~A/N: okay, this isn't a graphic or depressing chapter. I don't know what to call it. I just say: it's a bad chapter for the protagonists. Also, I can't get "It's Me" out of my head! *sings* the masks that we wear. Pretend they aren't there. And yooooouuuu can only hiiide, for so long~

  "Sam, what day is it?" Taurtis asked me.

"Thursday, I think," I said. "Why?"

"No reason."

"Well, I guess that little scene in front of the school made up for me not singing," Chrissy said.

"I guess it did," I said.

We walked home the long way, talking and laughing as we did so. We didn't pass anyone in the way. The streets were empty. We didn't notice that. We were just happy for all of us being okay.

Then Chrissy noticed. "Hm," she said. "Does it seem weird to you all that no one's around?"

"Yeah," Grian said. "Everything's empty." He looked at the buildings around us. "The only lights on are the street lamps."

"That's really weird," I said. "The sun only just set."

"Very weird indeed," a voice said. We all turned around, jumping in surprise. Yakuza Karu was standing a yard or so away, smiling evilly.

"What do you want?" Chrissy shouted at her father. "Can't you tell we were coming home?"

"Taurtis knows. I was coming to pick up my son."

"You said...meeting...I was going to come!" Taurtis said.

"Seriously?" Chrissy said. "You're sick! I might as well live with them."

Her father sighed. "I'm sorry you had to choose the wrong side. Boys," he snapped his fingers.

I felt a hand cover my mouth. I tried to pull it away, but another hand grabbed my wrists and pulled them behind my back. I felt handcuffs snap on my wrists. A gag was tied around my mouth. I swerved my head around. The same had happened to Chrissy and Grian. Taurtis was unconscious on the ground. Blood was trickling from his forehead.

"Taurtis!" I tried to yell, but it only came out as a muffle. Chrissy's father laughed.

"You are very amusing to watch," he said, smiling. I looked around again. Chrissy was shaking and struggling, but it was no use. Grian was in so much shock, he was basically paralyzed. I glared at Yakuza.

"Take them away," he said, flicking his hand. The hands grabbed us again, and we were thrown into a dark place. I couldn't see a thing. The ground started to rumble. I realized we were in a van.

I heard someone moving in the darkness. The sound moved closer. Delicate hands pulled the gag off of my mouth.

"Chrissy?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Just a second, let me get Grian."

A minute later I heard the British voice, "What just happened?"

"I don't know," Chrissy said. "Can you guys see me?"

"No," I said. "I can't see anything."

"Neither can I," Grian said.

"Hm. I thought so."

"Can you see?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"My eyes work well in the dark. By the way, Taurtis is beside me."

"Is he okay?" I asked, worried for my best friend.

"I think so. But he's not waking up any time soon."

"What happened to him?"

"He was the first to get grabbed. They threw him on the ground. Hard. He started to bleed, and was knocked unconscious."

"Wait," Grian said. "How'd you get your gag and our gags off?"

"I moved my hands from behind my back."

"Aren't you wearing a skirt?"

"Yeah. What's that got to do with anything?"

"It-never mind."

We sat in silence until the truck came to a stop. Chrissy pulled me and Grian's gags back over our mouthes since we couldn't. She did her own and pulled her hands back behind her back. How? I have no clue.

The doors opened. The men grabbed us yet again and dragged us out of the van. One of them grabbed Taurtis and flung him over his shoulder. Then the man walked into the building beside us. I looked at it. It looked like a bigger version of the Yakuza's meeting place. Then I heard a scream. It was Chrissy. I looked at her. She was shaking her head and trying to pull away. She said something that sounded like, "No! Don't take him in there!"

I didn't have any time to react. Another man pulled off our gags and, one by one, put a rag to our faces. I tried to struggle, but I had already breathed in, and I felt myself collapse as my vision went out.

~A/N: ...I told you~