The Ghost

Chapter 7

In the center of his soulroom, a boy lies curled up next to the few objects that remain from the destruction of the whiteness of before. The ash has decreased in volume, but only the amber-eyed blue doll standing guard could see that. Beneath closed eyelids, the boy sees something far different.

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Hey, Amane, let's play again." The eleven year old voice echoes through the room. In response, the girl sitting across the RPG table smiles. It is a pained smile, barely more than a grimace.

"Let's do something else, Ryo. We have been playing for more than three hours." His sister's voice is strained, and there are tears threatening to fall.

"But, Amane, you love playing Monster World as much as I do." Green eyes avoid the girl sitting across from him. They focus on moving this game piece or putting that figurine back into place. The girl with mocha colored skin and near uncontrollable brown hair shrinks into herself each second he refuses to look at her.

"Ryo."

The boy's eyes, which are opened far too wide, still refuse to meet her eyes. Why should he have to look at his own sister? He already knows what she looks like: white hair, like Mother's and his, blue eyes and the palest of skins.

"Ryo, look at me please." Slow tears stain the girl's voice. "I can't do this. I can't be Amane. My name is Maya." He looks at her then. Sees a girl who is the opposite of his sister, who is... Where is Amane? What happened to her?

Twisted metal through someone, not Mother or Amane, so that's fine. His own life matters little anyways. But the blood from over there is not his. The smell of blood mixed with some musty smell makes him gag before he can look and... To the right the baby lies scattered all over the road. To the left Amane lies too still in a red pool that is too large. To the front-

Somebody help me please.

Maya clings to the screaming, thrashing boy whose eyes are dilated and whose mind and soul have long since cracked.

"RYO. It's okay, it's okay..." She pauses, decides, and bears the chains that are required of her.

"I am right here. Your little sister is right here. We'll keep playing the game like you wanted to...for however long. Forever if you want." Tears roll down the small girl's face.

The boy stops thrashing, stops screaming. Deep gasps can be heard as he catches his breath. Ryo relaxes in her embrace. He then pulls back and smiles at her. His expression could fall away at any minute with how shaky it appears.

"Amane, I had a really bad dream."

The girl stiffens. "What was it about?"

The boy's eyebrows furrow.

"I don't remember."

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It is raining and Bakura is exactly three inches taller than Ryo was in the last memory. The demon child stalks out into the rain. It beats away at him and tries to do so hard enough to loosen his grip on the small satchel he wears.

Bone-white fingers tighten and amber eyes narrow. He is not in the mood for this.

The darkness grows around Bakura the farther he walks from the mansion. It clings to him and welcomes him while the rain plasters his clothing to him. The roaring is all he hears until...