Warning: This chapter is really sad, morbid and possibly upsetting, so please read with caution. It involves the discovery of a dead body, talk of death and graphic description of wounds and injury.

Chapter 8.

Trauma.

Casting a watchful gaze from an upstairs window, Atem's ghostly figure shuddered. Today's events had unfolded so unexpectedly, and he was still trying to make sense of everything.

Bitter recollection of the moment he woke up to find himself feeling totally off kilter and able to pass through solid walls but unable to leave the house. At the time being dead was not something he had considered. It was not something he wanted to consider! He existed, trapped inside this house, the trauma of why buried somewhere deep inside his mind.

Marik's return had brought it all back.

Downstairs, he could hear voices. He was unable to tell if any of the voices belonged to Yugi, but he could definitely hear Marik yelling insults, even as officers dragged him outside in handcuffs.

Was he right to let Marik go? Yugi had assured him that Marik would face justice in a court of law, but part of him still wished he had allowed the shadows to devour him instead.

He watched them bundle Marik into the ambulance, presumably to be checked over by paramedics before the police took him to be questioned.

He placed his hand over the ugly gash between his ribs and belly. He pulled his hand away and looked at it. As always, his hand was slick with blood.

It would probably be the last he ever saw of Marik, but the wound inflicted by him would always be there.

::::::::::::

When Anzu got out of the taxi, flashing blue lights was the first sight that greeted her.

The second thing she saw was the neighbours, who were out in their front gardens, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. They called out to her, but she pretended not to hear them and hurried towards the house.

Tape had been put across the entrance of the driveway to indicate that the house was now a crime scene. Anzu attempted to duck underneath the tape but she was stopped by a young police officer.

"I live here!" she told him. "Yugi's my husband."

"Wait here," the young officer ordered, turning away from her to confer with a more senior colleague. The moment his back was turned, Anzu ducked underneath the tape and ran to the house. The officer quickly realised she had slipped past him and chased after her, but Anzu was already at the front door. "Where's Yugi?" she cried, finding her way barred by another young constable.

"I told her to wait outside the cordon!" the red faced young officer said. Anzu scowled at him in annoyance.

"I'm Mrs Muto. I live here," she said firmly.

A senior officer appeared from the kitchen. "It's okay. Let her through." He gestured for Anzu to follow him. She did not need asking twice and followed.

::::::::::::

Inside the ambulance, Marik was still keeping up his hostile fascade, even towards the poor paramedic who was trying to check him over. "Get your filthy hands off me," he snarled, refusing to sit down. His insolence was rewarded with a shove onto the stretcher bed from the burly police officer who was in charge of him.

Scowling, he sat with his arms folded in defiance, but did let them look at his injuries. Although they looked serious with his face covered in blood, the thin cut along Marik's forehead was neat and could probably be closed using surgical glue. The bump on the side of his head had swollen almost to the size of an egg, with a small but jagged cut that resembled a volcanic eruption on the top of it.

He hissed in annoyance when the medic started to clean it with antiseptic and it stung.

"I hope you didn't stick your finger up your nose before touching me," Marik said sarcastically. The police officer told him to shut-up. The medic carried on cleaning his cuts regardless of his taunts and complaints.

::::::::::::

Hurrying into the kitchen, Anzu found Yugi sitting on a chair shirtless, but with a soft, pale blue blanket wrapped around him. He was being checked over by a paramedic.

"Yugi! You're hurt!" she cried, rushing to his side. He had not told her he was injured when he rang her.

"I'm fine," he said. Luckily, while the dagger had cut through his jacket and shirt, the three inch long cut on his shoulder was not deep enough to have cut to the bone. He also had bruising to his abdomen and ribs where Marik punched him and shoved him against the wall, and a black eye and small cut on the underside of his eyebrow from where Marik's boot had connected with his face. The paramedic wanted him to go to the hospital, but Yugi was refusing until they found Atem's body.

"You don't look fine!" Anzu said, concerned by his bloody face and swollen eye.

"It looks worse than it is," he said dismissively.

"He needs to go to hospital, but is being difficult," the female medic said to Anzu, hoping that she could gain a female ally.

Anzu rolled her eyes at her stubborn husband. "You should do as you're told Yugi!" she said sternly. When the paramedic nodded, Yugi scowled at them both for ganging up on him.

"Will it scar if he doesn't go to hospital?" asked Anzu, indicating to the cut to his eyebrow.

