Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or any of its characters.
Beyblade
Broken Down Ghost House
By: Plushie-Sensei
Chapter 2: Old Apple Ridge Inn
They were packed, and ready to go. Kai was still irritated, but that was okay, because they were used to him being anal about things. They were now on an airplane, making their way to... that place... Kai stared out the plane window a bored expression on his face, though there was a hint of fear in his eyes.
"Ease up, Kai," Rei's voice soothed. Kai twitched slightly, signalling he heard, though it was difficult to follow through. The whole thing made him feel very uneasy. Soon, passengers made noises of excitement as a coast formed underneath the clouds. Rei looked out the window Kai was looking out of with interest. Rei peered over to Kai, smiling when he saw Kai's eyes secretly shining with wonder.
"It's beautiful," Hilary sighed, Max, Tyson, and Kenny agreeing with her. Soon the plane landed and everyone made their way into the terminal. Many people loaded out of the plane, smiles on their faces, obviously happy to be there. Kai made sure to stick close to the group as the people crowded around him. He didn't like crowds. He turned to the others, noticing Rei standing right next to him, his curious golden eyes darting uneasily from person to person. Obviously he wasn't alone in the feeling...
"Hey guys, come on!" Tyson yelled from a distance. Rei and Kai made their way through the people to see the other four near a tall scrawny man in a plain gray suit. Kai kept his distance as Rei joined the others.
"Hello, children," the man said. "I'm Mr. Maple." He removed his hat for a moment in a polite fashion making Hilary giggle when he winked at her. Max giggled as well when he noticed Tyson glare at both of them.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, so, Mr. Maple, where do we go from here?" Tyson asked, stepping in front of Hilary. Of course, she smacked him on the arm for being so impolite.
"Well, we take a small walk to the dock and it's off across the river to the Old Apple Ridge Inn." Hilary and Tyson smiled at each other, excited.
"Let's go then!" Max cheered and followed Mr. Maple toward the exit of the airport. Once they reached the outside, Kai spoke up.
"What about our luggage?" he asked, stopping. Mr. Maple smiled at him, making Kai's hair stand on end.
"Well, we're delivering it to the Inn beforehand, so you don't carry as much," he answered, then began his stride again. Kai's eyes narrowed, but he followed, rather reluctantly.
They passed by many shops and small houses on their way. The town seemed very small to have an airport in it, but no one bothered with that. Many people looked very friendly and waved to them, while addressing Mr. Maple in a hello. Obviously it was a pretty tight knit community. Rei admired the closeness of the people, the situation reminding him of home. Kai looked to his right as everyone was looking to an old shop Mr. Maple was pointing out to the left. He noticed an alleyway with people passing by it, but something was odd. He stopped staring at the alleyway, when a couple walked by. Kai's eyes dilated as he saw a young girl standing in the alleyway... or more hung in the alleyway. In a flash it was gone, but it was enough to scare Kai out of his mind.
"Holy-!" Kai yelped, backing up. Rei and the others turned around hearing Kai's yelp and Rei gasped seeing a man running right toward him, carrying a bough of hay.
"Kai, look out!" Rei yelled, and just as Kai turned, the man collided with him and hay flew everywhere. The others ran up to him, fishing through the hay before Tyson got a hold of Kai's collar, pulling the out-of-it child out of it.
"Are you okay?" he asked. His only answer was a small groan and little swirlies replaced Kai's crimson eyes. Rei sighed in relief looking up in time to catch the man running around a corner, knocking over someone else.
"What the hell was that all about?" Rei growled. Mr. Maple placed a chilling hand on Rei's shoulder.
"Just a low down thief. Come boys, and miss, we should be getting you to your hotel before nightfall," Rei shivered as the man's hand left his shoulder, leaving a cold feeling behind. He turned to see Kai standing, Tyson and Max helping as he brushed himself off. Rei's eyes narrowed, his mind wandering back to why Kai could've yelped earlier. Maybe it was a mistake to come here...
Hilary stood leaning against the railing of the ferry, the wind in her soft brown bangs.
"Wow, I've never been on a ferry before," she cooed. Tyson shrugged, standing beside her.
"You've been on a boat before. What's the difference?" Hilary shook her head.
"There's a difference, trust me," she said, not letting Tyson's mood kill hers. Rei, Kai, Max, and Kenny all sat near the rear of the ferry on chairs, Mr. Maple riding in the steering room. Rei peered over to Kai, whom was watching the waves that formed behind the boat. He had a fearful expression on. That scared Rei. Kai was never scared of anything, and here he was looking at the waves like there were... let's not go there... Rei swallowed, getting up to choose a closer seat to Kai's.
"Hey," he said softly, though it was obviously enough to make Kai twitch. Kai took a deep breath, hating the feeling of fear. Rei cast him a worried glance, making Kai look at him.
