-16 years later-
Dry blows and slight moans were what could be heard in that humid and grim place. A golden-haired man was concentrating on destroying the boy's body in front of him, anger and hatred blinded him, and he would not stop at any moment. The boy had to die, but before that prize, he had to pay for what he had done, he had taken away the source of his happiness, and it was something Elliot Craig could not bear.
-You deserve this, you scum- his large hands grabbed a fistful of the young man's brown hair and lifted him off his feet without sensitivity, drawing another slight whimper from him- You deserve this pain, repeat it!
He brought his head down again, roughly delivering a blow to his stomach and ribs. For Elliot Craig, that vermin should never have been born, should never have agreed to let him be next to his beloved Colette.
"I-I deserve... this pain."
Mumbled the trembling boy who was making a superhuman effort not to cry. He felt pangs in every cell of his body and the blood dripping from his mouth made him nauseous; he was sure that at any moment, the darkness would take over his consciousness completely, giving him a rest at last. But he also knew that if he were to faint, that man would wake him up to continue his torture until he got tired of it or felt it right to destroy his body once and for all.
The blows stopped immediately. Only a few seconds of terrifying silence were enough for the sound of a metal rod dragging the ground to make every hair follicle of the brown-haired man bristle, feeling churning in his stomach. He hated being beaten with metal rods, especially if they were hot since the blow and pain caused in the injured area were agonizing, and the colored bruises took longer to heal.
"YOU TOOK AWAY WHAT I LOVED THE MOST"
After the first contact of the metal in his chest, the screams of agony and supplication began. The unfortunate boy did not deserve such hostile treatment, he did not even deserve to live in that place, but he had not decided where to be born or to be the son of the person that the head of that prison hated the most. His only crime was to have been born in such a horrible place where the whole world forgets people; since his mother had died, the mistreatment by the boss increased to the point of him wanting to commit suicide to be safe next to his loving mother. Probably the day of his death had arrived, amid agony and unconsciousness, he saw a glowing white light and his mother in it, smiling at him.
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The warm water dripping from the young man's forehead brings him back to harsh reality. It takes him a few minutes to focus his vision clearly, and he meets honey eyes. He looks around slowly, seeing that he is back in his cell, lying on the old, gnawed wooden board he had for a bed. When he felt the warm gauze rubbing against the wounds on his face, he moved a little abruptly, causing the pain to spread throughout his body; he let out a moan and lay down again, trying to breathe normally, which caused him to moan again. His ribs were shattered, and the deeper he breathed, the more they became encrusted in his skin.
The girl who healed his wounds hurried to disinfect his whole body, trying to be as careful as possible to avoid more pain to his friend. The colors that adorned his body did not please her, but unfortunately, both she and that boy were used to seeing and suffering those situations.
"Thank you," he whispers hoarsely, and she smiles.
The young man does his best not to let out moans of pain while the girl finishes suturing, closing his eyes until the young woman speaks for the first time.
"Drink this. You must be thirsty," she hands him a bucket of water, and he drinks some with desperation; how long had it been without drinking some liquid?
"Thank you, Ann," he whispers again, putting the bucket of water aside. The honey-eyed girl finishes bandaging him and begins to caress his hair slowly. The boy hides a grimace of pain; Annette's delicate fingers gave a small and relaxing massage to his scalp, which had been inhumanly pulled multiple times.
Both teenagers were silent for a few seconds, listening to the screams, sobs, and curses from the place.
"Hello," a male voice echoed in the cell. Both youngs turn to the person entering.
"Hello," he greets in a husky voice. Annette stops stroking his hair to get up and hug him. The little light that existed was gone, and darkness reigned again.
"How are you?" asks the young man with blond hair and light blue eyes, sitting down on the floor, followed by Annette.
"Well," he breathes deeply, hurting his chest. He closes his eyes, squeezing them shut to reduce the pain.
"I spoke with Emer a few hours ago," the blond speaks again in a low voice, and they both pay attention to the information he had.
Emer was the only ally that the trio of unfortunate boys had; he had been friends with Colette and Bibi, and when they had left the world of the living, Emer was the only adult who cared about them.