"It will be more noticeable, but if he goes to the hospital they will glue it, and it will be almost invisible once it's healed," the medic told her. "But I'm more concerned about the potential for damage to his eyesight."

Irritated that they were talking about him as if he were a child, Yugi let the blanket slide off his shoulders and swivelled round to show Anzu the cut on his back, which had been covered with a gauze dressing. "This one, where Marik tried to stab me, probably will scar," he told her. Anzu gasped.

"Oh, Yugi!" She wanted to hug him, but he looked a bit too sore for hugs, so she settled for a chaste kiss on the cheek instead. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" When he called her, all he had said was that Marik had forced his way in and tried to kill him, but that Atem had saved him.

Yugi frowned sadly. "Marik boasted that he murdered Atem, here, in the kitchen, and then his father and step mother helped him to bury Atem's body in the basement. He wanted to kill me, because he didn't like that I was asking about Atem."

Anzu gasped, and put her hands to her mouth. "That's awful! Did no one even know Atem was missing?!"

Yugi shook his head sadly. "I don't think so. I don't think he had anyone here, and his family in Egypt probably had had no idea. They probably just thought he couldn't be bothered to contact them."

"I find that hard to believe, but I suppose we don't know his circumstances. Why was he in Japan?"

Yugi did not know, but he intended to find out.

::::::::::::

Minutes later, the forensics team arrived. Yugi and Anzu were pleasantly surprised to see that Ryou Bakura was assisting the pathologist who was leading the team. It looked strange to see their friend dressed from head to toe in a white tyvek suit and booties.

"Yugi! Anzu! Are you both okay?" he asked, approaching them. Ryou had just finished doing his practical autopsy exam, under the watchful eye of the senior pathologist, when the laboratory received the call. As soon as he saw who's house it was, and who's body it involved, he immediately volunteered to attend.

"Anzu's fine," said Yugi. "But Marik tried to kill me. Lucky for me, I only have a few scratches." He smiled sheepishly at Anzu and got a stern response in return.

Ryou wanted to ask his friend if the ghost, presumably Atem's, had been involved in the skirmish with Marik, but there were people around who would hear, and the couple in front of him were squabbling.

"A few scratches?!" Anzu exclaimed, glaring at Yugi. "Tell him to go to the hospital Bakura? He's refusing to go until they find Atem's body."

Ryou smiled. "We're going to be here for quite a while. We need to clear the basement before we can start looking for signs that the ground has been disturbed, so you've probably got enough time," he said.

Yugi was not going to be that easily convinced. "Thanks, but I'll go when you find him," he said, digging his heels in.

As if on cue, two officers came struggling up from the basement carrying the large dresser that Jonouch had been after, banging it against the door frame en-route. "Careful with that! I promised it to a friend," Yugi said irritably.

They ignored him. "Where do you want this?" they asked their boss.

"Sling it outside," the senior detective told them, viewing the dirty, cobweb covered item as junk. Yugi contradicted him. "Put it in the garage," he ordered.

Grumbling, the officers swivelled round and manoeuvred it out through the door leading to the garage. Yugi winced when they bashed it against the door frame a second time.

As promised, Ryou emerged from the basement to update them on progress. "Have you found anything yet?" Yugi asked eagerly, as Ryou approached.

"We think so, yes." Ryou explained, "It will be much easier for us to excavate that we initially thought because the floor has never been concreted –it's actually just compressed hardcore. We have found signs that an area has been dug up and put back down. The dresser was on top of it, we think to hide the area where the hardcore is slightly more raised and less firm than the rest of the basement floor.

Anzu looked at Yugi with an ashen expression, and he smiled at her forlornly. She reached out and squeezed his hand.

"We should let you go and do your job Bakura," she said with a weak smile.

"Actually, Yugi, I wanted to ask you..." Ryou said, looking behind for anyone who might be listening. He paused when one of the team approached him to say he was needed. "I'll keep you posted, okay?" he said to Yugi and Anzu, and turned away to follow his colleague.

But Yugi knew what he wanted to ask and called out, "Bakura?! Yes. If not I would be dead."

Nodding his understanding, Ryou smiled and followed his colleague. It sounded like Yugi had forged a connection to Atem's spirit, and Ryou was eager to be introduced.

Down in the basement, powerful lights had been set up on tripods to better illuminate where they were digging. The team worked meticulously, carefully scraping away layer after layer of loose hardcore and dirt to prevent damaging any evidence.

