured organs…." His breathing was slow and deep; Yugi could hear it plain as day.

"I'm in a bad position as well," Yugi commented, "I don't know if I can get up."

"Let me try. I'll see where we are and look for some help. I doubt I'd be able to lift you up on my own." Yugi heard Ryou struggling to stand.

"Is Bakura knocked out too?"

"I believe so. Unless he is ignoring me. There is no answer when I call for him."

"Same here," Yugi sighed. His head was throbbing. What had happened to them? Last he had seen through the soul room, the ghost had come up behind Yami and Bakura. Then, they had fallen through the floor and-

Everything went black a few seconds later as the ceiling receded.

"Well," Ryou was looking down, "I see why we almost killed ourselves. In fact, we were lucky to not kill ourselves. We've landed on pure concrete, in some kind of hole…. It looks like it might be a pool."

"A pool? Then there must be doors to the outside, right? Or at least back to the main house?"

"Let me check," Ryou coughed violently. "Oh…not good."

"What?"

"I think…I think I'm coughing up blood now…."

"Ryou, just hold on. We'll get out of here. Just be calm…and try to find us a way out. Hopefully our spirits come around soon. Then, we'll have to rely on them."

"Yes," Ryou huffed, trying to stop himself from coughing. The boy leaned against the pool edge, pushing himself along on wobbly legs to the stairs. He slowly climbed them, using the rail for most of his support. Reaching the top of the stairs, he looked around.

"Yugi…we're surrounded by windows! I'm sure we could break some! And there are some doors that lead both out and inside."

"Great! I wish I could help you, but…."

"Here," Ryou turned back around and walked back down the stairs, slightly faster, "I'll help you up and we'll see what your legs can do." Ryou bent down carefully by Yugi and slipped his arms under his. He struggled to lift as hard as he could. Luckily, Yugi was a light boy and was lifted easier than expected. Yet when he stood on his legs, he felt nothing and his head rushed with a sudden, temporary blindness and his head pounded uncontrollably.

Ryou steadied him, "Yugi! Are you alright?"

"I don't know if I can walk…but otherwise, I'm fine. I'll live."

"I sure hope so. Both you and I," Ryou answered. "Come on, can you move your legs at all?"

"I don't know…. I can't feel them. I'm trying to move them…but they won't respond. Ryou…do you think I'm really…paralyzed?"

"Oh, Yugi, I hope not. That's irreversible. However, there are some accidents that cause you to temporarily lose walking ability. It takes rehab."

"Which takes weeks."

"True…" Ryou sighed. "Come on…I'll try to drag you some. But try to move your feet."

"I will," Yugi nodded slightly.

Ryou pulled him a bit and slowly they made their way across the pool. Once they had made it the stairs, Yugi put a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

"Ryou…just leave me here. We'll never get up the stairs. I hate to leave you to trying to break us out, but I won't be of any help."

"I understand. Tell me if you see or hear anything strange. I'll try to find a way out," Ryou set Yugi down on the bottom step. Then, he stumbled off to the doors. He first tried those leading outside. They would not budge. And the glass framing them would not break! Again! Ryou tried the windows that lined the entire room from floor to ceiling. Those would not shatter either! Outside, though, he could see a long hedge running across the backyard and a cobblestone path before it. Ways off, he swore he saw something sparkling on the ground in light of the feeble moon. Not only was something sparkling, but a dark substance seemed to be shining as well….

Ryou sighed and tried the doors that led inside. No luck there, either! Well, it was probably best not to trod on Yugi's hopes. He would try until he succeeded! Or…he would die trying.

Yugi was sitting on the bottom steps wondering what he could possibly do, when a sound intrigued him. He looked around for the sound and his eyes settled upon what made it.

Out of one of the jets in the pool, a tiny stream of water was trickling.

That didn't seem right. Water would have been cancelled here long ago!

"Ryou-" Yugi started. But he was cut off as the trickle suddenly burst forth in a deafening roar, jetting across the pool. Five more jets popped up, and one hit him directly in the side of the head, knocking him to the floor, unconscious, as the pool began to fill up with water.

Seto couldn't believe it. What had happened to her? He ran over to Tea's lifeless body and hoisted her up so that she was lying against him.

"Gardner?" he shook her slightly, "Gardner? Tea? What happened to you?" he could not hide the panic in his voice. What had happened to her! He checked for a pulse.

…There! It was very, very faint, but it was there.

He looked around the room. Where could he safely put her? How could he get her help?