"We are ready to get out of this disgusting place."
The news hit them all at once; they didn't expect that kind of information. The dream of someday getting out of prison was one that all three teenagers shared, life was hard behind the thick bars, and it was even harder if you were there unfairly. The three boys could only imagine five percent of what the world was like and the freedom of living in it.
"It's impossible to get out of here, Jack," Annette's dry voice brought everyone back to reality.
"It's not," he affirmed "this time, it's going to work," and he assured with a slight smile.
"Yes, that's what they always say," Annette mumbled.
The desire to escape was not only in those boys. It was in all the women who were deprived of their freedom, which is why multiple plans to escape had emerged; none of them were successful. About five years ago, Anette's mother, Bibi, decided to escape with her daughter and her best friend's son after two years of her death. She did not plan to stay in that prison a second longer. Unfortunately, that mission also failed, claiming her life and leaving the little ones all alone.
Anette decided not to listen to her friend's plan, and she already had enough problems with all the guards to burden herself with the stupid ideas of freedom of the blond-haired young man. Once Anette was out of the cell, both boys were silent for a few seconds. They knew that escape was not possible or at least the chestnut understood that, and even though a small part of him wanted to get out, he feared for what the outside world would offer him—memories of his mother and him trying to escape overwhelmed his mind.
"It's our last chance," Jack speaks, letting out a tired sigh, lying down on the ground beside him.
"What if it doesn't work?" he asks in a murmur, without looking at his friend's bright blue eyes.
"Then we'll die without knowing the world."
The green-eyed boy bites his lip lightly, without too much strength, to avoid hurting himself too much. He recognized that he shared the same dream as his friend because it was the same dream his mother had. She was willing to do anything for both of them to live happily ever after, but... he deserved to be in that place and be treated like dirt because he had put Colette in danger. He had killed her. Mr. Craig was in charge of making him pay for it every day of his miserable life. He understood that he was guilty, and that's why Elliot Craig hated him to death; however... every day for the last six years, he begged forgiveness to his mother's soul, promising to be better and not to make trouble so that his debt would be settled.
"It's what Colette always wished for," the boy next to him spoke again, trying to make him reconsider the opportunity they had, "think about it."
Was he escape his mother's way of granting him forgiveness? Even if Mr. Craig didn't feel like showing him mercy?
The three youngsters listened attentively to what a guard with friendly copper eyes was telling them. It was crazy for the three of them to accept the challenge; after all, they had nothing to lose; if they succeeded in getting out of Elliot Craig's domain, they would have the chance to live a decent life like normal people, but if they failed... well, it was certain that they would die and stop suffering for eternity. "Did you understand?" asked the guard, looking at the kids who were trying to memorize the improvised map he had made. The trio nods; although they had many questions inside them, none of them dared to speak without Emer's or any other guard's permission. "Well, you must get to the Gold Star as soon as possible once you are outside. I will be waiting for you there before the first snowfall. I will take you to a safe place," he explains again, wishing the three youths could understand him, "I left the gates half open and disabled the secur
The light of dawn, along with the sound of birds and the slight movement of the boat hitting something, wakes Oliver up, making him close his eyes for a few moments to get used to the strange sunlight. Once his sight adapts to the new surroundings, his drowsy face changes to one of surprise and admiration for the incredible scenery he has never seen before. There were so many colors, so much light, and so much peace that on the boy's lips, a big smile appeared, the first in a long time. Then he felt his stomach churn, and the null aliment he possessed inside was returned to the outskirts of the small boat. His hands gripped the bard tightly as the pain in his ribs and throat made him twitch. Oliver wasn't used to being on a ship, and the constant movement throughout the night had made him so dizzy that he fell unconscious. Once his body gave everything back, he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his torn shirt, trying to regulate his breathing. "Hey, what do