They did not have to dig too deeply, before they unearthed the bones of an arm and hand. There was a chunky gold ring on the middle finger, which was photographed, before being gently removed and inspected. The top of the ring was shaped to look like a coiled dragon, and the inside was engraved with Atem's initials: AS.

The ring was placed inside a small plastic evidence bag and labelled.

As they scratched away at the area of less densely packed soil, further remains were uncovered; ribcage, spine, pelvis, legs, skull. There was also a gold necklace with a small pendent still attached to the chain in the shape of an upside down pyramid.

The intact skeleton had been buried in the foetal position and was still clothed. Although some of the material had rotted away in the damp basement, along with most of the flesh, shreds of decomposed skin were still stuck to the blooded black remnants of tee-shirt and denim jeans.

At each stage, photographs were taken from different angles. A recorded commentary was made, and notes were taken as items that might be used as evidence were bagged up.

"Are we ready to lift him?" the pathologist asked his team.

Ryou felt a genuine sadness in his heart, as they gently lifted the body onto a black body bag, which was carefully zipped up and placed onto a metal stretcher and then carried up the steps from the basement.

Yugi and Anzu watched sadly, as the stretcher and black body bag was carefully and sympathetically carried past them, and taken outside to a waiting van.

All that the experts needed to do now, was try to identify who it was.

But Yugi already knew.

And so did the forlorn figure watching from the bedroom window.

::::::::::::

After relenting and going to the hospital, Yugu returned home to find the forensics team had already gone.

There was no sign of Atem, and neither Yugi or Anzu could sense him watching them.

Concerned about him, Yugi wanted to call his name, and go and check the rest of the house to see if he was still here, but a police officer was waiting to take his statement.

Careful not to mention that it was Atem who had saved him from being killed by Marik, Yugi told the officer his story, from Mrs Yoshida telling him that he looked just like a young man who had once lived in the house, followed by his quest to find out who the young man was and where he had gone after he left the house. Finally, he told them about Marik showing up, intent on killing him to prevent him from finding out the truth.

They did question how slightly built man like Yugi had managed to subdue a powerfully built man with a history of violence, but Yugi explained it away by saying that he did not want to die and had fought back with everything he had, and, with a slight distortion of the truth, Marik was knocked out for a few seconds when he hit his head, allowing Yugi to use his skill as a quick thinker to tie him up with the flex from the hoover. He did not tell him that it was Atem who had tightly bound Marik's wrists and legs and then vanished, just moments before the police arrived.

They accepted his statement, and after a long, hellish day, he and Anzu were finally left alone in the house.

Anzu came over to him and kissed his cheek. "Are you okay Yugi?" she asked. He looked terrible.

"Yeah," he lied." As well as feeling like he had been trampled by a herd of buffalo, his emotions were in turmoil.

"You look like you're about to collapse. Let's get you a clean shirt and go back to my parents so you can get some rest," she said softly. Hugging the blanket around himself more tightly, Yugi shook his head.

"I think I want to stay here tonight," he said.

"Are you sure? It won't be very comfortable, and…"

Yugi interrupted her. "I don't want to leave Atem on his own. I need to see if he will talk to me," he said calmly.

Listening carefully, Anzu looked around the room, but could not sense anything. "Do you think he's still here?" she said, "Catching his killer and finding his body might have helped him move on."

Yugi offered her a feeble smile. "I don't know where he is, but I need to know if he's okay, after what happened..." He trailed off and sighed. "Everything happened so fast, and when the police arrived he disappeared in a hurry."

Anzu smiled softly. "I understand. Do you want me to stay with you?"

He shook his head. "I think I need to do this on my own, if that's okay?"

"Of course it is." She kissed him briefly. It would be nice to let their lips linger for longer but she pulled away. "I'll wait outside in the car. Call me if you need me, okay?" Nodding, Yugi picked the keys up off the counter and handed them to her. He walked with her to the front door.

"Be careful Yugi," she said, holding his hand and not wanting to let go. She was not convinced that it was wise of him to be so relaxed around a vengeful spirit, who might be further traumatised by Marik showing up.

Yugi winked at her. "Don't worry, Atem won't hurt me," he said reassuringly. And he believed it, too.

Anzu stepped outside and he closed the door behind her quietly. Taking a deep breath, in through his nose and out again, he went into the sitting room. "Atem?" he called softly, and waited.

