"Leave this room and you'll be sorry!" A middle aged woman shoved a young blond into a wardrobe in the corner of his room jamming a coat hanger in the handles to insure the boy couldn't escape if he tried, though she was confident he wouldn't.
The boy in question was a 6 year old, he was tall for his age but still dwarfed by the woman who was supposed to be his foster mother. He had been sent to the home after being taken away from his drug addicted mother who may have been an addict but still cared for her children, she would happily go without food for them and if need be she would even go without her fix.
The young blond was happy at home and would still be there if a stupid neighbour hadn't called social services. He knew they only did it to help but where he had ended up was by no means better than home.
Here you were to keep silent at all times. Any form of speech heard when you weren't permitted resulted in various punishments from simple beatings to the most dreaded nicknamed 'the gas chamber'. If you were given this punishment you were locked in a room, usually the bathroom, where a bucket of different concoctions of chemicals had already been placed in, with the door locked you couldn't escape and whatever chemicals had be used were able to take effect.
The most common effects of 'the gas chamber' were coughing up blood sometimes lasting days, sickness where the child couldn't hold anything down or in one tragic event the child had gone blind.
Silence wasn't the only rule you had to follow. The foster home was more like a boot camp in how strict it was. Everyone had to be up by five, any later and it was a beating before being locked in the wardrobe. Beds were made which wasn't too unusual but if it wasn't up to par then you were deprived of food for however long she saw fit. A normal time was about a week maybe more if you were among the older kids.
The list of rules and regulations went on forever and the woman added different ones on as she pleased. She mainly did this when they were all behaving good just so she had a reason to punish them but occasionally it was because she was bored and wanted to hear a child scream and beg for her to stop. For reasons unknown to the children she loved hearing them cry out in pain and would do anything to hear it.
Sad eyes scanned his new surroundings he was stood at the back of a tiny built in wardrobe; clothes were in disarray on the floor while some held on for dear life to the coat hanger desperately trying not to end up like the balled up clothes on the floor he was sitting on a small mountain of clothes trying not to cry. His mama never did this to him sure he was sat in a corner when he was bad but never this.
A lone tear escaped his eyes but was quickly wiped away before it could drop to the floor. He longed to be back home, wishing with all his heart that he could close his eyes and be transported back home, or even better, wake up and find out these past few months were just a horrible dream.
Sadly his wishes were ignored as all this was real his family was gone he was trapped in this god forsaken home for however long he survived. And from the state of himself it wouldn't be very long he had lost much of his former weight which was made even more apparent from his size. He was very tall for his age and all clothes which should fit a boy his size were unbelievably baggy. Underneath he was just skin and bones so thin he could count his ribs.
The woman who looked after him hadn't just taken his former life from him but also his identity. When coming here she took his clothes burning them in front of his eyes in exchange for his clothes he was given what can only be called rags full of holes and stains. Not only were his clothes taken from him but he was stripped of his name. Now, he was a nobody known only by her and the others as 'boy'.
Knowing he would be there for some time he had to find a way to entertain himself. With no toys or TV the children were allowed to use and no way to escape the wardrobe he counted the wounds on his arms. His skin was littered with healing cuts from her nails when she would drag him. Bruises of all colours from black and brown to old fading yellow ones.
A noise from outside of the wardrobe caught the boy's attention looking up he saw shadows from the other side.
"Boy. You ok?" Another of the children whispered through, the boy's original name had also been taken. He didn't know what his name before was but in the house he was known as 'D' not very personal but it was better than 'boy'.
Not wanting to speak from fear that the woman who was supposed to be his mother would hear he tapped the wardrobe to indicate he was ok.
"Don't worry she left with friends a few minutes ago" a girl from outside assured, daring to think it safe to speak he spoke loud enough for them all to hear
"I'm fine what are you doing here?" Instead of an answer the door opened. Instead of the children he thought were the only people there the 'mother' who was supposed to be out was glaring in at the boy. Two children behind looking guilt stricken at betraying the boy's trust
"What happened to the rule of no talking without permission? I don't remember saying you could talk" grabbing a thin arm she dragged the boy from the wardrobe despite his frail protests.
