Kimyo: Hello, hello! Sorry it took so long to update, but my free time has been very limited. This chapter is very short, but I thought I should post it now so you'll know I haven't abandoned it, instead of making you wait.

YamiTyger, this one probably won't be scary enough for you, but I hope you like it.

Mana the Authoress, this is twisty, but it has elements from both movies and stays true to the essence of the source materials. (I hope.)

marikslildevil, I'm not sure who's gonna survive. It looks like even my favorites may have to die. ;x; But you know, even though everyone just plain dies in The Grudge, in Ju On, they seem to show a way to defeat the curse. What'll happen next is really anyone's guess at this point.

Thanks for reviewing also go to zacura and InsaneShadowFan! FYI, you can check on the progress of all my stories, and see future fics and plot bunnies on my profile page. I update that whenever something comes up, so you'll know how everything's going.

The most terrifying thing is to gaze into emptiness...
... and for it to gaze back.
Eight
Tainted

Anzu's hand shook as she tried to pour herself some coffee.

It was morning. She'd been sedated, then taken home and plopped down on her doorstep as soon as she'd woken. Her mind was still foggy from whatever drug they'd given her. Her memories of the challenge were starting to fade. She wanted to push the terrifying images and thoughts away, convince herself it had been a dream. However, she found her mind clinging to the recollections, replaying them in her head, studying them.

I have to warn everyone about that house.

She was sitting at her breakfast table, gazing out the second story window at her modest neighborhood. Watching the small children walking to school in their cute uniforms soothed her. Everything outside was so peaceful.

Something on the glass caught her eye.

Odd. That reflection... It almost looks like eyes. As if someone were right outside the window, gazing in.

She watched the reflection, which was simply two white spots. She focused on it, expecting it to become one of the appliances on the counter behind her. Instead, a translucent humanoid form materialized. It seemed very real now-- a woman was standing there staring into Anzu's eyes. She didn't seem to be breathing, and blood was streaming down her face.

Anzu felt goosebumps pop out all over her arms and the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

She turned, expecting to see nothing. The woman was not standing, she was hovering, her feet dangling inches above the floor. Her eyes were soulless, milky pools. Her jaw gaped open, but only choked sounds came out.

Anzu jumped backwards, tripping over her chair. Falling, she hit her head on the wall and crumpled to the floor.

o o o

"Awright!"

Honda proudly threw his stone down, his smile beaming with pride, then picked up a white one. "I finally caught one of your stones, Bakura! How d'ya like that?"

Bakura assessed the go board for a second, then set down his stone with a subdued clack, and captured six of Honda's pieces.

Thunderstruck, Honda watched helplessly as Ryou removed the stones for his yami. "How the hell do you keep on doing that? Every time I think I've got you, you turn around and kill me!"

They were in a spacious suite, waiting their turns in Saeki House. Yugi and Yami were having tea in the kitchen.

Yugi couldn't stop thinking about Anzu. "I wish we could know how she's doing." He cradled his warm cup of chamomile, his brow furrowed. Yami touched his aibou's shoulder. "Don't forget your bond, Yugi. If anything had happened to her, you would've sensed it." He'd expected Yugi to smile and feel better, but was met with an even more serious look.

Outside, on the balconey, Jouno was looking out at Pegasus's estate, as worried as Yugi was.

Why can't Iignore this feeling of dread?

o o o

When Anzu opened her eyes, the room was filled with black shadows. The only illumination was soft blue light pouring in from the street, moving back and forth across the counter as cars endlessly drove past, their roaring engines and squealing tires muted.

As she tried to stand, she found that she'd hurt her ankle. She grunted in pain and slid down, sitting against the wall.

-- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o--

Her breath hitched in her throat at the sound. Looking up, she saw it across the room.

... o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o...

She thought at first that it was a panther. It was a black figure, crawling to her as she sat there, frozen in fear.

o-o-o-o-o.

It came into focus and took on humanoid shape. It was a woman.

o-o-o-o-o?

Anzu couldn't move as it reached her, clutching her, dragging itself up to her eye level and leering with wide eyes, all the while making that sound.

-- o-o-o-o-o-O-O-O-O--

The phone rang, jolting Anzu awake. The kitchen was flooded with cheery morning light. Getting up, she found that she'd hurt her ankle. She limped to the phone and answered it.

"Moshi moshi..."

Malik's voice boomed over the other end: "Hey, Anzu! Listen to this!" He moved the receiver and Anzu heard music accompanied by Shuichi Shindo's voice:

Furueteru shai na sekai no

Nukemichi o neratte, tadoritsuku basho e

I want new world!

Then Malik's voice returned. "Bad Luck rehearsal! Don't they sound incredible? Hey, we're coming back to town in February. I'll score everyone some tickets."

Anzu couldn't come up with a reply.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Okay, what's going on? I've been trying to call everyone for hours and you're the only one who answered. I just thought they were at school, but..."

"Malik, something bad is going on."

"What, is there some psycho trying to take over the world again?"

"I saw something in my kitchen this morning." Glancing at the clock, she realized only fifteen minutes had passed. "A woman... Her eyes were cold and dead. She was floating there, staring at me."

"Oh, shit, was it Sadamara? Did you watch any suspicious tapes?"

"No, not Sadamara..." She blinked, frowning. "Her hair was short, and her clothes... She looked exactly like me."

Anzu could hear as Malik went into a quieter room. His voice was softer and more serious now. "Exactly like you," he repeated. "Don't go into a panic. It might not be right away. It might be a year or longer."

"What are you talking about?"

"Anzu, you've seen your doppelganger. It means that you're going to die."

8
tainted
finish