Chapter 2

Riku felt like such a dick.

Sometimes he did things that he knew were ridiculously stubborn and mean towards Sora, but he'd like to think he was helping him. Seeing him leave and come back unharmed could possibly make something in his mind click and he could see that leaving the house wasn't so bad.

Still, sometimes he wanted to slap himself. He rarely thought before acting.

Riku got to the store, jogging up to the door to avoid getting wet. He noticed that when he entered the building, it was eerily silent. He could hear the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.

Sticking his hands in his hoodie pockets, he walked over to where the bread was located, looking around for any signs of life. He spotted a girl sitting atop the cashier counter and grabbed a bag of chips before heading over to her.

She looked up from her magazine, eyeing him up and down before blowing a bubble with the pink gum she was chomping on. She gave him a seductive smirk before hopping off the counter.

"Hey there, find everything you need?" she asked, taking her place by the cash register. Riku just nodded at her, looking toward the windows where lightening continued to flash.

"Weird that you're okay here, hottie. It's stormin' bad." she said. Riku noticed that she had a southern accent. "No one in their right mind would come out to this little rinky dink store in this weather."

"So what are you doing here?" Riku asked, eyes narrowed. The girl smiled and blinked, revealing solid black eyes before blinking again, making her green eyes reappear.

"Who says I'm in my right mind, darlin?"

Demyx and Roxas decided to play charades in the candlelight to pass the time while the girl ate, considering she wanted no part in their friendliness.

"Demyx," Roxas said, quite annoyed, "all you're doing is flailing. I'm sure even you couldn't think that's helpful."

"I'm a bird for crying out loud! You just suck!" Demyx exclaimed, plopping to the ground. "Hey, what if. When Axel called back, it was because that was his last call for help and now he's doomed?"

Roxas blinked at the boy.

"Do you find that funny?" he said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Why would I think it's funny, Roxas?" Demyx answered in the same tone.

"I can't remember."

The two boys' heads jerked in the direction of the small voice. The girl sat at the table with her head down.

"I can't remember anything, except my name, Naminé. I just remember waking up with that guy watching me." She hugged herself and shivered. "He just told me he had been waiting for me to wake up and then…"

They realized she wasn't going to say anything else.

"And then what, Naminé?" Demyx asked softly. She wouldn't talk anymore after that. Demyx and Roxas looked at one another.

"Should we call the police now?" Roxas asked.

"No!" Naminé looked up at them quickly, eyes wide. "I mean, I don't know where I live or anything. I don't want to be kept by them."

"They could find your family." Demyx pointed out.

"I don't want to go with them." she repeated, eyes locking with his. Demyx straightened up.

"Yeah, you're right. It wouldn't be very safe for a young girl anyway."

Naminé turned to Roxas. He eyed Demyx warily.

"Yeah, fine. I guess you could just stay here until we get something figured out." he said, standing up. "I'm going to call Axel again and go to bed. Demyx can lend you his, right bro?"

Demyx glared at Roxas's retreating form as he disappeared into his room.

"Thank you." Naminé said and smiled at him.

"Yeah…" Demyx said, feeling quite confused. "You're welcome."

The bathroom was empty.

Axel was confused. Zexion couldn't possibly be anywhere else.

He scratched his head and turned around, jumping back and letting out a yelp.

"How the fuck did you get there?" he yelled at the now clean slate haired boy. He tipped his head at the taller man.

"You bought me here?"

"No! I mean, I was just looking for you and- how'd you get dressed? Those clothes were just sitting on the bed still." Axel went on.

"I think maybe you are hallucinating, Axel. You should sit down." Zexion said, softly.

And Axel sat. Right there on the bathroom floor.

"I don't want to sit," he said, shaking his head and making to get up.

"Yes you do." Zexion said, looking Axel in the eyes. Axel sat back down fully.

Zexion sat in front of him Indian style. placing his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists. It was silent as they stared at one another.

"Can we…. I don't know… leave the bathroom?" Axel asked. Zexion shushed him loudly, making the redhead give him a quizzical look.

"Wha-"

"Shhh."

Axel sighed and looked away, suddenly getting the urge to be defiant, and stood up.

"…I was looking at your face." Zexion said, as if he were offended.

"I see that!" Axel said, walking around him and out of the bathroom. Zexion sure was weird. Now he understood why he hung out with his goofball friends so much.

The boy followed him out of the bathroom quietly. Axel felt uncomfortable about the eerie silence between them as they traveled down the stairs.

"You do not want me here do you?" Zexion asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I invited you here." Axel said, sitting on the couch. Zexion remained standing and shook his head.

