Demons

Chapter 14

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By: Eressie

Disclaimer: …don't own Yo-Gi-Oh!

Notes:

Thanks to all who have reviewed, added to favorites and alerts, and stuck with me so far! I appreciate it! Please continue to do so! ^_^

italic text is dreams (in Ryou's case coma dreams) and thoughts in real time and life.
'Fat text' is thoughts inside a dream

Also; this chapter takes place two weeks after the last chapter.

Darkness, everywhere pitch black darkness. A thick mass of dark despair smothering him, feeling like his lungs was filling up with thick mud. Shaking, clammy hands reached forward and met a solid wooden door. Heart reaching with the next gasp of air stuck in his throat. He pondered as hard as he could on the door, screaming for help. Tears streamed down his face mixing with his cold sweat, his long, white hair felt wet and it clung to his naked skin on his back.
A light was lit outside in the room, light shone in through the small gap under the door and though the keyhole. Rattling and swearing as well as heavy boots against the dusty floor could be heard, the door swung open with a bang and the boy closed his tear filled eyes. The sudden light stung in his eyes. A deep, wheezing breathing came close to his face and he shivered in fear as he smelled the far too familiar smell.
Too scared now to open his eyes, he shut them tighter and tried to keep out what he knew was on the other side of his eyelids.
'It's only a memory, it's only a memory, and this is not real, not real, not real…' he ranted in his mind, but somehow this dream felt far too real. became blurry. Before he had the chance to move from the wall; big, rough hands grabbed him by his hair and covered his mouth.

Thundering laughter made him open his eyes in a start and before him was his worst nightmare. The man who hunted his dreams and waking life day after day, the man who destroyed him…

"What's the matter, little whore?" the man hissed. "A little nightmare perhaps?"

Ryou's breath got stuck in his throat and his body was paralysed, he could not bring himself to move, not to scream. Cold, evil eyes bore into his own and that horrible stank of old man and alcohol reached his nose as the man leaned closer to him.

"You are a good boy, aren't you? Good little boys don't scream." the man whispered in Ryou's ear, too close. And the scared boy could feel the man's dry lips against his ear. "Don't you know what happens to naughty boys, hm? Shall I show you again?" the man snarled and stroked his fingers up and down Ryou's naked thigh non to gently.

Ryou gasped and backed away from the large man, this resistance from the boy made the man furious and slapped the boy hard on his face. Ryou slammed into the wall with a cry. The blow stunned him and his eyesight

"Filthy whore!" the man growled and shook the small boy hard, slamming Ryou's head into the wall over and over again. "I shall-"

The man got interrupted by the doorbell and he swore loudly. He released the hold he had on Ryou but grabbed him by the throat instead. Ryou choked and tried to loosen the man's grip around his neck with his small hands, but to no avail.

"You stay quiet, filth." the man hissed, "one little sound from you and I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

He let go and stood up as swiftly as he could, leaving the small, twelve year old Ryou gasping for air. The man got out and locked the door behind him.

Ryou collapsed on the dirty floor inside the small wardrobe. He brought his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around his naked body. Nausea overtook him and he vomited until his stomach was empty. He gasped after air and he cried as quietly as he could. He wanted to go home, why did not his parents come to get him?

Further away in the house, a door that got closed could be heard and Ryou cringed as heavy footsteps walked towards were he was kept. The wardrobe door opened slowly. Ryou shook and shivered with fear as he opened his eyes and looked up at the disgusting man that leered over him.

"Now… where were we, little one?"

Marik just left his sister's old apartment and was on his way to Ryou's home for his usual daily visits. Ryou, who lay in a coma since two weeks past, now was in his father's care at home. Hisao wanted his son to be more comfortable. In the clutches of a white, sterile hospital he knew that his son would not be comfortable at all. Every now and then a doctor would visit, taking test, checking for any change in Ryou's condition. Nothing ever changed though. Ryou still lay still as the dead and just as pale. His bruisers, which he had received from those men who attacked him, were slowly fading away. Those men got two years in prison, the police informed them. They also had to give Ryou and his father money as a compensation for the damage. That, in Marik's opinion, was way too gentle punishment.
No one knew when, and if, Ryou would wake again. But Marik and Ryou's father decided to be hopeful, they knew Ryou would wake – he just needed time.

Reaching Ryou's and Hisao's building, he parked his motorcycle and took off his helmet with a sigh. He pulled his fingers through his hair and got off from the bike. He always had mixed feeling when he visited Ryou; he felt sad when seeing his friend just lying there, unresponsive of his presence. But he was also relived that Ryou was still alive and stable, and close to him.
He walked up the stairs and knocked a few times on Ryou's apartment door before opening it himself, not waiting for Hisao to answer. He took off his shoes and put his helmet down beside them. He walked towards the kitchen that was conjoined with the living room; he smiled at Hisao who stood by the oven. The blue haired man was wearing an apron and a puzzled look upon his face as he read a cooking book.

