Chapter Three :

The next morning, the guys went to the supermarket to buy some food.

"Alright, I think we have everything we need ?" Bakura asked.

"I believe so," Atem replied, "and hold on, we are supposed to meet up with the girls in an hour. Why the hell did we buy the groceries now ?!"

"Mr. whiney pants here wanted to buy a bloody cereal !" Bakura grew a vein.

"Hey ! you wanted to buy that friggin new Green Tea !" Y. Marik yelled while pushing the shopping cart.

"It's one of the finest ! At least I don't need new hair gel every week !" Bakura protested.

"You think I wake up looking like this without hair gel ?!" Atem barked

"Oh shut up ! Last time I checked, you bought everything in the leather store !" Bakura folded his arms and slightly picked up his pace.

"For your information, leather is my thing ! you don't see me buying teacups everyday !"

"Those are antiques ! and you're one to talk !" Bakura frowned.

"Oh Ra…" Y. Marik sighed, "just a couple of children."

An hour later, the guys met up with the triplets, Azuka, Renzu and Kate at the mall. They ordered food and sat together on a table.

"So boys, how was your day ?" Renzu smiled

"We went to the supermarket…." Y. Marik said

"Oh dear…and did the security kick you out again ?" Kate looked at him

"Nope ! not this time. We were just too smart for them." Bakura grinned and gave a thumbs up.

"In other words, you were just trying to avoid them" Azuka looked at Atem with a smile.

"You got it" he groaned but as soon as he saw her smile, a curve spread across his face.

"So…Bakura…um" Renzu blushed, "how was your day ?"

"O-oh ! who ? me ?..well, it was good" he tried to hide a blush.

Atem held in a chuckle and whispered Azuka, "Lovers."

Azuka gave a small giggle and took a sip of her drink then looked at a young boy crying. She looked around and then looked at the lonely boy sitting at a table on his own.

"….excuse me," she stood up and walked over to the child, "you ok, hun. ?"

"I lost my mommy ! I can't find her anywhere" the boy sobbed and cried more.

"Don't cry, hun. We'll find your mommy, I promise" she sat beside the child and patted his shoulder comfortingly till the child had stopped crying.

Atem looked at his watch and back to the empty seat in front of him. 'Where is she ?' he thought.

"Where did you last see your mother ?" Azuka looked at the child as they walked side by side through the mall.

"Over there," he pointed to the dark side of the mall.

'…..on second thought, I'm not so sure' she thought. "Are you sure that she's around here ?"

"Yes, I am" the child lead her to a very dark store.

She looked at the broken razor-sharp glass window, which had insects stuck in giant spider webs. Even though it was eleven in the morning, the absence of light made it as dark as the night.

Azuka tried to keep her cool and gave a shout, "hello? Is anybody here ?" no answer came. "anyone ? there's a child looking for his mother here….anybody ?"

She looked at the store once more before entering it. As soon as she was inside, she looked at the dusty walls with a slightly worried look.

"Are you sure that she's-" before she could finish her sentence, she looked back at the child. He wasn't there. Fear stroke her heart and she began to scan the area with her eyes as she looked for the boy. " where are you ?!" she ran back to the spot, where she left the boy and started to look around with worry, "oh dear…where did he go ? he couldn't have just vanished !"

"I'm going to see where Azuka went." Atem stood up and walked in the same direction she walked to. 'I hope she's alright' he thought a bit uneasy.

"Oh my. W-where did he go ?" Azuka stood still as she kept looking left and right.

Just then, a hand grabbed hers and another held a knife to her throat.

"Don't make a sound or else" a dark voice spoke from behind her.

Azuka was paralyzed with fear that she couldn't even nod. The man pulled her close and started to walk with her in front of him to the store again.

"Just be a good little girl and everything will be fine." The man smirked as he slowly pushed her through the store's window.

"Where is she ?" Atem started to worry as he walked faster, "Where on earth did-" he paused and took a good look at a cell phone laying on the ground near a closed shop. he picked up the phone and looked around.

"But…..this is the abandoned part of the mall" he looked back to the dark path in front of him. "No…she wouldn't have…would she ?"

Azuka started to breathe heavily as the man tightened his grip on her arm.

"Come on ! Move it !" he shouted and pushed her, making her fall down on ground.

She quickly stood up and looked at him as she retraced her footsteps backwards. The man smirked darkly as he moved closer.

"W-what are you going to do to me ?" she started to shake in fear as she stepped back every time he took a step forward.

The man smirked but did not reply.

Azuka retraced her steps till she was finally cornered to the wall. "N-no, please"

The man smirked wider, "no way to run ! you're mine now !"

She started to violently shake and her eyes were filled with tears. 'Please, someone, help me..'

Author's note : I hope you liked it ! keep in touch to find out what happens in the next chapter !