Hey again guys thanks for the reviews; they were much needed and much appreciated.
Rating: Rated M
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, but I do own the story and the new characters.
AN: Please enjoy. (Reminder the story is still in the past)
Chapter three
"Te-ea…" Her name was whispered through the darkness, taking hold of her body like a cold and clammy tentacle that temporarily cut off her oxygen supply.
The Boogieman's footsteps echoed off her bedroom walls like thunder in a bad dream, coming toward her bed with sinister intentions that she at the age of seven, had no understanding of.
"Hush now baby girl, everything will be alright. I'm here now." She felt his hand come down heavily on the patch just below her knee, sliding upward to her thigh in a sickening gesture of what he called 'affection.'
Other children had warned her about the closet monster that crept out of the closet and kidnapped young children while they slept, taking them to a dark place similar to hell where they would remain forever. They said he was tall and frightening and of course real mean, but she had a new description of him – pure evil.
He did this every night; he picked on her.
After pulling the blanket off he would slide his cold hands over her body and then remove her pajama bottoms. She hated it when he did that, it felt wrong and made her feel like a 'bad girl.'
"I don't like it!" she had once whispered, but he gripped her arms tightly and said in a fairly convincing rasp, "But I love you and this is how two people show their love," before planting a sickening dry kiss on her lips. She had wanted to cry, even scream, but her body was frozen in shock.
His hands investigated every inch of her body, sending sickening shivers through her entire being. Everything felt wrong and confusing and utterly disgusting, but she couldn't stop him, even when it all began to hurt…
"Now Tea, I only have one rule for you," He would say after each session that had left her body badly bruised and naked, and on some occasions bleeding. "This is 'our' little secret," his gruff whisper emphasizing particularly on the 'our.' "You must never tell anyone, is that understood?" He glared down at her through soulless blue eyes that mirrored hers.
She reluctantly raised her lovely pair of wide eyes to his, her heart thudding against her chest and her stomach churning uneasily. She had to be a good girl and do as she was told. That was what her mother had taught her…
"Yes Daddy…I understand."
Tea sadly glanced out of her apartment window that overlooked Domino City, the only home she had ever known. In spite of her upbringing, Tea had managed to complete high school with average grades and was accepted into Domino's finest ballet academy, which started in a few weeks time.
To pay for her studies she worked part time in Hardwick's Toy Store, owned by the ever-friendly Mr. Hardwick himself, whom not only paid her well, but was also the best father figure she'd ever had.
Even though her apartment was technically a 'little' run-down, with leaking ceilings and a plumbing system that threw a tantrum every time she used it, it was comfy and livable, even though her most frequent guests that visited her were the roaches and the occasional 'Jerry.' (AN: mice…in case you didn't get it.)
However, despite of what she had managed to accomplish - he was still in control.
It had been two years since he disappeared…more like ran away and skipped the country. Her mother had accidentally stumbled on his little 'father-and-daughter time collection, which included his stack of sick videotapes and his ever idiotic journal…Big surprise! Like hiding the things that you really don't want anyone to see, in a safe with a combination number of your daughter's birthday, is ever a good idea.
Once the news got out, he ran, but not without his final threat, to a then, fifteen-year-old version of herself. "I will come back." And here she was, stuck in a life that was slowly coming together, waiting for it to burn away before her eyes, all over again.
Of course she had several boyfriends growing up, none that she ever told him about, who all treated her the same way he did. Screw and then leave, then come back to screw again, but she didn't mind, because it didn't matter. Nobody was ever going to love her, she was after all broken goods, and who wanted broken goods?
She certainly wouldn't…would she?
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She tapped her fingers impatiently on the front counter, while watching ordinary people stream pass without even so much as a glance at what was displayed in the shop window. It had been an hour since a customer had come in, and quite frankly Tea was getting bored.
She had already swept the floors and wiped the counters, as well as dusted the shelves twice. The windows were already crystal clear and didn't need a second wash, and changing the window display wasn't required until the following week.
All that was left to do was what she was already doing. Wait for the customer.
Sadly patience had never been one of her strong points.
Pulling out a notepad, she began to draw up a tick-tack-toe battleground to pass the time, which seemed like a good idea at the time; only it sucked when you played against yourself. 'Wow, I'm really working up a sweat!' she thought sarcastically, winning her tenth game in a row.
She would have drawn or doodled something, if she had even the slightest artistic talent, equivalent to that of a zoo chimp…but sadly she was limited to that of, which her former art teacher had assumed to be stick figures- if even- and shapes.
However, she was soon relieved of her 'challenging game' by the sound of Mr. Hardwick's ruff-edged voice thick with a British accent. "Bollocks! Has my trusty right-hand girl been reduced to a scrap piece of paper and pen on such a lovely night?"
