Katsuya awoke with a start.  He hadn't meant to fall asleep.  He had come back 
to the hospital early in the morning, before Jinsaku awoke or Tyrell showed up.
He didn't know why he had come here.  After all, this was where Michael was 
being kept.  The person who reminded him so much of his own situation.  The one 
who would probably end up the same way.

Or maybe that was exactly why he had decided to come here.  Here was a person 
who was like him now.  Here was a person who had been pulled unwillingly into a
world he never knew existed, and probably would have been happy remaining in his
ignorance.  Now, maybe Katsuya would have someone who would be able to 
understand just what it was that he had gone through.  That is, if Michael was
able to understand anything after this.

For a moment, Katsuya remembered his dream, and shuddered anew.  It was the same
dream as always, but it never failed to chill him to the bone.  "Shade", that
creature that Jinsaku claimed to be in control of, was chasing him once again.
It was right on top of him just before he woke up.

That's the way that dream always ended.  He woke up just as the creature was 
about to come down upon him.  He wondered for a moment what exactly would 
happen next in the dream, if he were able to remain asleep to witness it.  He 
then tried to put that thought away, not wanting to consider what would happen 
to a person who died in their dreams.


 	                   ============

 	                   High Stakes

			Created by NeoVid

			     Starring:

			      Katsuya

			and Annette Jackson

		   Chapter 10:  Down in the Hole

			By The NightGuard

			    ============

Annette was trying to forget everything when she arrived at the Denny's.  The 
past few days were really beginning to weigh on her.  After hearing that this 
Steve person had taken someone out of the game, she had really gotten 
frightened.  After all, she still had just one card left, not counting the card 
of herself.  And she really didn't want to see what would happen if she ever 
tried to use that card.

She got to work, and was still trying to forget what she had heard last night.  
Sure, Tyrell and Steve were nice enough people, but she wasn't entirely sure 
what to make of them.  She thought that she could probably trust Tyrell.  After 
all, he had intentionally lost to her so that she wouldn't lose her last card.  
He had also gone with her when she had to face Talia.  True, Jinsaku and Katsuya 
had done that also, but she didn't think she liked them that much.  Jinsaku was 
so removed from people at times, and Katsuya...

Then there was Steve.  He was obsessed with the Game.  Sure, he had a job, but 
the Game was his passion.  How could you really trust someone whose obsession 
was a competition where people could die?

Annette tried to stop thinking about anything besides her work at that point.  
She was doing that pretty well.  She hadn't had an accident all afternoon.  In 
fact, she probably would have forgotten all about the game by the end of her 
shift, had not Tyrell walked in during supper.

Annette's shift was almost done when Tyrell walked in, so she told him to wait 
a little while before they could talk.  She hurried a little waiting on tables,
hoping that if she could take care of all of her tables quickly, she might be 
able to finish a little early tonight.  It wasn't that she was eager to talk to
Tyrell.  Rather, she wanted to be done with this whole matter as quickly as 
possible and get home.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Annette apologized as she sat down.  "I just 
thought that it might make things easier if we could actually talk without me 
having to rush off every ten seconds."

"Don't worry about it," Tyrell said, calm as always.  "In fact, it's probably 
for the best that you're sitting down.  I wanted to let you know that Jinsaku 
is going to be away for a while."

"Really?  Did he say why?" Annette asked, altough from her tone of voice it was
rather obvious that she didn't really care why he did.

"Well, last night," Tyrell began, "he was challenged by Campbell.  I'm sure 
you have heard of him."

"Yes, of course I have," Annette replied, slightly indignant.  Campbell was 
supposed to be the best player around.  She'd heard that Jinsaku had beaten him
a little while ago, so she didn't find it very surprising that Campbell would
challenge him again.  But what did that have to do with Jinsaku leaving town?

Unless Jinsaku had been defeated.  "So this time Campbell beat him?" she asked.

"That's what Jinsaku told me," Tyrell replied.  "But it's more than that.  
Jinsaku seemed more withdrawn then normal.  I can underestand him being upset 
over the fact that he had lost a match.  However, I think it's more than just 
that.  Losing a match wouldn't make him run away like this.  I think something 
else must have happened suring that match, and the only way he can deal with 
what happened is to get away for a while.  I wish I knew what it was."