"Hello, Hisao-san." Marik said and nodded his head.

Hisao jumped a little, not noticing Marik enter the apartment. "Oh, hello Marik-kun." he said with a smile. "Sorry, I'm trying to read this old god forsaken recipe…" he said and gestured to the book, "my wife wrote it and I got some trouble reading her handwriting as well as her thoughts in this."

Marik chuckled and looked at the recipe. "Looks fancy," he said, "what's the occasion?"

A big smile broke out on Hisao face. "Ryou is making progress."

Marik eyes widened. "What?"

Hisao nodded quickly. "Yes, he moved his head a little and his fingers." Hisao said with a smile. "The doctor said that it could as well be nothing, coma patients can sometimes move a little although it isn't much." Hisao paused. "But I see it as progress."

Marik's eyes lit up and he smiled broadly. "That's great news!" he exclaimed and turned around quickly to rush over to Ryou's bedroom, without another word to Hisao. The man just smiled at the boy's sudden dash and continued with trying to figure out the mystery of his late wife's recipe.

The door of coarse was wide open so Marik strode in and walked to Ryou were he lay on the bed. Marik smiled at him and stroked some of Ryou's white hair away from his face.

"Hi Ryou." he said with a gentle, affectionate voice. He sat down on the armchair that now always stood beside Ryou's bed. "Heard that you're feeling better…" he looked at Ryou's emotionless face. "I hope you are."

He silently sat there, watching Ryou. The only movement the white haired boy made was the breathing. Ryou had a plastic tube that run a bit into his nose, providing him with oxygen, helping him to breathe more easily. Marik leaned his head into his hand; his other hand took Ryou's. He gave it a squeeze and hoped that somehow Ryou would squeeze back – he did not.

"Isn't it time for you to wake up now, dear?" he chuckled a little. "You have kept us all worrying a little too long." he said and glanced at Ryou's face, he reached over and held his palm on Ryou's pale cheek. "I want you to open your beautiful, brown eyes soon, you hear me?"

Ryou still lay unresponsive and Marik leaned back into the armchair, one of his hands still holding Ryou's. He smiled a little as he imagined Ryou sitting up from the bed just to slap him on the shoulder for calling his eyes beautiful. He really wished Ryou would wake, even just to slap him.
He sat there in silence, caressing the upper side of Ryou's hand with his thumb as he sat there absent minded. He could hear Hisao in the kitchen, preparing food for the three of them. Ryou, of coarse had to be fed through a tube he had reaching down into his stomach since he could not eat on his own.
The phone rang, bringing Marik out from his thoughts. He got up and grabbed it before Hisao did.

"Hello, Bakura's residence, Marik speaking."

"Oh, hi Marik-kun!" said a happy voice on the other side.

Marik smiled a little. "Hi, Yugi-kun," he said, "everything all right with you?"

"Yes, I'm fine." he said. "You're okay I hope and Ryou-kun as well?"

Marik nodded. "Yes, we're fine. Could be better of coarse, but you know… we're fine."

Yugi nodded, although Marik could not see it. "Listen, is it all right for me to come over?"

Yugi wondered. "If it doesn't stress Ryou-kun, of course!" he added quickly.

Marik chuckled. "No, you are welcome. I think Ryou would be happy to have your company."

Marik smiled to himself, it was nice that Ryou and the gang had become closer over the past few weeks. After Ryou told Yugi how ill he was and what happened to him in the past, they became closer. That made him happy to hear, he did not like Ryou feeling lonely. Also, Marik thought it would help Ryou get better if he could get the support he needed from his friends.

"I'll come over now then?" Yugi asked.

Marik chuckled. "Yeah, see you in a bit! Bye Yugi-kun."

"Bye!"

Marik put the phone down and walked over to the kitchen where Hisao was. "Yugi-kun is coming over."

"Hm?" Hisao said and stirred in one of the pots on the stove. "Oh, the little one!" Hisao smiled, "is he going to eat as well?"

Marik shrugged. "I don't know, probably." he smiled. "An extra meal can't harm him anyway."

Hisao nodded. "Yes, you're right in that."

"Is there something I can help you with?" Marik asked and looked at all the ingredients, some of which still needed to be scaled and chopped.

"Yes, if you like." Hisao said and gestured to the vegetables.

Marik took out a knife and started to chop. "I am not much of a cook, but at least I know how to chop and scale and stir the pot." Marik said with a smile. "My sister always makes me do it."

"You're a bit like me then," Hisao smiled. "I could not cook at all before, but I've learned over the years and turned out to be quite a good cook if I may say so myself." he said and added some of the chopped vegetables to the pot.