Ultimately glad for the distraction, she found herself chuckling. "Oh no Mr. Hardwick I was just trying to see who was better at the game, my good side or my evil side."
He glanced at over his spectacles with a small grin on his face. "Now how about that? The forces of good versus evil fighting in a battle of tick-tack-toe!"
She grinned in spite of its corniness.
He walked toward her, carrying a rather large cardboard box and placed it down gently on the counter, wearing his usual friendly expression. "I have something that may put the tick-tack-toe battle to rest for a while," he said cheerfully, opening the box slightly.
"What is it?" Tea asked eagerly, trying to make herself taller so that she could see inside.
He reached in slowly, as though to purposely drag out her curiosity and pulled out something small that was wrapped in transparent, purple bubble-wrap. "This, my dear, is a new toy on the market," he said, as he undid the complicated turnings and pulling of the plastic wrap, until eventually it revealed what was inside.
Tea gasped. It looked like a robotic dog about the size of a mini football, with large glassy black eyes and an aerial looking tail pointing straight to the sky. 'Talk about ET's pet wanting to phone home.'
"What is that?" she asked through a grin.
"Robo Dog!" Mr. Hardwick responded with a mocked, snobbish flick of his nose in the air, "He happens to be from the future."
"What's he doing here then?"
Mr. Hardwick gave her a mocked surprise, "We don't ask questions we just do!"
"Do what Mr. Hardwick?" Tea said, doing her best to keep a straight face.
"Why let them take over of course!" Acting as though he were telling her a strictly confidential, government secret, he glanced around the room before leaning close to whisper in her ear. "Once the little bloody hooligans get their hands on them they'll all start coming this way for more."
His sudden advancement had made Tea extremely uncomfortable at first, as the feeling of his breath against her ear had reminded her so much of her father. However, even she couldn't help but grin at Mr. Hardwick's lighthearted attempt to make a joke.
He looked up in front of him and smiled, before glancing sideways at her and twitched his head slightly as an indication to do the same.
Without hesitation she followed his gaze and gasped inwardly as she saw 'him' again.
It was the same guy she had seen everyday for the past week, who would walk past without seeing her, but she would catch him just in time before he disappeared out of sight. There was no way she could miss him.
Although she couldn't entirely put her finger on it, she knew he wasn't like most guys who walked the streets of Domino City. He was tall, dark and handsome, as well as mysterious seeming, with a dangerous aura about him. Yet although she had never spoken to him, and was pretty sure he was completely unaware that she lived and breathed, she sensed loneliness…perhaps because she knew what loneliness really was.
"Fine looking young bloke isn't it?" Mr. Hardwick said smugly, catching her off guard.
She felt a dark tinge of pink rushing to her cheeks. "What!? No, yes, kind of…I don't know!" she gushed, shifting uncomfortably as her gaze found the floor far more interesting than her handsome crush that had walked by a mere second before.
"I've noticed that he passes by here quite frequently, must live nearby," He said with a hint of playful torment slyly blending in with casual tone.
"Oh you have?" Tea forced, her voice low and shy as her face got redder and redder…
"Indeed, as I have noticed how smitten you've become over him."
His words felt like a bombshell and if a hole had magically appeared next to her, she would have jumped in without a parachute. 'Oh just kill me now!' she inwardly whined.
"I-I-I um-I…" she stuttered uncomfortably, feeling sweaty and under pressure.
Mr. Hardwick laughed. "Oh honestly Tea, there's no reason to be embarrassed, in fact the next time he happens to walk pass why don't you invite him in for tea?"
Tea? Was he serious? The guy looked like a rough and tough biker type of guy, one that drinks a bottle of beer for breakfast and eats the empty bottle for lunch, and Mr. Hardwick wanted her to invite him in for something like tea…hello?
She laughed nervously. "Thanks Mr. Hardwick, but he probably has a girlfriend already."
Mr. Hardwick did a typical British hand movement that served in this case as a magic feather duster that dismissed all that she had said. "Pish posh! If the unfortunate soul already has one, he clearly is in need of an upgrade to much beautiful and talented pastures," he said with a wink.
"Ha! Ha! Mr. Hardwick," Tea said rolling her eyes, a darker blush forming over the pink spaces where her skin was just recovering from the invasive blush earlier.
She glanced up one more time through the shop window, in hope that by some miracle of fate he would appear once again, just so that she could see him.
Sadly he didn't.
Tomato comes flying through computer screen and splats on face…Turns to look at Yami with sad anime (cutey-pie) eyes in hopes that he would defend me, but he just shrugs…and now I do anime fall backward and the chair falls on top of me…
Hehehehehehe that was fun. Reviews are once again, always appreciated, it tells the (bull-sh## 'writer') where they are going wrong or if they should still keep going etc. So thank you so very much for the reviews you guys are awesome, and enjoy the rest of your day.