"What?" he asked. Rei shrugged.
"Nothing, just wondering why you're so uptight," he answered truthfully. Kai sighed, closing his eyes, before opening them, a dreadfully tired look on his face.
"There was an alley..." he started. Rei perked up, ready and willingly to listen if it would help. "There was girl... hanging in the alley," he said, making the color in Rei's body drain considerably.
"Kai, don't say things like that!" Rei yelled, but frowned further when Kai turned to him.
"I'm serious. She was hanging by the neck, looking at me," he said, his voice monotone. Rei's breathing became difficult as he stared at Kai's face.
"We're here boys... and girl!" Hilary smiled with satisfaction at Mr. Maple's announcement, while the others looked forward, several of them frowning at the gloomy lone dock with lots of weeping willows surrounding the area. Rei turned back to Kai, blinking in surprise as the youth stood.
"Kai," Rei called, making Kai stop for a moment before he continued. Rei felt fear creep up his spine as he stood as well, walking a bit too fast. "Wait!" he said, then stepped forward, gasping as his foot slipped forward. His body starting falling backwards in a painfully slow motion. He could see Kai slowly turning toward him as the others slowly ran toward him. Everything was so damn slow, it frustrated Rei, until his body met with the freezing depths of the bayou. He'd fallen overboard.
'Kai!' he felt himself yelling mentally, since he was underwater. He looked around him, darkness everywhere, nothing visible at all, not even the boat. He could see a faint glitter of light above him and started for the surface... when something grabbed his ankle. He looked down, letting all the air from his lungs at the sight he saw.
Kai peered over the edge, frantically searching for Rei's body, but couldn't see anything in the murky depths.
"Rei!" Hilary yelled, hoping to get answer, even though she reluctantly doubted she would get one.
"Where are you buddy!" Tyson yelled. Kai wasn't too keen on the idea of jumping in after him, but he was willing to. He was just about to pull off his scarf when a gasp was heard over the water. They all looked out to see Rei swimming quickly to the boat, in a rather clumsy and frantic motion.
"Rei!" Max called out as he came to the edge of the boat. They helped Rei out but were all pushed away as Rei still tried to get away. He stumbled forward, falling flat on his chest, yelping as if someone was kicking him over and over again. Kai kneeled down beside him, grabbing his shoulders, forcing him to be still.
"Rei, calm down!" he said. Rei continued and toss and turn, though less and less. They all waited patiently until Rei was only whimpering, his eyes closed, breathing hard. Mr. Maple handed Hilary a towel in which she used to wrap around Rei, being very careful when she helped him up. Kai watched Rei tremble with fright as rage built up inside him. With each whimper Kai grew more and more furious. "Take us back!" he yelled, startling everyone.
"I'm sorry?" Mr. Maple asked, a pleasant smile on his face.
"Take us back!" Kai yelled again, threatening to knock him out, but Tyson and Max restrained him. Mr. Maple's smile soon straightened, forming more of a smirk.
"I can't," he said simply. Kai growled.
"Why not!" he yelled, completely forgetting his fear. Mr. Maple turned to look up at the captain on the ferry and nodded. The captain nodded back and soon the anchor dropped. "What are you doing!" Kai snarled, trying to break free of his friends' grasps.
"You're stuck here for two weeks, so I suggest you get used to it," Mr. Maple said, showing them the way to the docks with his hands. Kai stood there with a helplessness about him. He couldn't exactly swim back. He couldn't even see the town anymore. He stood there defeated. They really were stuck here for two weeks... Tyson and Max let go of Kai once they knew it was okay, and both looked up as Kai spoke, his voice low and dangerous.
"Alright... Since we're stuck here you might as well tell us just what this place is." Kai looked up, angry red eyes peering from under his silvery bangs. Mr. Maple remained silent, his face passive now.
"I'll tell you inside," he said finally, turning to lead the group toward land. Hilary looked back to Rei, whom didn't look like he was going to stand anytime soon. Not if she had any say that is...
"Someone should carry him inside," she said, catching the boys' attention.
"I'll do it," Kai offered, surprising the others. Hilary helped Rei onto Kai's back, nonetheless, and soon they were off, following Mr. Maple to whatever awaited them...
Kai looked from side to side, feeling uneasy surrounded by nothing but trees and fog. He glared ahead, his eyes meeting with the back of Mr. Maple's head.
"We're here," the said man whispered, pushing open a small wooden gate. Kai pulled Rei into a more comfortable position on his back before walking through, followed closely by the others. They all looked up seeing an old wooden house, its body taking up a large amount of land. It could be big enough to call a mansion, but not that pleasant to look at.
"We're staying here?" Hilary asked, grabbing Tyson's arm in fright.