Marik smiled and nodded. He looked down on the onion he was chopping, lost in thoughts. The guilt he felt for ever leaving Ryou swelled up in him and he silently promised himself to never leave Ryou again. He swallowed the thick lump he felt in his throat and continued chopping. He vaguely could hear Hisao speaking to him, but he paid no mind to Ryou's father. He was thinking about what could have happened to Ryou if he did not come in that precise moment to save Ryou from those men. Ryou would never have survived another violation like that again, like he received from that man when he was twelve. Those men would have killed him in the process; Marik had no doubt about it.
His eyesight had become blurry because of the tears in his eyes. He bent his head lower to hide them from Hisao.
'Why do Ryou always get so victimized? Why do bad things keep happening to him?' Marik thought angrily. 'He never deserved to be treated like this! Oh, and that fucking man, how can someone rape a child! Ryou was just a little boy then!' Marik boiled with anger towards that man, no, that demon.
Ryou should never have known such pain and humiliation. It really destroyed the boy. And then also have his mother and sister torn away from him so soon after that tragedy?
'No one can have something like that happening to you and get away unscratched, unchanged.' Marik wished he had been there when Ryou was twelve. To help him – protect him. Instead of being looked up underground with his family. 'We both have had such rotten lives…' Marik thought miserable, 'but Ryou had worse. Far worse.' he could not begin to imagine how he would be if all those terrible things had happened to him as it did to Ryou. 'I would be long dead.' Marik shook his head. 'Ryou is so strong.' uncontrolled tears fell down his cheeks against his will, and to his dismay; Hisao noticed it finally.

"Is something wrong, Marik-kun?" Hisao asked concerned.

Marik shook his head and looked away from Hisao. "No, nothing is wrong." he said and backed away from the table, leaving the onions half chopped. "It's just the onions, you know," he said and tried to sound cheerful, "always makes my eyes tear up, damn thing."

Hisao nodded and opened one of the windows above the kitchen sink, trying to get rid of the strong smell the onion made. Marik tried to dry his face as best as he could with his sleeves. The doorbell rang loudly and startled the blond boy; he went to open it, knowing it was Yugi.
After he opened the door, the happy smile on Yugi's face quickly changed into a frown.

"What's the matter, Marik-kun?" he asked carefully.

Marik just shook his head and looked away from the smaller boy, hiding his face. "Nothing Yugi-kun," he said quickly, "listen, can you continue to help Hisao with the food? I need to- I need to wash up." Marik said and walked to the bathroom.

Yugi watched him go with concerned and questioning eyes. He slowly took off his shoes and walked to the kitchen. He greeted Hisao with a smile and a small bow, and the blue haired man smiled back at him. Noticing the half chopped onions and vegetables on the table, Yugi walked towards them. Always happy to help, Yugi started with the task that Marik had abandoned.

In the bathroom, Marik dried his face with a towel with a sigh. He did not like how emotional he had gotten recently; he needed to hold himself together. Be strong. For Ryou.

He walked out from the bathroom and into Ryou's bedroom, closing the door behind him; shutting out Yugi's and Hisao's happy conversation. He leaned back against the door and looked around in Ryou's room. It was tidy, too tidy. It did barely look like anyone lived in there anymore. They stuff in there always lay on the same places, noting ever changed, since Ryou did not use them. It was too clean as well, Hisao probably cleaned in there often. Some dark spots could be seen here and there; Marik guessed it was dried up blood that refused to be washed away. Another bed had been put into the room, a bed for Hisao so he could be close to Ryou in the night as well if anything happened to him or changed.

Marik looked at Ryou who lay unmoving on his bed as usual. He smiled sadly and walked slowly towards the white haired boy. He lay down beside Ryou on the bed and watched Ryou from the side. He laid his hand on Ryou's chest as if reassuring himself that the pale boy really was breathing and alive.
Marik don't know how long he lay there gazing at his friend, time seemed irrelevant.

"What do you dream of, Ryou?" he whispered silently, his hand rising and lowering with the movement of Ryou's chest. Marik moved nearer and held the white haired boy close. "Where are you?"

In the darkness, a naked boy shivered on the floor. Every breath, every movement was painful. His body ached where he lay in his own blood and vomit. Bruisers, wounds, damaged soul… he was breaking down.
That monster outside the wardrobe door had him in a tight iron grip. He could not escape. He was doomed to hell, to be the devils toy.
And he wept and begged. He begged for death, he begged for life. He wanted to go home.-

"Please…" hoarse whispers could be heard in the dusty darkness, wet coughing with blood dripping from his lips.
Dirty nails scratching at the wooded door and floor, splinters stabbing into the skin. A weak, desperate attempt to get out.

"S-save me."

REVIEW! Also, feel free to give me tips and suggestions on what should happen next!
Apparently, fanfiction . net have forgotten how to plain and simple upload a new chapter WITHOUT making the text all wrong… it drives me insane!

Not much left now…

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