Sorry I haven't published in a while! Testing is coming up…Bleh…honestly I like the finals better, at least we get half days for those! Plus…I had writers block…bad writers block. A few weeks of good books fixed that problem. ^^ Mary Higgins Clark never stops getting my butt to the edge of my seat.

I found a song to go to this story! I heard it on the radio, it's on my profile.

My Immortal-Evanescence

I couldn't sleep. I tried every position. My stomach hurt, back was straight out uncomfortable, and sides were no help. I had been in Don's room for two days. He usually didn't come in much but to give me food and at night to talk for a bit. I guess he was rather still uncomfortable with me in his room. For the record, I was too, but it was the only way. Nothing had happened, luckily. No one had found out about me…though it was killing me that Raph was just outside. He walked around now, I could hear him talking sometimes even, but I was stuck in here. I wondered why Donny was so obbsessed with not letting anyone find out. Why not just Raph?

For the slightest second, my mind jumped to Kyle. The second changed, and I thought about him longer. What could have become of him? Would this freaky Shredder guy get him? I frowned. Poor Kyle might even be the first suspect to this whole thing. My dad had always said that during a case of disappearance or murder, they always go to the person that was around them the most, on a basis or not.

Kyle's laughter still echoed in my mind. He had been such a funloving, happy person, easy to get along with. If I had my phone, I would try to call him. But my phone was still in my room. On my bed.

I sighed, feeling under the cot for the robot. He had been my friend these past few days. I didn't have to talk outloud to him. I had to stay quiet. Thank goodness this April girl was coming home tomorrow. Don told me. He had strengthened the rules after Master Splinter had said he sensed a difference in the home. I wondered how he would get me there. Probably the way he got me in…as his "project."

My fingers caught something. It wasn't Robby. Instead, I was feeling the worn down cover of notebook. Dust that coated the cover stuck to my fingers. I made a face, but pulled the notebook out. The layer of dust was think…really thick. It had obviously not been touched for a while. Picking it up, I blew most of the dust off and brushed off the rest. I opened it. The pages were wrinkled and browning, the writing was rather sloppy and done in worn lead of a pencil by the thickness and lightness of the words. On the inside of the cover a date was written. A date from six years ago. A journal. Most likely Don's, in fact it was. His name was written on the cover.

Feeling kind of guilty about it, I started reading the first entry:

Dear journal,

Master Splinter gave you to me becuz he wants you to me my secret holdr and to help me practic my speling. He said not to tell Raph or Mike or Leo. I got mine first becuz I have almost pased my speling. Tooday Leo was bosy during traning. He always is. Raphy made a meen naim for him, Splinter Juniur. Raph says it wen Master Splinter is not around. Raph teeses to much. He is not so nic. Mike can coler in the lins now. He needs to lern wat coler things ar. He colers the trees purpl and blu. Raph disaperd tonite. Leo got mad. I agree with Raphy's nicknam. Leo worees to much. I hav to go to bed.

I smiled. I could see Raph doing that. I flipped through the next few weeks. It was the same thing. Mikey needs to stop…Mikey did that…Raph pranked…Raph said…Leo told…Leo did not… But one thing I noticed made me think:

Leo got mad at Raph for trying to go up the lader. Raphy said he was not going to, but Leo doesnt trust him. Raph said he did not care…

I wondered if Raph and I had met by then. Each entry was dated, but I didn't remember any dates. I flipped three more pages and came across another thing that wrenched my heart:

Raph went for another walk, but when he came back he was not happy. He went to bed and didn't eat dinner or bother with Leo…

Even though it could have been because of anything it made me think of the time I left Raph. I hadn't known it was that far away though… As I read the next entry my theory seemed more real:

Raphy sat in a corner today. He did not tease or eat. Just sat. Master Splinter said to leav him alone, that maybe he is sick. I thnk that Master Splinter knows that he's really sick, but not the way he made it out to be to Mike or Leo. I know though…

I flipped another good number of days, hoping it would change, but the next entry made me feel sick with guilt:

Raphy's better today. It has been a week. He ate and trained today, but there is something different. He yelled at me when I bumped the toy robot I made into him. He yelled at Mike when he called him Raphy. Raph's mad today…real mad…

The next entry Don talked about Raph's personality change and the next and the next. I felt the tears coming. I recalled the night I had saw him for the first time since I had left. He had yelled at me. "…you changed my personality and my life; and you come back and all you have to say is 'sorry'?!" I bit my lip. I hadn't tried to understand. I had simply made excuses. I wiped the tears away, trying not to cry. Raph wasn't the jerk, I was. He even tried to help me, came to get me. I frowned, remembering how Don had told me that I hated him. I gently put the journal back under the cot, feeling as though someone had turned my heart upside down. It might have well been.

I looked over at the door. I had made it two days. He had said not to leave, but I had to talk to Raph. They were all probably asleep anyways. I walked over to the door and unlocked the door and peeked out. It was too dark to see the floor I noticed with a frown. But I could see shadows in front of a TV that had the credits rolling down. I could hear snoring too.

I stepped cautiously out of the room. I couldn't really see where my feet were going so I had to trudge to feel with my feet like I did in the stairwell two nights ago. I felt my pocket and felt the lump of the jewel. It had given me reassurance these past few days. The concrete floor was cold under my feet despite the hot summer season. I wondered if any temperature of the weather reached to down here. I also wondered if I should have put my socks back on.

As I got closer, I made out three heads. Two of them were slumped on the couch and one in the chair next to that. When I was in front of the back of the couch I saw the fourth, an orange clad, sitting in front of the couch. Raph was on the right side of the couch with Don in the chair next to that. A blue clad was beside Raph leaning on the left side. I wondered which of the orange and blue was Mikey or Leo. But that wasn't my main goal.

I looked over at Raph, who was the snorer. I reached to wake him, but before I could something harshly grabbed my wrist. I almost screamed with pain, but bit my tongue. I looked over to see that the blue banded one had grabbed me. His eyes were so penetrating that I knew it couldn't be Mikey. So I didn't the first sane thing I thought to do:

"Hi Leo."