"Yes," came the simple response. Maple soon walked forward, the others following reluctantly.
Inside the front room was huge; a pair of wooden staircases on either side leading up to a small walkway, that lead to rooms most likely. Straight ahead was a small desk with papers scattered across it and on the wall behind it was a board cover in hooks with keys hanging from most of them. Perhaps they weren't the only guests in this horrid place since some of the keys were missing.
"How may I help you, gentlemen and lady?" Kai snapped around, seeing a young lady smiling sweetly at them, now standing behind the previously empty desk. Her accent was thick with Irish ancestry while she wore a simple uniform, her bright red hair tied back in a neat bun.
"Where'd you come from?" Tyson asked, obviously a bit frightened at her sudden appearance.
"Oh, me? I come straight from Ireland, yah? Beautiful place, alas, I had to leave to find a good job. Came here to good ol' Apple Ridge Inn and it's been my home ever since," she explained, her voice soft and lively.
"Miss Mary, these folks have reservations," Maple said, putting his hands on Max and Kenny's shoulders, the boys not looking too thrilled about it.
"Aye, I see. Well, what would your names be then?" she asked, pulling out an old worn book from under the desk. She opened it, dust flying everywhere, the pages looking incredibly old. She coughed and waved the dust away smiling sheepishly to her guests. "Sorry 'bout that. You see, it's been a while since we last had guests..." she said, then pulled a pen out of her uniform shirt pocket. This confused Kai... So why were there missing keys then?
"These are the Blade Breakers, Miss Mary, the bladin' team I was telling you about," he explained. Miss Mary smiled and nodded, turning around to get three keys.
"Alright then, you're on the list! Here are your keys, lads... and lass, and George will show you to your rooms," she said motioning to look to the side. Max turned his head and came face to chest with a large butler looking person, his eyes closed, his face heavy with wrinkles. Max yelped, ducking behind Kenny as the tall man took in a slow breath.
"Follow... me..." he said very slowly, then turned around and began walking up the stairs. Tyson and Hilary exchanged worried glances for a moment, and then saw Kai begin his trek up the stairs, so they followed.
"Oh, is your friend alright?" Miss Mary asked concern evident in her Irish voice.
"He's fine, just needs some rest and a change of clothes." Miss Mary nodded to Kai's sudden answer, backing off as they continued to walk up the steps.
"They're not too happy about staying here," Maple said, walking up to the front desk.
"You didn't tell them..." Mary started, but stopped as she saw Maple shake his head. "Well, at least you didn't warn them," she said, a playful smile on her lips. Maple nodded looking up the steps. He soon walked away, the desk he was standing next to empty once again.
George -the butler apparently- put the key in the first door and opened it, stepping aside for Kai to walk through.
"Your key... sir..." George slurred, holding out the key he'd just used. Kai took it uneasily, and then walked into the room, nodding to the others, trying to make them feel a bit more at ease than himself. They nodded back, turning to continue following George down the hallway to their own rooms. Kai looked around the room, eyeing the old fashioned style. It seemed alright, nothing too dusty or old looking. There was even a small plate of bread and butter on the table separating the two mahogany beds, with dark red sheets. Kai sighed, his back aching from carrying Rei all the way there.
He placed Rei down gently on one of the beds -the one closest to the door- and sat down beside him, cracking his stiff back. He let out a relieved sigh then turned to Rei. Rei's eyelids were moving slightly as were his limbs, and soon bright golden eyes opened to stare at the canopy over the bed, it's sheets the same color as the ones he was lying on.
"Huh... Kai!" Rei gasped suddenly, sitting up in one swift movement. Kai placed his hands on Rei's shoulders, trying to calm the terrified boy down.
"Relax, Rei," Kai said, waiting for Rei to calm down. Rei took one uneasy breath after another until he was alright again. He turned to Kai, his eyes mirroring his inner fright.
"Where are we?" he asked in a shaky voice. Kai looked around for a second, releasing Rei's shoulders.
"At the hotel..." he said. Rei frowned, not really wanting to hear that.
"Oh... Kai, we have to leave," Rei spoke up. Kai looked up as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I know," he replied.
"No, you don't understand. You should've been there... in the water. The things I saw..." Rei pulled his knees up to his soggy chest, holding his head with his hands. Kai cast him a stern look.
"What..." Kai thought about this. Did he really want to know what Rei saw? It would help the boy to get it out though. "What did you see?" Kai asked, deciding the Rei's sanity came before his own.
"I was trying to get to the surface... and something grabbed my ankle... Or... It was someone..." Rei said, gripping onto his head. Kai could feel his stomach lurch at those words but nodded, pressing Rei forward.
"Someone?" Kai asked. Rei nodded.
