AN: Hi Everybody! Thank you soooo much for your kinds reviews! They are very very helpful and keep me going! X3!
Thank you Dawofmorning and KDesai for reviewing! You both are awesome! :)
Thank you KDesai for the follow and favorite. :)
Now I have to explain something. I wasn't happy with the story's title at first and I changed it. For any of you Following my story, make sure you know the story's title has changed. "The Caveman's Back" is the REAL title! Thank you!
This chapter is LONNNNNG! Lol! But it's worth it. We see Sebastian coming to the rescue for this poor guy trapped in the basement.
Warning: This gets a little dark and disturbing. If this makes you uncomortable, you have been warned. Starts off where last chapter ended. This was getting WAY too long so I split up into two parts. Part two is coming up soon...
Ihope you like it! And please be kind. Please review. :)-HAVE A NICE DAY!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEx3
Chapter 1
I think I just shit my pants."
Sebastian struggled to take everything in. In just the last few minutes, the mystery of the Haunted House on Hadsell Road had been solved, but in a very unexpected way. Now, he was confronted with something that was way beyond his comfort zone.
Slowly, he raised the flashlight towards the young man. Sebastian heard whimpers.
"Hey, hey." He cooed. "Shh, shh…" The whimpers stopped and Sebastian slowly raised the light again. When the light hit the man's belly, Sebastian could see more of what was in front of him.
The young man was chained by the throat to the wall! He had one arm free and the other one was attached to a thick chain further down. The light involuntarily started to shake as Sebastian's heart was breaking. Hollow cheeks and pale skin adorned the man's face and Sebastian could smell human waste.
NO, NO,NO,NO,NO…
Everything about this was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! But he didn't know what to do. Or what he should do. And eventually, as the light shook, it found its way towards the man's extremities and one thing became extremely clear.
Sebastian had to free this man.
Deep, probably infected marks were all along the man's throat and bound arm. Waves of sympathy drowned Sebastian and he was determined to take action.
Sebastian took a step towards him when suddenly, the man lunged at him with a frightened growl!
Terrified, Sebastian leaped back and tripped for the third time on whatever was on the floor! He landed hard and rolled to the side a little. Waves of some of the foulest smelling odors nearly made him vomit. He'd never smelled something so bad and there was definitely something very wrong with all of this. But when he looked up to get back up, he realized a dark shadow right above him.
The man was hovering a foot above him! Sebastian was stunned into wide-eyed silence. The flashlight was pretty far away, but enough of the light reached the man's body. Sebastian stared up into eyes that didn't seem threatening or terrifying. Just…curious. Or something.
The man turned his head to the left a little and looked at Sebastian's shoulder, arm, chest, throat, shoulder again, and back to the eyes. Then, the man leaned closer and Sebastian shook with terror!
"H-hey!" The scared prisoner said. "H-hey now. Easy… Eeeeasyyy…"
Sebastian watched the man's eyes halfway close for a long moment and then open right back up. But that didn't stop the man from getting closer and closer! Sebastian could smell the fetid breath of the chained man. And that's when THE most unexpected thing happened.
The boy started smelling Sebastian. He started at his neck, then throat, and finally, his face. He darted right back up, craned his head to the right for a second, and dropped it again to smell him! Sebastian was too creeped out to feel anything else. He'd never been…SMELLED before.
Then, quite abruptly, the chained man rose above him and took a step back towards the wall, the clanging sounds following him everywhere. Sebastian scrambled to find the flashlight and when he did, he stared to raise it towards him.
"Noooo!"
Sebastian froze. "What?"
"Noooo…Lllligghht…. Huurrrrrtssss…"
Sebastian blinked. Twice. Then heavily sighed. "Of course it does. How long have you been down here?"
The man didn't answer. Instead, they just stared at each other as best they could with the limited lighting. And then, a terrified thought hit Sebastian.
"Is the person who did this coming back?" He asked.
The chained man just looked at him and didn't respond. The barest beginnings of frustration were starting to set in Sebastian.