"Did he say when he was coming back?" Annette inquired.  She was interested now.
Sure, Jinsaku was withdrawn, but running away from everything?  What could make
him do that?  She thought for a moment, and realized that after what she had 
gone through this week, she probably would have tried to run away from 
everything herself, had not her new acquaintances decided to help her through 
her troubles.

"That's what concerns me," Tyrell stated.  "He didn't say when he would come 
back.  In fact, I got the distinct impression that he wasn't even sure that he
will be coming back.  Which is why I want to find out just what happened in that
match."  Tyrell went silent as a waitress walked past their table, then resumed
his explanation.  "I want to try and talk with Campbell, but the only way that I
can think of actually getting him to talk to me is by challenging him.  Not 
something that I am particularly interested in doing, as I'm sure you can 
understand."

"But why are you telling me all of this?" Annette began, then remembered to keep
her voice down.  "It's not like I have any ideas.  Besides, I'm probably not 
going to be any help to you here.  I've never had to face Campbell.  I've heard
of him, but I've never met him.  What could I do to help?"

"Just let me know if you get challenged by him," Tyrell answered with some 
reservation.  "It's not a pleasant thought, but now that Campbell's beginning to
win once again, he might start challenging players left and right.  If any of us
winds up being challenged by him, I think that we should all go and find out 
just what happened last night."

"And by us you mean...?"

"By 'us' I mean you, Steve, and me," Tyrell replied.  "I already spoke with him
briefly, and while he doesn't know Jinsaku all that well, he's interested in 
finding out what would make Jinsaku run away from the only people that he still
knows."

There was silence between them for a minute, then Annette began to get up.  
"Well, I had better get home now," she excused herself.

"Would you care to join me for some dinner?" Tyrell asked.  "I have yet to eat 
supper, and you look like you are a little worn out.  Maybe getting some food 
would help you feel better."

"No, I'd better get going," she replied.  "Tuppins will be getting lonely if I 
don't get home soon.  Besides," she added with a smile, "I've eaten enough of 
the food here for a lifetime."

			============

Katsuya found Rachel in Michael's hospital room.  He closed the door behind him 
as silently as he could.  Then, without saying a word, he found an unused chair 
in the room and sat down.

Rachel had looked up as soon as she had heard the door open.  She recognized 
Katsuya as one of the people that Jinsaku cept company with, although he looked
a little different without the headphones.  At was as if he was a different 
person without them on.

"He's still not awake," she said, although, from the lack of reaction from the 
room's other conscious occupant, she wasn't really sure if he'd heard her.  She
wanted to be able to talk to someone, anyone, who would be able to relate to 
what was going on.  Having to bear all of this herself was killing her.

The situation wasn't any easier on Katsuya.  He was still a little amazed that 
he had actually brought himself to come here.  Just yesterday he had told 
Jinsaku that he didn't want to see anyone else like himself, but here he was.
What he had thought coming here might accomplish, he was no longer sure.  The 
only thing that he was sure of was that he wanted to put his headphones back on.

He couldn't do that, though.  It just wouldn't be right.  Maybe he had thought 
that by making a show of strength, he might be able to reassure Rachel.  Then 
again, maybe he was trying to prove to himself that he could face his problems
without having to escape into his music.

"So you're Jin's friend," Rachel said.  It was more a statement than a question.
"What's your name?  He never told me."

"Katsuya," he wispered, so low that Rachel could barely hear him.  She looked
at him, finding him still staring into space.  She wanted to ask him more, about
what had happened to him, about why he was still with Jin, about so many other 
things that sonfused her.  She wanted to know what he was like.  Maybe that 
would help her when Michael woke up.

"So, how'd it happen?" Rachel asked Katsuya.  He looked toward her for the first
time, a puzzled look on his face.  "Jin said that you'd seen a minion before.  
How'd it happen?"

