Patches, the Volturi Pet
Narrator's POV
Sixty percent of men and fifty percent of women experience at least one trauma in their lifetime. Over five million adults are diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) annually, and there may be many more still out there. Some examples of trauma connected to PTSD are witnessing death, victim of rape, abduction, and violence. Human trafficking—the fancy term for modern-day slavery—can include all of these and more than the average mind could fathom. What impact could such a gruesome experience have on an innocent mind, and what lengths would one go to conceal it?
Aro signaled for the others of his coven to leave the bodies and travel on. The forest was thick enough to block out any screams of mercy or cries for help. Of course, they were only five men, only another statistic in the vampire king's mental records. He knew he saw something move in the back of the van during the attack, a face maybe. Glancing at the violently torn up bodies sprawled around his shoes, he mused whether the face saw the whole scene. Of course it did, or else it wouldn't have looked away when their eyes met each other's curious stare. He glided to the trunk, ripping the door clean off and tossing it behind him. A tortured face peered up at him, the rest of its slim figure tucked into a tight ball in a corner. A boy, Aro deduced. No older than seventeen. The clothes he wore frayed from use, an unsightly camouflage green color with splotched brown spots and stripes. Military? At a closer glance, the boy had some sort of dog tag about his neck, an inch and a half of silver clasped close to the broken skin. "Patches", it read in a sharp cursive hand. That had to be his name, and Aro could see why. Little clusters of dust and dirt clung to his messy auburn hair, his forehead, and down his cheeks, save for clear stripes that raked through the grime starting under his large green eyes.
Aro couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something special about this boy worth taking home to Volterra. The men he had killed earlier seemed keen on protecting this van and it was likely this kid was the reason. He could walk away with the others, but the laws he upheld gave him no choice in the matter. He saw too much; it was either kill him or bargain that he'll be useful. One way to find out. Aro extended an arm to touch him. The boy immediately responded by ducking his head and trembling uncontrollably with fear. "Come, little one," the vampire said softly in his ancient voice. "I won't hurt you." The boy lifted his head again, letting the man touch the center of his forehead with a finger.
The red eyes vanished under thick lids with deep concentration. He saw the boy's entire past and present in the longest twenty seconds of his existence. Not military at all. He retracted his finger and took a second glance at the numerous dark puddles on his clothes. Not clothes dye. Dried blood. The silver collar that bore his name was no accident either. Not a boy, he concluded at last. An abused animal—a domesticated pet. "Here," he whispered, finding the child's waist and lifting him out of the van. "You're coming home with me." He set him on the ground where he immediately dropped down on all fours, a look of anxious wonder reflecting in his eyes. Aro glanced around the area where the dead bodies began to attract flies. He pulled out a lighter with one hand and pointed down in front of him with the other. "Wait here," he ordered, sidestepping around the boy and proceeded to drop flames over the corpses. Little fires smoldered the rotting flesh to instant ashes. He double-checked for any he could have missed when he spotted his foundling disappearing in the wood in an attempt to crawl away from him. Aro sighed, shaking his head and darting after him. The boy let out a distressed cry as he was scooped up, the first sound he made all day. Aro could tell he did not like being touched, but there had to be some way to get him to his castle without him deliberately trying to run off.
"Shh, that's enough." Tears were forming in the child's mint green eyes as he fell silent in Aro's arms. The vampire carried him back to the van and looked inside the driver's seat. Sure enough, a long, thin chain leash lay coiled in a cup holder. That'll do. He had to put the boy back down to demolish the door. He did so in seconds, his eyes never leaving him. To his surprise, the young one stayed perfectly still as his lead was put on, clearly used to the process. Aro smiled, gripping onto the very end of the other side to give the boy plenty of space to move around. "Walk this way," he said as he turned to travel in the direction of Volterra. He took a few steps and looked over his shoulder, only to find that the child was still crawling on all fours. He shook his head. "No, no. This way." He lifted him up and placed him solidly on two feet, waiting a few seconds before slowly backing away. "Now, walk to me as I do." The boy cautiously raised a foot and dragged it in front of him, then did the same with the other. He held his arms out as if he expected himself to fall, but nevertheless made it to Aro in under a minute. The vampire nodded his approval. "Good. Let us walk together now." He took slow, easy steps and the boy followed his lead, quickly getting the hang of it. They traveled in the manner to the end of the wood and across the border of the Italian city the vampire called home.
"Do you know English?" Aro asked at last, seizing the opportunity to become acquainted with his foundling. The boy said nothing but simply nodded. "Can you speak it?" Again, another nod.
"A-A little," came the cracked response. Aro smiled with delight. This was certainly progress. He heard an agitated rumbling sound emitting from the boy's stomach.
"Are you hungry?"
"Mm-hmm." Aro drummed his fingers on a pant leg. Perhaps now would be a good time to set some standards.
"That's not an answer," he stated plainly. "Use your words."
"Y-Yes," the small voice tried again. Aro still wasn't satisfied.
"Yes, what?" he inquired, his crisp tone now carrying an edge of authority.