"You invited to take me to… Demyx…" Zexion pointed out. "And that's not the question I asked."

"You're just… more weird than I remember." Axel said honestly. The other boy nodded as if agreeing and wrapped an arm around himself again.

"Things change people. Sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst." he said and turned around. Something in the air grew thick. It made Axel gulp.

"Yeah? And which way did you change?" he asked.

"Guess you'll be figuring that out…" he said quietly and headed back up the stairs.

Riku jumped in his car and started up the engine frantically. He didn't know if he was insane or what, but he needed to get back home.

His tires screeched. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air. Smoke trailed behind him. Riku ignored everything as he swerved out into the road, nearly hitting an oncoming vehicle.

He sped down the street, zooming around the few cars that dotted the street. Checking his rearview mirror, it became apparent that the thing from the store was following him.

"Oh my…" he trailed off silently.

He could just barely make out the face of the girl behind him smiling brightly as if she had just won a tournament all by herself. Lightening flashed, illuminating her face and revealing a beast with it's face half ripped off.

Rotting flesh hung from her cheek bone as the wide grin stayed on her face. Her hair was bloody and tattered.

In just those few seconds, Riku nearly swerved off the road. He turned the steering wheel sharply. The wet road caused the tires to slip and sent Riku onto the wrong side of the road. A semi truck's horn blared.

Next, all that was heard was the bang of a crash and the crunch of metal being hit with a full force impact.

The sun was way too bright through the slightly ajar curtains. Sora opened his eyes and immediately squeezed them shut tightly. He vaguely realized that he was still on the couch. Weird.

He slept through the night and hadn't gotten anything done. His laptop was open on the ground in front of him, along with papers, pencils, and books sprawled everywhere. He must have had another one of his fits.

The really odd thing was that he'd usually clean everything up before Riku could return to see. The other odd thing was that Riku hadn't woken him up or anything.

Sora checked his phone for the time, it was 9:54am. His term paper was due at 12 and there was no sign of his boyfriend.

The brunette's heart sank.

"Riku?" he called and stood up quickly. He searched the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, anywhere he could think of, all the while calling out his name.

He stopped walking, leaning forward on a counter in the kitchen, breathing deeply to calm himself. He went into the other room and grabbed his cell phone, quickly calling Riku's number. The phone went straight to voicemail each time he called.

A small, frustrated scream escaped Sora as he paced, dialing Roxas's number.

"Sora? It's too early…" Roxas answered, groggily.

"I don't know where Riku is." Sora said, trying desperately not to cry.

"What? Did he go to work? Class?" Roxas asked, sounding more alert now.

"He left last night, in the storm. I fell asleep or blacked out or something. I don't know but I don't think he's been here." Sora said, starting to fall apart.

"Calm down, So. Please. Look, I'm on my way now okay? Just stay calm, I'll be right there." he said.

Sora hung up, wiping his eyes. He was terrified. It wasn't like Riku to not come home or call or anything. Sora got up and looked out the window. Maybe he should go find him? But the thought alone made his breathing come too quick.

"I'm too pathetic…" he said, slumping against a wall.

Sora's phone rang. He rushed to answer, hoping it was Riku. Axel's name flashed across the screen much to his disappointment. He sighed and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sora? Oh god, did you… have you… the news…" was all the redhead got out properly. Sora felt his heartbeat quicken.

"What? What about the news, Axel?" Sora said, standing to go over to the TV.

"Riku…. You haven't heard anything?"

Riku.

Sora turned on the TV with a shaky hand.

"Sora?"

"…car found, completely totaled at 15th and Sunset Drive…."

The car showed on the screen was silver and blue, Riku's car.

"Sora? Are you okay? Say something!"

"…..police believe it occurred last night around 10-11pm…."

"Sora, I'm coming over there okay?"

"….no body was found… investigative services are immediately on the case…."

Sora's phone slipped from his hand. He stared at the crushed car on his screen. The yellow caution tape surrounding the area. The huge semi-truck that had been hauled off of Riku's tiny car.

They didn't find his body.

It didn't make sense.

Sora backed away from the TV, shaking uncontrollably. He tripped over the coffee table, falling backwards. He barely registered anything that happened.

He couldn't breathe. He was gasping for air. Everything around him was starting to close in on him.

"Riku?" he called out to no one, his voice uneven.

He giggled. Still pushing himself away from the TV.

"You're okay right? It's a joke!" he screamed.

The TV started to blur out. He clutched at his chest, trying to steady his breathing. He was beginning to get light-headed.

"….no tracks leading to or from the vehicle…."

The television wasn't even visible anymore. Everything in the room faded until Sora was lost in a sea of black.