Images washed over Katsuya, tossing him about like flotsam on the sea.  He 
relived that terrifying moment when he had first seen Shade, seeing nothing but 
that horrible bare skull that was it's head, hearing nothing but it's terrible
scream.  The sensations were so powerful that they treatened to knock him to the
ground.

Rachel realized instantly what she had done to the other person, and instantly 
regretted asking.  But there was nothing she could do now.  He looked as if he
were in his own world, one where nothing she said or did could reach him.

After a few minutes of sufferring, Katsuya finally recovered enough to sit up.
He looked over at Rachel and saw the worry and concern in her eyes.  He could 
see that she hadn't meant to do that to him.  That being the case, he knew what 
he had to do.  He had to help her, so she wouldn't do any more harm to her 
friend.

"He's going to run away," he said, looking back toward the figure lying prone 
on the bed.  Rachel turned to look at Michael as well, worried once more for her
friend.

"What exactly do you mean?" she asked, turning once again to face Katsuya.  He 
didn't move for a minute, simply staring at Michael.  Deciding that he wouldn't
say any more, she glanced turned back to her friend.

"He's going to run away," Katsuya repeated, adding, "from everything."  Katsuya 
had never turned his eyes away from the man lying on the bed.  He knew knew what
this person would do.  While Katsuya had done everything that he could to block 
the sound of Shade's voice from his mind, this person had clawed at his face.  
He had tried to claw out his eyes, in an attempt to forget what he had seen.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked again, becoming more anxious.  "What is he 
going to try to run away from?"

This time Katsuya turned and looked Rachel in the eye.  "Everything.  Life.  
You."

			============

The door to Michael's hospital room opened, and a nurse looked inside.  Seeing
two people there besides the patient, she walked inside.

"I'm afraid you'll have to leave now," she informed the room's occupants.  
"You've already been in here well beyond regular visiting hours."

Rachel stood up, then looked over at Katsuya.  He looked like he could be 
sleeping.  She walked over to him to him and moved to wake him, but he lifted 
his head and opened his eyes.  Rachel smiled weakly at him, then nodded towards
the door and the nurse standing there.  Katsuya looked over at them, then stood
up and walked over to the exit.

Rachel waited a moment longer, once again looking back at Michael.  "I'm sorry,"
she wispered, tears wetting her cheeks.  "I'm sorry."

She turned and followed Katsuya and the nurse out of the room.

			============

"Here you are," Tyrell said as he spotted Katsuya.  "I was worried about you 
when I didn't find you back at Jinsaku's room."

Katsuya looked up at Tyrell, then resumed staring into space.  He was with 
Rachel in the hospital waiting room.  Neither of them looked like they wanted
anything to do with the real world.

"I didn't see you when I went over to the apartment this afternoon," Tyrell 
continued, "so I guess you don't know.  Jinsaku is gone."

While Katsuya failed to react, Rachel looked up at Tyrell with a shocked 
expression on her face.  "When?" she demanded.

"He left sometime this afternoon, I think," Tyrell began to explain.  "I found 
him on my doorstop this morning, a rather unusual occurence on its own."  That 
brought him a dark look from Rachel, so he hastened on.  "He seemed to be very
disturbed about the match that he'd had with Campbell last night.  He said that
he wanted to go on a vacation, like a cruise or something.  I checked in on his
room this afternoon, because I wasn't sure that he would go through with it.  
But when I got there, I found that all of his things were gone.  I guess he 
actually did leave town."

"The room?" Katsuya asked, revealing that he was not oblivious to Tyrell's 
explanation.  Tyrell looked over at Katsuya, but he was still looking at 
something that only he could see.  Tyrell noticed that Katsuya's headphones had 
returned to their customary perch over Katsuya's ears.

"Apparently it's rented in your name for a few more days," Tyrell replied.  
"Must have been one of the last things that Jinsaku did before leaving town.  
But if the rent runs out before he comes back, you could always come stay at my
place."

Katsuya nodded, a barely perceptible movement.  Tyrell wondered for a moment why
Katsuya would revert to the way that he had been when they first met, then 
remembered why Rachel was here.  "How bad is he?" Tyrell asked her, keeping his
voice low so as not to disturb Katsuya.