It appeared she had expected the blond to fall for her trick as the bathroom already had a bucket full of a foul smelling concoction in the corner.
"Please miss I'm sorry" he tried to plead with the woman hoping she would have pity on him
"Again with the noise well looks like I'll have to extend your sentence" throwing the smaller boy in he landed on his hands and knees turning his head round just in time to see her smirk as the door slammed shut.
Crawling to a corner of the room as far away from the bucket as he could he curled in on himself trying to protect his face and keep a pocket of air for him to breathe. A mist was forming in the room from the chemicals. Trying to get away from the mist that was closing in on him the blond contemplated getting into the bath with a towel as a gas mask.
That idea was quickly extinguished as he noticed that all the towels had already been removed. Seems she had expected him to think of using them as gas masks'. A small whimper escaped the boy's mouth before he could stop it.
He had no way out and there was no way of knowing how long he would be locked in the room. He was utterly helpless, his air pocket shrinking by the second. Closing his eyes he didn't want to see the mist encase him. He tried to picture his mum's face wanting to see the woman who had raised him for almost 6 years.
But he couldn't, he could see the house he had been taken from, he could see his room, her body, the clothes she had been wearing when he was taken but the face was gone, just a black void.
"Mama?" He whispered to himself as tears trickled down his thinned cheeks. The tears came on faster and bigger as sobs were pulled from his throat he couldn't remember what she looked like. How? It hadn't been so long ago when he was taken. Why couldn't he remember what she looked like? What could have caused the gap in his memory? He hadn't done anything to cause the gap.
But maybe the chemicals had done it. They were the only possibility; nothing else could have done it. An intense anger built up in him as he became more and more infuriated with the woman and the chemicals they made him forget. Forget his own mother! The person who brought him into the world!
Wiping his red and puffy eyes he sniffled, breathing in some of the foul air which brought on a coughing fit. His raw throat burning with each breath he took in between his coughs as he tried to stop his coughing he grabbed the wall as his face turned a faint blue from lack of air.
After many minutes he managed to slow down his coughing so he could take short breaths. Looking around the room everything was obscured by the thickening mist that was pouring from the bucket. His eyes were watering from the mist which was irritating them making it even harder to see. Pulling up his shirt he used it as another feeble attempt at a gas mask he found it offered but a weak form of help but it was still better than before and for that he was grateful.
Standing up in the manmade fog he felt around on the wall for something to hold so he could guide himself around to hopefully find somewhere to get some fresh air. After a few seconds of dwindling hope his fingers latched onto what felt like the towel rack.
Using the bar he shuffled himself along till he head butted the wall. Patting the wall he felt a slight feeling of disappointment rise in him when he felt nothing but flat wall. Sliding down and across he felt for the bottom of the door he knew was close to him.
Fingers latched onto the small gap under the door that had been blocked with the towels that were meant to be in the room. Stopping himself from sighing in annoyance he tried to preserve as much air as he could he instead rolled his eyes which still stung from the fog.
'Stupid room, stupid woman, stupid house' he thought angrily trying to push his finger as far into the gap as he could. His finger tip managed to touch a towel making a smirk appear on his face. He started trying to move the towel a matter of millimetres so he could get a small speck of light through after doing that he would be pleased even if he couldn't get any air from the hole simply from just being able to make even a minute gap for the fog to escape through.
He managed to make a gap big enough for his finger to fit in. He curled his finger tip as he pulled the towel back a little making the hole bigger. Taking his finger out of the hole he had just made he pressed his mouth to the door gap sucking in the fresh air he had managed to get.
He spent many minutes just breathing in the air filling his lungs and removing the burn that had been starting to form from the lack of clean air. The sound of footsteps on the stairs alerted him to the woman's arrival.