"There were... corpses down there, Kai... And all that time I kept wishing over and over that you'd come get me... I've never been so scared before..." Rei said, blinking back tears. Kai's eyes softened at Rei's statement. He wanted him to safe him? Of course, Kai was the strongest, physically, out of the group, but why would Rei want him in particular. More importantly, so as not to give himself a headache, Kai focused on what Rei had said earlier. There were corpses in the water...
"I'm sorry, Rei..." Kai whispered, those simple words catching on his tongue. He was unused to saying such things to people, but he felt that he should apologize. He wanted to jump in after him, but he waited too long. Luckily Rei came out anyways.
"You shouldn't apologize," Rei said, rubbing his arms, feeling very cold. Kai shook his head, standing up. He noticed their luggage stacked by the window so he went over to get Rei's; so the poor boy could get warm.
"I should. It's my fault for letting you guys talk me into coming in the first place. But I don't blame you, so don't get all depressed," Kai said, his voice a bit harsh, though not as bad as it usually was. Rei looked up as Kai placed his suitcase on the bed. "You should change into something warmer. You don't want to get sick here of all places." Rei nodded, pulling his case closer so as to open it. Kai opened the curtains, dust blowing out a bit. He looked out onto the grounds, seeing the dense forest with fog and a small black iron gate to the far right toward the back of the house. He couldn't see what was beyond that, nor could he read the obscure letters on the sign above the gate. He sighed closing the curtain again, not liking the look of the outside and its -dare he say it- dead composure.
"What do we do now?" came Rei's small voice. Kai turned around as Rei finished pulling on a long sleeved shirt, baggy pants and socks finishing his attire. Kai sighed, walking over to his own suitcase.
"We sleep. We'll discuss what to do tomorrow, and get that Maple guy to tell us what the hell is going on..." Rei nodded and turned around as Kai began to undress. He looked down at his bed with a sour expression. He really didn't like being here. Soon a small lump in the sheets caught his attention. He stared at it for a while before it started to move. Rei's eyebrow quirked in wonder as the lump moved closer and closer to the pillows located at the head of the bed. Rei hesitantly reached out pulling the covers down and jumped in fright. A small bat screeched as it crawled around Rei's bed, refusing to leave.
"What the hell!" Rei yelled, putting his arms up to shield himself. Kai walked over then, now in a pair of soft pants and a t-shirt. He saw the bat and looked at Rei with a confused expression.
"So move it," he said.
"Are you out of your mind!" Rei shrieked in his ear, making him step back. "There's NO way I'm going to touch it!" he vowed. Kai rolled his eyes, putting his hand near the bat.
"Come on, Rei, it's just a harmless bat," Kai reasoned. Rei seemed unconvinced as the bat hung from Kai's hand by its tiny feet, flapping its wings a bit.
"You're crazy. Don't come crying to me when it bites you," Rei said, glaring at the little creature now clinging to Kai's arm but its tiny claws.
"Aww, look, he even has a little bell collar," Kai teased, holding the creature closer to Rei, who in turn jumped on Kai's bed.
"Get that thing away from me!" he yelled. Kai sighed, turning around to take the bat outside. The bat did, in fact, have a small collar on with a little bell, making Kai wonder if someone actually kept bats as pets around this place. Great way to add to the wierdness. He let the bat go out the door, smiling a bit as the bat scurried down the hall. He closed the door once again and turned around to see Rei sitting on his -Kai's- bed, glaring at him.
"Oh jeez, Rei, it was only a little bat," Kai said, walking over to his bed. Rei continued to stay put, following Kai's form with the glare still in place. "Go to sleep, Rei. You'll feel better in the morning." Kai pulled the soft covers up and got under them, pulling them over his shoulders, and soon sighed as he was comfortable enough to sleep. Something against his back, though, kept him up. He got up and turned around seeing Rei under the covers next to him. A hue of pink went straight to Kai's cheeks. "What are you doing?" Kai asked, irritated. Rei looked at him with innocent golden eyes.
"There's no way I'm sleeping in that bed. So I'll room with you. Goodnight, Kai," Rei replied, turning over to go to sleep.
"Go to your own bed," Kai said, still angry. Rei shook his head.
"No way." Kai growled and was about to push Rei off the bed but he stopped as Rei spoke. "Please don't kick me off... I really don't know what I'd do if I had to be by myself again..."
Kai stared at Rei's back for a while before sighing in defeat. He turned around and laid down as he'd done previously and soon found himself comfortable. The warm body next to him wasn't that bad either. He opened one eye as he felt Rei cuddle into his back, most likely because he was still cold. Kai frowned when he felt Rei's body shiver against his own. He decided one night wouldn't kill him.
Though he probably should've thought of rewording that last thought...
TBC...