"What?" Rachel turned to look at Tyrell, obviously startled.  "Oh, Michael.  
He should be fine, from what the doctors can tell us.  They say that there's no
serious injuries.  What I don't understand is why he won't wake up."

"He's trying to run away," Katsuya explained, finally looking directly at Tyrell
and Rachel.  "He wants to forget what happened to him.  But he never can."

"How bad does it get?" Tyrell asked Katsuya.  "Is it like a type of flashback?"

"Worse, at times," Katsuya begins, getting a faraway look in his eyes.  "There 
are times when you can't see or hear anything but the creature.  It hunts you in
your nightmares, and hides at the edge of your senses when you're awake.  There 
is no way to hide from it."

"So if it haunts you while asleep..." Tyrell began.

"Does that mean he's running from it now, in his coma?" Rachel finished his 
question.

"He probably thinks he's running for his life even now," Katsuya answered, and
then lowered his head into his hands.

And the only thing that Katsuya could see was the skeletal head that he had come
to fear like death itself.

			============

In another part of Seattle, in another hospital, Campbell raised his bandaged
"wrist" and stared at it once again.  He had done this more times than he could
remember, and each time he had, it had filled him with hate.  There was no way 
that he could let Jinsaku go now.  Not after what he had done.

Even with the best doctors that money could buy, the damage to his hand couldn't
be rapaired.  The doctors had said that the nerve endings were already dead, and 
that there would be no way to reattach the severed appendage.  They had offered
him the option of a prosthetic hand that would allow him some funcion, but it 
wouldn't be the same.

Of course, the doctors had asked about how Campbell had lost his hand.  At 
least, they had asked at first.  He was careful about what he told them.  He 
refused to tell them that Jinsaku had been the one responsible for this.  Sure, 
if he had, then he would be able to get the police to go after Jinsaku, but that
wouldn't be nearly enough of a retribution.

Campbell lowered what remained of his left arm onto the bed, and leaned back.  
"Jinsaku will have to pay for this," he resolved.  "He will pay, and not 
just by losing another match.  He'll have to suffer.  He will suffer so much 
that he will never think of crossing me again."

"As if he could, when I'm through with him," Campbell thought.  "When I'm done 
with him, he won't even be able to remember his name."

			============

Annette awoke earlier then she had intended to.  She had set her alarm for eight
in the morning, but she woke up at six when Tuppins barking had disturbed her.
It was for the best, she figured, as she took Tuppin's outside.  She hadn't 
slept all that well anyway.

Her dreams were filled with confusion jumbles of color and unrecognized sounds.
Even now, with the dream fading from her memory, she still felt a little 
disturbed by it.  She couldn't really figure out why, so she decided the best 
thing that she could do was ignore it and get moving.  Doing something always 
made her feel better.

As she rounded the corner at the end of her block, a sudden wave of dizziness 
washed over her.  She leaned against the wall of the building, trying to steady
herself.  Instead of recovering, her vision blacked out for a moment.  When her 
vision cleared, the dizziness had also passed.  In it's wake, however, she had 
another reason to feel unsteady.  She had gone through this experience before.

She had just been challenged.

			============

Author's notes:

Well, I finally finished this.  First of all, I'd like to apologize for being 
late with my segment.  I've had a wierd past week, so it was unavoidable.

Anyway, this is the first impro chapter that I've written.  Actually, it's the 
first work of fiction that I've written.  I must say, writing it was a lot of 
fun.  Hopefully everyone enjoys reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Now, about the chapter.  I figure that this is where things really should go.
I mean, with all the setup that Assassin gave me, where else could I take the 
characters but down a little further.  As I've said on the message board, no 
matter what Katsuya decides to do, he may never be able to really follow 
through.  Also, I see Annette as potentially becoming just as confused as Talia
was.  Well, we'll just have to wait and see what Scott decides to do with what
I've given him.

Thanks to Scott and John for prereading.  You two gave me a lot to think about.
Thanks also to NeoVid, for coming up with this series.

Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at nightguard_x@yahoo.com.

The NightGuard,  4/7/2000, not long before work.


Beware the Radish
http://www.mit.edu/~johne/btr/