Outside, Anzu was about to get in the car when she spotted Mrs Yoshida at her sitting room window. She waved politely, and decided to go over and introduce herself and to tell her that they had found Atem's body. Mrs Yoshida had been fond of him, and she deserved to know what had happened to him all those years ago.

Inside, Yugi was getting worried by Atem's slow response -he had been so convinced that Atem was still here.

Feeling a bit deflated, he sat down on the sofa and sighed. He clutched the blanket, which now seemed to be more of a comfort blanket than to stop him from getting cold.

Maybe Anzu was right, Atem had received the closure he needed and had moved on to wherever spirits went. Yet, somehow, he found that hard to believe.

There was still more to Atem's story, of that he was sure. And Marik had yet to be convicted of his murder, so that chapter of the story was still not entirely over.

None the less, disappointment clawed at him from inside; he had not even had the chance to thank Atem for saving him.

He sat there for around five minutes, buried inside his comfort blanket, contemplating what would have happened to him had Atem not shown up when he did. He did not want to think about being dead, but could not help it. Anzu would be a widow at twenty five; all their hopes and dreams of a future together ripped away by a dagger to the gut.

All the stress and the shock was suddenly catching up with him, and Yugi could not stop the small sob that escaped him, or the tears pricked at his eyes and ran down his cheeks.

Suddenly, a nearby presence nudged him out of his miserable thoughts.

Eyes wide, he looked around the room. Whenever Atem was near the temperature in the room always plummeted, but this time it did not feel that cold. Wiping his face on the edge of the blanket, being careful not to rub his sore eye, Yugi called out, "Atem? Is that you?"

For a moment there was no response, but then he heard a hesitant "Yes," and breathed a sigh of relief.

A tentative smile played at the corner of Yugi's mouth. "I was worried about you. I didn't know..." He was not sure what to say. Did he talk to Atem about him being dead? Or just wait for Atem to mention it? "You disappeared so suddenly," he said.

"The police arrived. I did not want them to see me." Atem's reply was fairly curt, and Yugi was not sure how to continue the conversation.

He settled on, "Erm.. They took my statement. Marik's likely to be charged with your murder, and for attempting to murder me."

"Good."

"So, are you able to materialise? Only, talking to the wall is a bit weird," said Yugi, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"I used a lot of energy earlier and I'm still recovering. Materialising is a little difficult right now." Pause. "But I can try."

Yugi waited, and watched, as a semi-transparent figure appeared to step out from inside the wall. He was stunned by Atem's features and stature – it was like looking into a mirror, almost.

Yugi smiled. "Nice to meet you properly at last, Atem. Now I can see you, I can thank you for saving my life. Thank you," he said sincerely.

Atem's transparent figure was still unstable and flickered. "I did not want you suffering the same fate as me," he said flatly.

"I was wondering," said Yugi. "What happens to you now they've got Marik?"

Atem stared at him with a blanc expression. "In what way?"

Yugi scratched the back of his head. "I don't know how to ask you this, but.. Are you okay? Is there anything you need me to do, or are you ready to move on?" Hastily adding, "Not that I want you to!" when he realised that it sounded like he wanted him to go.

"Move on? If you mean, can I leave this house? No. I can't. Not yet. Something is still keeping me here."

"So…. You still need closure?"

"Yes. But if I'm honest, I don't know how that actually works."

"I would like to help if I can." Yugi said supportively. "Are you willing to tell me what's keeping you here?"

The ghostly figure shrugged, and then looked perplexed and a little upset. The temperature in the room was dropping rapidly, and Yugi suddenly sensed a lot of anxiety and anger rolling towards him in waves. What had he said that had upset him so much?

Items in the room were starting to shake, and Yugi was not sure what to say or do to placate him. "Atem! Talk to me? What's wrong?" he pleaded. However, Atem ignored him and the shaking grew more violent. A mini tornado was forming, swirling around Atem's form as be became more unstable and volatile.

"Run, Yugi! I cannot control my rage," Atem shouted, trying desperately not to hurt this kind, caring man. Unfortunately, his voice was growing more menacing, and less human than it was a moment ago.

Yugi was very aware that he was in danger. With Ryou's warning echoing in his head, he clutched his blanket around himself tightly.

He suddenly felt very afraid indeed.

Atem is a traumatised spirit in pain. He would never intentionally hurt Yugi, but with his trauma and pain so intense, can he stop himself?!

Thank you for reading.