Quickly pulling the towel back through, he scrapped the top of his finger on the door giving a slight hiss of pain he sucked his finger quickly running to the corner curling himself up so it looked like he had never moved.
The door swung open the mother standing in the door way standing out in the fog. "Have you learned your lesson yet?" She asked her eyes boring into his. The skinny blond opened his mouth to answer before shutting it after only a moment's thought nodding instead. "Good you are learning" walking over she grabbed a bony arm dragging him to his feet "come boy" she ordered
"You have chores to do while I go out with my friends" she told the boy standing him in front of the sink.
"But I already did my chores ma'am" he answered looking up at her silently wishing she would just leave.
"I know that boy but you are doing mine as I am too busy" she answered leaving the boy where he stood so she could grab her bag. "And don't even think of slacking I have the others keeping watch on you. You do want to earn your keep don't you I could easily send you back to that rat's nest that you were in before here." The rat's nest she was referring to was the orphanage he was put in before the foster home, the home was down run and overfilled with kids some as young as three and some almost seventeen.
Leaving the room for a second she returned with one of the oldest in the house "watch over the boy do not help him and don't think of leaving this room or you'll be in the gas chamber like he was earlier" she pointed a finger at the skinny boy stood frozen to the spot "understand"
The boy she had brought in nodded his head not making a sound. He had been there for a few years and knew all too well the rules and punishments she gave out. Giving the boys a final look she turned leaving the house without telling the others when she would be back and knowing the woman it wouldn't be till well after noon the next day.
Finishing off the last of his chores well her chores, he dropped back onto the stained couch sighing in relief. Normally the children weren't allowed to sit on her property without permission which they seldom got. But without her around all the children in the house indulged themselves with the soft padding in the couch which by some miracle still had some comfort in it.
He had managed to get a seat while others were sitting on the back and the arms. Despite being one of the newest ones in the house he got along fairly well with the other children and with this and the fact he had done extra work along with his punishments they allowed him a seat.
The children around him were engaged in a conversation loving the freedom to talk, but he could only think about home about his inability to see his mother's face. Because of that evil witches punishments he could no longer see the woman who brought him into this world who may not have been perfect but loved him with all her heart and would go without for him. He closed his eyes as his tears threatened to spill over his lashes and run down his thinned face.
"Boy you ok?" One of the other children tapped his arm. Opening his eyes he looked at her.
"I'm ok" he assured offering her a slight smile she didn't look like she believed him but let it drop.
"Ok fine you don't have to tell me but I will listen whenever you're ready" she was one of the newer ones like him and still kept most of her childishness so the smile she offered him didn't make him feel she was being patronizing but sincere. He nodded in acknowledgment silently thanking her she appeared to pick up on it and patted his arm before walking away to sneak some food.
The others appeared to have forgotten that they could get some food as they were too busy with talking freely for the first time in months, years in some cases.
The blond was swinging his legs slightly content for the first time in a long while when the girls leaving for food finally registered properly and he ran to the kitchen. Stood on a chair the girl had been making a sandwich and was currently stretching for the food the woman kept out of their reach. Stumbling slightly as she tried to steady herself on the cheap chair.
The boy held his hands up stabilising her when she fell backwards. Once she was straight she turned to look at who had saved her smiling when she saw the lanky blond.
"Ready to talk?" She asked her smile faltering when he shook his head "then what do you want? Food?" Her smile came back strong when he nodded his head at her "well I'll make you something if you talk" the promise of food made all the difference to the young blond and he nodded his head looking up at her with slightly nervous eyes.
"You promise you'll make me something to eat?" He had to make sure she wouldn't back out of her promise
"Course I will, now come on talk" he fidgeted before opening his mouth but when no sound came out the girl frowned "come on no talking no food" taking a deep breath he tried again this time successfully making a noise.