Yes, he needed to help her. It was mandatory. On the outside, he may have seemed to reject any friendship out of the group, but on the contrary, he couldn't let anyone die. It was so barbaric to stand back and watch them suffer the loss of their lives….

Why had she been away in the first place? Why had she left the room? He was sure she had been in there. Why did she leave? Where could she have possibly wanted to go!

"Gardner…why won't you wake up already!" he demanded. There was no answer. She must have been knocked out quite cold.

Tea opened her eyes once more. She was lying on a couch in a dark room.

She sat up and looked around, "W-Where am I?"

"Ah, you're awake. Wonderful." Tea spun her head around. An older teenager sat next to her. He seemed quite happy, for some reason.

"W-Who are you?" Tea brought her legs towards her.

"Ah. I cannot reveal that just yet. I can give you a riddle though, to pass the time. I have places to go and people to see. But I'll have plenty of time for you, dear."

Tea blinked. What did he mean by, 'Plenty of time for her?'

"You wish for the riddle?" Without waiting for her to answer, he continued, "Two things," he held up two fingers in front of her face, "If that isn't enough of a clue: I reject what you say; and I also interject amazement." He paused, seeing the stunned look on her face.

"What kind of a riddle is that-?"

"Just one more thing," he leaned in close to her. Tea bit her lip and leaned back, slightly.

The boy's eyes suddenly glowed, "I'm the only one you know. …I'm the only one you can tru-" he stopped, looking up. Tea snapped out of her trance and stared at him. The boy narrowed his eyes, and then said, "I'll be back soon, Tea. Just something to take care of…." He vanished into thin air.

Tea blinked. She was not surprised that he had vanished. In fact, it almost seemed like a natural, everyday occurrence. But that riddle! Did he come up with it himself? What kind of a riddle was that? How stupid! Still…she had to know his name, if he wouldn't tell her!

…And how did he know her name! She didn't even know how she had gotten here! In fact, all she knew was who she was. There was nothing else. No memories: nothing.
"I guess I'll just...explore some until he comes back. He seems to be the only one who knows what's going on, after all. In fact, he seems to be the only one around here," Tea stood up and walked around in the darkness.

"'Two things. I reject what you say; and I interject amazement.' Is he talking about nouns? Or actual words? Gosh, how confusing!" she messed with her hair and suddenly bumped into something.

"Whoops," she said, stepping back. She gasped.

A small head looked up at her. It was a little boy….

"Tea?" he whispered out, "Is that you?"

Tea blinked. The poor thing looked pitiful in this state! His black hair hung loosely around his head and obscured most of his dark and clouded eyes. He looked rather pale and weak, hanging against the black wall; hanging by chains. He was kneeling on his knees.

"You poor boy; what happened to you?" Tea knelt down, lifting his head up slightly and looking into his eyes.

"Tea…get out of here while you can," he coughed.

"…How do you know my name?" she inquired. "…Who are you?"

The boy looked surprised for a moment. "What do you mean? …Tea…what's going on? Don't you know who I am?" The boy looked hopeful.

Tea bit her lip. Was she supposed to know him?

Words suddenly came back to her:

I'm the only one you know….

There was a red glint in her eye and she looked back at the boy, "No. I don't know who you are."

The boy's face took a turn for the worse. He seemed to pale some more, and his eyes widened, making him look even more desperate.

"But Tea! It's me, Mokuba! …You've got to help us!"

"…Us?" Tea inquired. The boy looked to his left. Tea turned her head as well and her eyes widened.

There was a whole line of them, just hanging there!

A girl with long, chestnut hair was slumped, and looked unconscious, for her hair all fell forward as her head tilted towards the floor. Her legs were bent under her. Beside her, another ebony head lifted: this one having a ponytail to hold back most of his hair.

"Tea!" he cried out hoarsely, "You've got to warn the others!"

"W-What? How come you all know my name!" Tea stumbled backwards.

"Tea," the small boy tried standing, "Find my brother. Find all of the others!" he stood up, swaying. He lifted his head, and his clouded eyes looked into her shining ones.

"You must warn them before their time comes."

"What time! What are you talking about!" Tea backed away, "You're…you're all…insane! That's why you're chained here! There's something wrong with all of you!" Tea turned around and broke into a run.

"Tea, wait!" the boy ran forward, but the chains suddenly stopped him and he fell backwards, "TEA! YOU'VE GOT TO HELP THE OTHERS!"

