He Crawls Like a Worm

Chapter Seven

Ryou looked down, forlorn by the situation. The world really did hate him. He supposed he wasn't allowed to be happy. It was either go with whatever Bakura said, or take the easy way out, and die. But Ryou refused to be a coward and simply give up. No, he was too recalcitrant to take the easy way. He would fight death forever if he had to. 
    "Fine," Ryou mumbled solemnly, though as the words passed through his lips, he looked up, meeting Bakura's eyes, a look in his eye showing that he wouldn't just simply submit though. "I'll obey you."
    Bakura lowered the hand that held the knife. "Wise choice," He said though he still wore the smug smirk. Even though the knife was no longer posed to strike, Ryou watched it in caution, still rather fearful that Bakura would lash out at him.
    "Stand up," Bakura ordered, though Ryou shook his head, his gaze once again cast towards the floor. Ryou was sure that if he stood up, he would black out again. He shivered at the thought of that black nothingness.
    This action enraged Bakura, who growled lowly, and malignantly. "You said you would obey me..." He smirked, his grip on the blade in his hands tightening. "But since it's clear you aren't, I guess I'll have to punish you." He chuckled balefully, raising the knife slightly, causing Ryou to freeze.
    Bakura grabbed Ryou roughly by the throat, curling the slender fingers of his free hand around Ryou's alabaster neck. He moved the other hand up, placing the gelid knife against Ryou's throat right above his hand. Ryou shivered involuntarily, tears welling up in his eyes. He hadn't planned for it to go this way. He refused to die this way.
Ryou squeezed his eye shut in fear, though something seemed to jolt through him, fueled by his will to live on. The cold, familiar blackness had returned, causing another shiver to run down his spine. He was confused though. The pressure of the cool metal against his throat was no longer present, and Bakura's bruising grip on his neck had vanished. Though suddenly he heard a faint beeping noise, and he wrinkled his nose in confusion. Before he had only heard the soft tick of the second hand of a non-existent clock. 
As the beeping grew louder, his eyes shot open, and he was glancing up at the off-white ceiling. He furrowed his eyebrows in befuddlement as he realized he could see out of his left eye. The dulling pain in his eye had completely disappeared, further bewildering him. 
He glanced around the room in disorientation, his puzzlement growing as he couldn't spot Bakura anywhere. He reached his hand up to his face, touching his cheek below his left eye, furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he didn't even feel coagulated or fresh blood, only smooth skin. "W-what?" he asked himself, though said it aloud by accident, though he didn't seem to notice.
Bakura noticed, and chuckled softly, though Ryou didn't hear him in his state of confusion.
"Did that even happen?" Ryou asked himself, hearing the beeping once more, and glanced over at his alarm clock, realizing that the sound was coming from it. He reached out a hand and turned it off, letting himself fall back against his pillow.
He was confused at why he would dream that, and why it had felt so real. Normally he couldn't even remember his dreams, though this one haunted the front of his mind. He pulled the blanket back over him, and rolled over, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to forget the silly nightmare.
    Only it hadn't been a nightmare.

A/n Wow, two chapters in one night. And I already started the next. I feel proud. H