"Yes, p-please." The smile reappeared as they walked on to where the rolling hills of wild grass met the clean cut backyards of city houses. Aro flipped the hood of his ebony cloak over his head and took the boy by his hand. With a small click, the chain dropped into his palm and he slipped it into his pocket.
"Stay close. We will be home soon." With that, they blended into the city streets, passing a dozen bistros and snack carts along the way. He felt the child's eyes roam around, knowing the endearing smells of freshly made food teased him. He quickened his pace and stopped at they neared the huge castle. "Here it is. Home." As they entered the shady atmosphere, a chilled shudder ran down the child's spine. A young woman met them at the front, standing up to greet them with a dazzling smile. Like Aro, she had blazing red irises that matched her dress.
"Good afternoon, Master Aro," she chirped, dropping a dainty curtsy.
"Good afternoon, Heidi." He stopped and gestured to his companion with his head. "Will you go fetch this child something to eat, please? Something with substance." Heidi eyed the smaller of the two with a curious stare before curtsying a second time and slipping into the city square.
Patches' POV
I couldn't decide if I was going to like this new place the man said was going to be my new home. It was bigger than anything I've known in a long time, and yet so cold; it didn't have a homey feeling about it at all. The man, whose name was "Master Aro", mentioned something about a bath and requested that I follow him up a flight of stairs. I couldn't stop shaking from either the cool air, my low blood sugar, or most likely from both. We passed a few other red-eyed people along the way, all of them pleasantly smiling at the man and then throwing a mildly disgusted look at me. He led me into a simple bedroom that had a bathroom and a closet branching from either side. "This will be your room," he told me with a gentle smile. It had a regular sized bed in the center, a wooden dresser with a lamp on the left, and a desk with a cushioned chair next to a small empty bookshelf on the right. But what I liked most was the large window behind the bed. It gave the room the most light and I could see the whole town down below. Master Aro gave my hand a squeeze and guided me into the bathroom, which was half the size of the bedroom, the largest I've ever seen. It had a roomy porcelain bathtub I could practically swim in, a sink with a mirror above it, and another closet for towels and soap. I noticed the distinct lack of toilet and didn't know what to make of it. Everyone needs to relieve themselves sometime.
I look curiously up at him and saw that he was already shutting the door and locking us both inside. My heart began to thump; I don't do well in tight spaces. He let go of my hand to start the bathtub water, permitting me to explore every square inch on my own. I waited until his back was turned to reach for the door handle. "Don't even think about it," he warned without turning his head. My arm dropped in defeat. I thought about how people looked when they saw me and hesitantly approached the mirror. I inhaled a sharp gasp at my reflection; I was a hideous sight! My face was dirty and deformed with scars and bruises from yesterday's punishments. I ran a finger over the greatest one of all—the scar from stitches that sewed the left corner of my lips into my cheek, leaving a ghastly permanent grin. The water stopped running and I felt a cool hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry, dear one. The majority of those will go away soon." I looked up at Master Aro's smiling face, and I got the uneasy feeling that he knew everything about me: my thoughts, feelings, dark secrets, darker experiences, everything. "Ready for your bath?" I turned to the tub filled with steamy water and a generous amount of bubbles. It looked inviting.
"Y-Yes," I said with a small smile, waiting for him to leave so I could get in. In the next moment, it was clear that he had other plans. He pinched the top of my shirt and tore it down the middle, letting it fall off me. My bare chest and back were exposed to him. My eyes filled with tears of shame; I knew the welts behind me looked like an Etch-A-Sketch doodle drawn by a first grader. Before he got any further, I backed away from him, crossing my arms defensively over my thighs. Master Aro stared at me, looking offended.
"What's this? I thought you wanted to get cleaned up."
"A-Alone," I answered, finding my voice. He simply continued to smile as he backed me into a corner. He got on one knee and pried my hands from my legs, holding them both in one hand as he stripped me completely bare with the other. I closed my eyes and began to cry, thinking only of how appalled he was to look at me. He waited patiently until I was done and opened my eyes. No such disgust or pity was in his face.
"I know you are capable of cleaning yourself, but I'll bathe you this time. You are still physically weak and I won't have you accidentally drown or hurt yourself." He walked me over to the tub and helped me get in. The water was refreshingly warm and relaxing and smelling of cherry blossoms. "If you are good for me, I'll let you have as much food as you'd like afterwards." My eyes followed him as he swiftly removed his cloak and rolled up his sleeves. His arms were pale and slim, but muscular and flawless. When he caught me looking, I slid lower into the tub until my entire head was underwater. I slowly turned my head from side to side, swishing the loose debris out of my hair. A hand that could only be his found the back of my head and pushed me back up.
"I believe I just told you I do not wish for you to drown," he said with stern eyes that wiped my smile away. "Do not do that again." I blinked up at him, automatically regretting my actions. This man cared for me, he really did. I knew in that moment he would look after me, and I promised myself to show my gratitude by doing everything I could to please him. Even at the cost of my own happiness.