Joey zoomed towards the two, caught like deer in headlights. Tristan suddenly slung Mai through another hedge and he leaped after her, but Joey managed to graze his lower leg. Tristan cried out in pain as he made a jerky landing in the bushes. He looked at his leg. The bottom of his pants had been ripped off and blood was oozing everywhere from a gargantuan wound, from where the high-seed motorcycle had hit him.

"Come on, Tristan! You have to risk it!" Mai pulled him this time from the bushes on the other side.

Joey skidded to another stop down the aisle. He gritted his teeth and pointed towards the stone path in front of him. It suddenly began to rise up into the shape of a ramp.

"HAHAHA!" Joey laughed evilly into the night, "You two rats won't escape this maze ALIVE! I'll kill you before the dawn breaks!"

He floored the motorcycle and it raced up the newly made ramp.

Mai cried tears of pain, sadness and confusion as she and Tristan loped through the maze of hedges. Why was Joey trying to kill them!

She suddenly heard the motorcycle closing in. But…it was from-

-ABOVE! She and Tristan looked up just in time to see the cycle fly over them, with Joey staring down at them.

He bounced down onto the path and turned the bike around sharply to face them.

Mai suddenly turned down another path, dragging Tristan along, who was trailing blood everywhere they went. He was actually crying as well. The pain was tremendous! His leg stung as if punctured with thousands of needles, and the warm flow of blood did nothing to help his mind's eye.

Joey raced after them, his eyes red and bloodthirsty.

Ryou heard the roar of the faucets and turned around suddenly. The pool jets had been turned on, somehow! And Yugi was down there! He raced, forgetting his pain, although her tripped at the finish line. He stumbled at the edge of the pool and fell headfirst into it.

However, the jets had already created enough water so that he did not hit his head on the concrete. He surfaced and looked around. Where was Yugi!

The thought suddenly hit him. He dove back under water and opened his eyes: the water stinging them. Everything was blurry and dark down here…there were no lights!

Where was he!

And that's when he spotted an even darker mass on the floor of the pool.

YUGI! Ryou swam towards the boy and heaved him up to the surface of the water. Ryou surfaced, gasping for air and pulled Yugi's head above the water. Yugi wasn't responding.

"Yugi!" Ryou slapped his face, "Come on, bud, WAKE UP!"

Yugi couched, involuntarily, to rid himself of the extra water in his lungs, as Ryou performed something to the extent of the Heimlich maneuver on him. Still, he did not open his eyes.

"Yugi! You've got to wake up! Come on, wake up!" Ryou cried out desperately, slapping the boy's face harder. He hated to hurt Yugi like this, but the pool was getting near its full point, and the jets didn't look like they were going to stop any time soon.

Ryou struggled to get to the stairs and dragged Yugi along as the water began spilling over the edges of the pool. He slid his comrade over to the doors that led outside and began pounding on then, and using whatever was nearest to break the glass.

"Come! On! Break! NOW!" Ryou gasped with each word as he swung his fists and other objects at the glass. "I! Won't! Give! Up! We! Will! Not! Die! HERE!" Ryou stopped hitting the glass for a moment to breathe. He looked down and gasped. The water had already reached past the soles of his shoes. HE had Yugi in a sitting position near him, so that the boy would be able to breathe for a while longer.

"COME ON!" Ryou yelled, giving the glass all her had. Still, it did not shatter. He tried pots from the corners of the room that had once held plants.

Only the pots shattered.

He found a chair and tried to break the doors down with that.

The chair splintered and broke.

"WHY WON'T YOU BREAK!" Ryou shouted, pounding the glass. He HAD to get them out of here! He could not have them die by drowning!

The water was up to the top of his shoe now.

Tea suddenly burst forth through the black wall and stopped. She looked down and saw that she was floating above a living room.

Seemed normal enough – the floating, that is. All she knew was that she had been a ghost all her life.

She flew through a wall and looked around. She was in a hallway now. There was nothing here. No one.

"Who were those people?" Tea shivered, "How did they know my name? What did they want from me? They were all complaining about warning others…before their time came. What is that supposed to mean! And that dumb riddle too! What's that got to do with anyone's name! Argh! This house is beginning to creep me out!" she spat, flying up through the ceiling.

After floating through the house for quite some time, she suddenly came back to the front hall.

Something about it intrigued her…. The stairs had caved in, and there was a dismantled chair near a window.

"This place needs some serious repair," she lighted down onto the floor. She looked around the room. Something about this place seemed sort of…familiar….

She looked to the doors and they seemed to capture her attention. She walked over to them and ran a ghostly finger over them.