"I was punished earlier by being put in the bathroom with the chemical bucket." He started she nodded her head jumping from the chair as she searched for a plate. "And I tried to think of home earlier and I could see everything but…"
"But…?" she drawled out the word
"I couldn't picture my mum I could see her body her clothes everything in the house but her face was a black hole. I don't know why I couldn't see her but I couldn't. I can only blame it on that bloody bucket full of those putrid chemicals ruining my mind and taking away the person I love the most from my memories." A hand rested on his shoulder along with a comforting squeeze. Turning he looked into the girls sympathetic eyes
"She's gone from all you memories?" She asked looking over him in case he was lying though she doubted he was. He didn't look like the type to lie for attention, especially over something as horrid as forgetting his own mother.
"Yes I've tried to remember her really hard but all I get is a black void. It's all because of those chemicals" tears streamed down his face as he clenched his eyes closed. Wrapping her arms around that taller boy she held him forgetting the food momentarily.
"Don't worry kid. I'm sure you'll remember her eventually" she tried to sound confident in her words but even to her they sounded hollow.
"But what if I can't? How am I supposed to live with myself knowing I can't remember the woman who gave me life?" His arms were hanging limply by his sides his face downcast as tears filled his eyes.
"Hey, hey don't be like that you'll remember her I promise" her words were more sincere now that she saw the tears in the usually distant boy. Wrapping his arms around her sides he pulled her closer burying his face in the crook of her neck.
After many minutes of comforting the blond she loosened her grip on him easing him out of the embrace.
"Come on let's get the food now while we have the chance." She tried to change what he was thinking about hoping to stop the tears. It seemed to work and the two started to make themselves and the others food.
The blond held no ill feeling to the children who had betrayed him earlier today when he was locked in the wardrobe as he knew they had no other option and had to do as she said. To prove he felt nothing bad towards them he wanted to make them something along with the rest of the children.
Walking into the front room they saw the other children hadn't stopped talking. After so long of silence they had much to share.
"Everyone we have food" her words may have been simple but they had great effect on the children who all silenced only seconds of calm entered the room and as soon as one of the children moved the rest poured off the couch almost barrelling the two down as they grabbed at the plates in their hands.
After they all received their food they sat wherever they could watching each other eat.
"I can't remember a time when everyone was happy to be quiet" the girl whispered to the lanky blond. The blond nodded back to his silent self but the smile on his face proved that he was thinking the same thing. "I know you are still thinking about your mum, stop ok you will remember her when you can and not a moment sooner"
She wasn't trying to upset the tall blond but she couldn't stand seeing people torment themselves. He nodded his head solemnly staring ahead looking at nothing in particular as he finished his food.
"Come on stop looking like that" she nudged his arm trying to gain his attention but he had become transfixed with the invisible spot he had been staring at, the spot only he could see. She waved her hand in front of his face but he didn't even blink unaware she was still there. "Boy?" She looked around the room the blond had come to the home around the same time as another boy and she knew that boy knew his real name.
None of the others knew his real name as he had been stripped of it a few hours after he had arrived, he did but did he remember? If what the boy had told her earlier that he forgot his mum because of the chemicals then maybe the other forgot the name because of that same thing.
She spotted the boy who had arrived around the time he did and as casually as she could she crept over to him. Sitting next to the brunette the boy looked at her suspiciously raising an eyebrow silently asking what she wanted.
"You know that boy?" She pointed to him, who was still in his own world.
"What about him?" He asked turning back to his food irritated that he was being disturbed during one of the rare occasions when they could eat.
"What's his name?"
"You know his name it's boy" he answered not looking at her despite her constantly tapping his shoulder to make him turn to her
"No not the name she gave him his real one" suppressing an annoyed sigh the young boy had to give her credit for persistence.
"If I tell you the kids name will you leave me alone?" He asked though it was bordering on begging, she nodded her head happily. His shoulders slumped defeated "his real name is Spencer. Happy?" He looked up at her hoping she would leave now he told but unfortunately for him she instead threw her arms around him hugging him tight.
His eyes widened as she squeezed him but she didn't relinquish her hold nor did he say anything to her to make her release him mostly due to the shock. When she finally released him he stared at her in surprise before looking away to finish eating.