Oliver was once again running through the huge streets of the unknown location, being chased by a group of officers in an attempt to find the famous money and The Gold Star. The officers thought he was just another lowlife looking for someone to rob, and Oliver thought Mr. Craig's men had found his whereabouts. The light and activity in the city changed as the hours passed, and that was another factor that had the brown-haired boy dismayed; however, he had no time to admire the city and wonder why the light disappeared as he ran as fast as his tired feet would allow. "Stop in the name of the law!" The ground was also changing; instead of being smooth and rough, it was now uneven; some parts were earthy and others itchy. The huge buildings and noisy cars were gone, replaced by trees and dry grass. The boy was exhausted. Since he woke up, he had not had a great rest, and the wounds caused by that demon were still fresh some of them even opened by the movement i
Raindrops fell on his body, bringing him peace. He had been deciding whether to leave the cave or stay inside listening to the rain crashing, Chrystal Daly fell asleep after introducing herself, and Oliver made a small fire to warm up... however, the desire to go out and enjoy the famous rain was stronger than the tiredness and the cold. The corners of his lips lifted into a smile, and then a light chuckle escaped his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy that he had the urge even to laugh; it was so much better than he had imagined. The sound of each drop hitting the ground irregularly, the smell it emanated, and how soothing it was to his body and soul was a thousand times better than hearing it under the ground. Oliver raised his arms and wiped his face with the water, his hands and arms. "It's even more beautiful than what you told me, mother." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Over here!" Gunshots and screams could be heard all over the place, upsetting the nerves of both teenagers who were running for another exit. They had not waited long when Oliver turned around to escape; they ought to do the same, turning to the right freedom felt closer. They ran towards the boats still being chased by a group of guards who managed to hurt the blond's left arm. "Jack!" shouts the black-haired woman. "Go away!" "What are you saying?" She didn't want to go alone in that boat, she wasn't as strong and independent as Oliver and Jack, she had accepted this craziness because she wouldn't be alone. "Stop acting like a hero, you idiot!" Annette bent down to help the blond stand up, placing her healthy arm around his neck, with the other hand she holds him by the waist and they both move forward a couple of meters before the guards arrive for them. "No!" "Let her go, it was my...mgh!" O
Oliver didn't keep track of how many days he had gone without healthy food and how slowly he was recovering from his last punishment. He was tired, sore, and sick. Maybe, last night he should have slept more instead of enjoying the beautiful, freezing rain. Even so, he had to move forward; he thought that he would regain his strength by eating a little and drinking.When they left the forest, Oliver had to hold back a grunt because of how annoying the noises, the people, and everything around him was. He felt afraid again; there was a lot of light, and he felt all eyes on him. He had to endure it and adapt if he wanted to be free.The way to Chrystal Daly's house was tortuous, and the redhead had to help him in the last meters because his feet could no longer support his weight and the pain in his torso.“I'm sorry,” muttered the green-eyed boy, once inside the house.“Nothing's wrong,” she answered instantly, “I think you sh
Chrystal was undecided on what to do. She never imagined that the boy would faint in front of her, but if he fainted, it was because something was wrong with him. She thought that his face was not the only injured area. He was walking slowly and limping on his way home; she offered him help, but Oliver immediately refused her.She picked up Oliver's unconscious body and carried him to one of the couches in the living room. She couldn't take him to the hospital in the rain, or he would get sick. She hurried to get some gauze and cold water to regulate his temperature, and a couple of warm blankets as well. When she had everything she needed, she placed the cold water-soaked gauze on the boy’s forehead, then the socks. She thought for a second if it was wise to treat the bruises on his face and find out if there were more injured areas, like his feet.If she waited for him to wake up and ask him if he wanted help, Oliver would probably refuse with mute words...no,
“Oliver.”The named boy opened his eyes for a couple of seconds without recognizing the person in front of him. Chrystal moved away a little, seeing how he slowly began to recover consciousness.“You fainted after eating,” she said as she saw the confusion on his sore face, “you had a fever.”Oliver was surprised to see her, not knowing how long he had been asleep. He was sorry for causing more trouble to the girl with strange reddish hair. He wanted to apologize, but his mouth was so heavy he could barely swallow his own saliva. His whole body ached for more rest, he felt worse than a few hours ago… or was it days?“Drink.”The girl passed him a clear glass with water. Oliver stretched his arm with great effort; however, his hand could not support the weight and slipped to crash with the floor. Oliver let out a gasp and forced himself to get up quickly to pick up the glass, trying to get the w