Hey, everyone. Just so you know, I might not be updating quite as often... I'm sorta grounded, you see.

Anyhow, this is chapter nine. And no one correctly guessed this chapter's victim.

Oh, and since I'm grounded, I won't be responding to reviews. But I'll still read them. Feel free to still review. I mean, don't let the fact that I won't be replying anymore stop you.

So...

One thing, though: I've had two people ask me why the people from the Dark Tournament (Chu, Jin, Touya, etc.) haven't been included in the people/demons I've been killing off. Well, there are three reasons.

One: I wasn't thinking about them as I was planning the fic. out.

Two: They aren't handy. Think about it. Just about everyone who dies in this fanfiction was in Kari's room in chapter one. (There are three exceptions, who I won't name since they're not all dead yet.) They're in Demon World somewhere.

Three: What would Jin's sign be? Or Touya's? Or Chu's? And anyway, if you listened to Kurama in the first chapter, horoscopes are stupid human creations. Jin and Touya and Chu and them most likely don't believe in these things.

Yeah, I think that's all I've got to say. Who will chapter ten's victim be? Take a guess.

So... enjoy chapter nine of "Your Horrorscope for Today"! Review! And this chapter is dedicated to the Libras... My dad's a Libra. Too bad he's still alive...

Libra–

"Laughter is the very best medicine; remember that when your appendix bursts next week."

"They got Atsuko last night."

"Keiko, I'm so sorry. She was like family to you, wasn't she?"

"Who was it now?" Kari yelled from the other room.

Kurama covered the receiver with his hand. "Atsuko."

"Yeah, she was," Keiko continued. "She was like my crazy aunt."

"Do you want us to come to Genkai's?"

"No, I don't feel like making such a long trip right now..."

"Would you like to come here, then?" he offered.

"Yeah. I'll do that."

"I'll call Kaitou."

He hung up. Kari turned to look at him over her shoulder. "Are they coming here?"

"Yes." He started dialing. "Hello. Kaitou?"

- -

The meeting wasn't really much of anything. They were silent almost the entire time. More than anything, it was just for comfort. If they died now, they all died together.

But the feeling of safety could only last so long. Kaitou and Keiko eventually had to go home.

"Do you think Mother will be all right?"

The two redheaded siblings were laying together on Kurama's bed. They weren't doing anything – Kari was too upset to do anything. And she was afraid to sleep alone.

"Atsuko was aware of the Spirit World, however slightly," he reminded his sister.

They were silent. Then Kari sighed. "I guess I'll have to sleep in my own bed tomorrow... she'll be back."

He smiled. "I like your bed better, in any case."

"You know what I mean," she grumbled. But he had succeeded in getting her to smile.

- -

Their mother, Shiori, returned from her business trip the next day. Kari's eyes followed her wherever she went, worried, when she thought her mother wouldn't notice.

Kurama spent a lot of time watching her, too, but not for the same reason.

He was going to kill her.

She was his mother. She had taught him so much during his life as a human. But sooner or later, she was going to die.

And he was going to be the one who killed her.

- -

The killer stood on Kaitou's front porch, though the teenage human would never have known that.

Kari had thrown a fit when she found out he was planning on leaving. He had finally – somehow – convinced her that if she stayed close to her mother, she would be all right.

Katiou was going to be his next victim. He was running low on options. He had no idea what to do to Keiko – her horoscope hadn't suggested anything. He was drawing a total blank. Kari... he had a vague idea of what he was going to do to her, but he was going to avoid that if possible. And possibly the easiest to kill of all, Shiori...

How easy it would be to kill her. She was only human. And she was always so sickly... she was so weak.

But first, Kaitou. Of the four left, he was the most likely to suspect him.

He knocked on the door.

Kaitou answered it. "Oh, Shuichi. What are you doing here?"

"I thought perhaps playing a game of strategy would help relieve some stress."

"Why not play with Kari?"

He chuckled. "She's predictable. A brilliant strategist, yes. But I know how her mind works. And besides, she's in no mood to play games."

His eyebrows went up in pleasant surprise. "You find me a more challenging opponent."

He nodded. "I find you less predictable."

- -

They played chess, Risk, battleship, any strategy game they could find. They even played a round or two of a game similar to the one they played in the house of three dimensions. Kaitou did seem more comfortable after a while. He was focusing on trying to out-think, to out-strategize, his greatest intellectual rival.

Eventually he got up to use the bathroom. Kurama slipped two plants into his drink. Like with Atsuko, neither of them would react right away.

The first would cause his appendix to burst. The second would give him a deadly infection.

- -

"Hey," Kari called to her brother. It was two days later. "Do you know someone named... Asato Kido?"

"I believe he's a friend of Kaitou's," Kurama answered. "The one with the shadow ability, if I remember correctly."

"Well, he wanted to talk to you." She held out the phone to him. "It sounded important."

He took the phone from her. "Hello?"

"Yeah, it's Kido. Is this Kurama?"

"Yes."

"I wanted to tell you... Kaitou... is dead."

- Kuramastrass -