Walking back over to the blond she saw he was still in his world she gave him a tap on the shoulder but he didn't respond. She smiled knowing she could say his real name now for what was probably the first time in a long while.
"Spencer" she whispered in his ear; his head snapped towards her his eyes were alert like he had just come out of a trance. A grin spread across her face as she saw it had worked. "You ok you zoned out badly"
"Y-you said my name" he stuttered like an idiot pointing at her stunned. It wouldn't be a stunning thing under normal circumstances but this wasn't normal, this was hell.
"Very good, now are you ok?" She spoke slower as if he was an actual idiot and not just shocked.
"I-I'm fine." He had almost gotten his voice under control but it still shook slightly
"Good so why did you zone out?" She asked wondering what was wrong with him.
"I, I was thinking about my mum I was trying to remember her but I just can't I see her body everything else but her face is gone" tears filled his eyes as he thought of her again, only to see everything but her face.
She pulled him into a hug feeling quite affectionate today after all that had been going on. Rubbing his back she tried to shush him as tears continued to well in his eyes.
"It's ok don't start crying again please Spencer please" his skinny arms wrapped around her as he held her like a cuddly toy, one a baby would use to sooth itself
Neither moved for a long time the other children stared at them but none disturbed them, understanding that one of them needed the comfort. The door swinging open startled the two who immediately jumped apart.
Two figures walked into the room all the children were in plates by their feet. One of the figures was the woman who was supposedly their mother the other a tall thin man with purple hair.
He looked at be wearing a robe and his eyes seemed to be boring into every child's eyes. The woman looked across every child her hate for them evident. A sly grin spread across her face as she turned to the thin man.
"Take your pick these are all the children in the house any you want you can have." She gestured to the children who all moved away from the two feeling uneasy with how she was speaking about them.
"I see you have many children in this house, though I shall only need one and it must be of a specific type" he told her as he scanned the children's scared faces.
"Oh really and what would that be?" She asked looking at him with slight curiosity
"It must be a boy, a tall one at that. He must be above average height for our training program" finding only two boys met his specifications he added "the blond and ginger child can stay the rest of you leave" having learned to listen to whatever they were told everyone left the room apart from Spencer and an older child with dark ginger hair.
He motioned for them to step towards him and hesitantly they both did.
"Names and ages"
"Alex fourteen" he answered looking up at the strange man.
"S-Spencer, Sir I-I'm six" he stuttered feeling himself wilt under his intense gaze.
"Alex leave this one here will be perfect for what I have in mind" resting his hand on the blonds shoulder he grinned at him revealing yellowish teeth which only added to his intimidating presence.
Nodding the ginger walked out of the room letting out a sigh of relief. The girl who had been spending time with the blond peeked her head around the door frame, she looked on at the two feeling a sadness grow in the pit of her stomach at the knowledge that he would be leaving her.
"This one will be coming with me now does he have any belongings to take with him?" He asked expecting a yes, he would allow the boy to collect his things if that was the case then once they had left he would throw them into the bin.
"He has nothing I threw them all out" she stated coldly.
"Good then we can go now." Grabbing his arm he started to pull the lanky boy out of the room. No one said bye to him with her back in the house the no talking rule was back. "Don't look so scared" it was supposed to sound comforting but coming from the man it scared him more than he already was.
Opening the door which led to the outside world the blond stared out slightly amazed at how bright everything was, with the fear he was feeling he thought it would like the films he had seen back with his mum everything dark and eerie.
He was dragged to a black car parked outside the house one door open a man who looked like the driver holding it open. Throwing the boy inside the purple haired man followed him inside the door being closed as soon as he was in.
As the car started to pull away Spencer grabbed onto the door handle on his side of the car trying to yank it open, he had a horrid feeling he was going somewhere far worse than the home he had been living in.
Unfortunately the child lock had been set and he was trapped, being driven away by a man who he didn't even know the name of.
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