"What's so special about you?" she cocked and eyebrow. "I could walk right through you and be out of this place. So, I think I will-" she stuck out her right leg and put it through the doorway. As she had slipped halfway through –she could see the outside world now!- a voice behind her startled her and she turned around.

"Well…we're back where we started." Tea's eyes widened. He was the first live being she had seen in this place, from what she had explored of it!

He was carrying a girl in his arms. He set her down on a nearby couch and slumped against the wall; his head falling to meet his chest. He looked worn out….

Tea stepped out from the doorway and back into the hall. Who was he? And who had he been carrying?

Tea ran over to the couch and looked at the girl lying there.

She gasped.

It was…her!

Ryou struggled to keep afloat, while holding onto Yugi at the same time. The room was already half filled up, and he was trying to keep them on the surface of the water, and trying to still pound the glass as hard as he could.

This was restrained, due to the fact that he had to hold Yugi and swim upward at the same time.

"SOMEONE HELP!" Ryou had now resorted to shouting this, "SOMEONE: ANYONE! MAI, JOEY, TRISTAN, SOMEONE!" Ryou called out with all his might. It was no use. He could not see anyone outside, nor inside. Were his friends even alive, still?

Tea turned to the teen, now sleeping against the wall.

She wanted to talk to him: to find out what was going on! But how? She was a spirit and…he was asleep! Would she even be able to wake him up?

Something suddenly snapped in her mind. Of course! He was asleep!

Tea knelt down beside him and ran a hand down his jaw, gently. She closed her eyes.

The supernatural could come in contact with the mortal more easily when the mortal was asleep….

Ryou and Yugi were at the top of the room now, with only about half a foot of air left to breathe. He shoved Yugi up as far as he could and Ryou breathed quickly. As he used his feet to propel himself, he also used them to kick the glass doors and windows.

The water was raising rapidly. He had to turn his face to the ceiling to breathe, although water escaped into his lungs from time to time.

There was an inch of air left. Ryou had no choice. Now, he had to dive. He let Yugi breathe in regularly once, then held the boy's mouth and nose closed. He took a draught of air and plunged beneath the surface as the last of the air disappeared above him.

He opened his eyes and swam to the windows, still holding Yugi's mouth and nose closed. He kicked at the glass once more, small bubbles of air flying out of his lips when he kicked.

His lungs were beginning to cry out for oxygen. Yugi was beginning to shake in his unconsciousness.

They were both running out of air, fast.

I must…keep fighting… Ryou's sight was beginning to blacken, due to lack of oxygen.

I cannot…pass out... …I…I…I need air, his eyes closed and he sunk with Yugi.

But not before he had seen a bright light glare through the windows.

Mai and Tristan emerged from the maze on another side of the courtyard, near a wall of glass. They panted heavily.

"I think…we lost him…a couple turns ago," Tristan fell to his knees.

"Yeah…. I don't hear the cycle…."

"It had a very quiet motor: not natural. It could be anywhere, and we wouldn't know it."

"Dang it, Tristan, why do you have to burst my positive bubble!" Mai protested.

He snapped at her, "Look! I'm trying to give you all the facts so we can save our lives! If you haven't noticed, Joey's gone berserk and is trying to kill us! And where do you think Serenity disappeared to! She was probably picked off long before Joey went nuts!" It hurt to talk about Serenity like that, but it was really what he thought….

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Mai retorted, angrily, "She WAS NOT picked off! She probably escaped-"

"AHA! FOUND YOU!"

Mai and Tristan turned their heads to the hedges, which coughed leaves as Joey and his motorcycle parted through them, tearing them up.

"YOU'RE MINE!" he grinned wickedly, speeding towards the two almost helpless victims.

"NO!" Mai cried, feeling the tears fly out of her eyes. They were in the direct line of fire.

The next few seconds seemed to go by in slow motion.

Tristan whipped his body around to face Mai and shoved her out of the way. She stumbled from the spot and turned her head as she fell, just in time to see Joey ram Tristan from the side and send the brunette flying.

"TRISTAN! NOOOOO!"

Am I evil? Please tell me! I hope you all liked that chapter! Kind of boring…until the end. MUWHAHA! What's going to happen…? Ryou and Yugi are drowning; and Tristan was hit with the motorcycle. Will Mai be next? And what will Tea discover in Seto's sleeping mind? See you next time! PLEASE REVIEW! (PS: There should be about two more chapters left, I think…. Short story, I know, but it had to be that way! Probably an epilogue too, okay?)