"Look, guy." Sebastian began. "This is important. If…whoever did this to you is still around, we have to get out of here!"
Again, no response – just the typical blinking and staring.
"Answer me!"
The chained man growled. Sebastian sighed. And above them, the world spun on its axis, unaware that a 'Nell'-like situation was occurring in little Lima, Ohio. Sebastian shook his head and focused back on whatever the task at hand really was.
"We need," Sebastian slowly said, "to get these off you." He pointed towards the rusted, iron clamp around the man's wrist. Bravely, Sebastian took a step towards the man.
No response.
He took another step.
No response.
One more full step and he'd be right in front of him…
Sebastian lifted his leg and the man growled.
"No!" Sebastian yelled, raising his index finger to the man's face. "No! I'm trying to help." The growling went on. "NO!"
Silence.
Sebastian almost smiled.
Well, truth be told, he ALMOST smiled until the dawning realization of what just happened hit him. He was treating this mysterious man like a dog in training. And in many ways, it was. Befuddled beyond belief, Sebastian resumed his task of approaching him. And after he took that last step, he exhaled in relief.
"Good." Sebastian softly said, retrieving the flashlight. And then, he smiled. Suddenly, the man's eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, and he didn't even seem to be afraid of the light anymore. Without either one knowing it, the man hesitantly raised his hand, index finger extended. But Sebastian was confused and his smile faded.
The chained man groaned and even stomped his foot a little. Sebastian just looked at him until he figured out what the man wanted. So, Sebastian smiled again.
The man smiled back, his eyes joyous and teeth rotted. Foul breath and stunning hazel eyes greeted Sebastian. And that's when the man's index finger connected with Sebastian's cheek.
The boy giggled, even so far as to do a tiny happy dance. He pulled his finger off and touched the dimple again. Boyish giggles sounded odd in the dungeon-like basement. And while this was fun and all, Sebastian had a job to do.
What if whoever did this returned?
Gently, he clasped the boy's hand and pulled it away. A look of total astonishment covered the man's face and he stared at Sebastian in wonder.
"Now," Sebastian began, "I have to get a few things at my house. I'll be right back."
And when he just barely turned to go, the imprisoned boy pathetically whined, desperately clasping for his rescuer. Chains rattled right when Sebastian felt bony fingers on his sleeve. Stunned, Sebastian easily freed his hand only to have him reach for it again.
"What are you doing?" Sebastian asked. He just stared at the pathetic, dirty man, who seemed frantic as he reached for him. Grunts escaped the guy's mouth and his eyes couldn't have been wider. The chains around his hand and neck made a louder and louder racket. The whole scene made the guy look TOO panicked. Too zombie-like. Too…
INHUMAN.
"Stop!" Sebastian roared.
Surprisingly, the guy came to a complete stop and whined a little. Seb didn't want that either. He pursed his lips and tried again.
"I just need to…" Sebastian halted. He watched the fear, the doubt, and something else he couldn't identify emanate from that man's entire body. "OK, look." Sebastian put the flashlight in his other hand. The light absently shined on the guy's chest and Sebastian noticed he didn't complain. "I have to go. I have to get supplies," he took a step back, "for you to be free. I just can't let you-" he took another step back.
The guy suddenly lunged at him! Sebastian screamed as his hands were bound with surprising firmness. The light crashed onto the floor but Sebastian could see the wide, wild eyes of his captor.
"Let go! Let go! Let ME GO!" Sebastian fought and fought. Finally, he twisted his arms and abruptly, the guy let go with a howl of pain! Sebastian quickly grabbed the light and looked at the guy holding his bound wrist. Rivulets of blood poured down to his hand and Sebastian could see the metal cutting into it. He tried to control his anger, but he had to be firm.
"Look," Sebastian began, "I have to DO something about that!" The guy didn't seem to be listening. "Hey. Hey!" He looked up and Sebastian was crushed at the pain in his eyes. "I'm going to get some things to help you." Bravely, Sebastian took a step forward and THIS time, the guy didn't shrink back. "But listen to me," Sebastian's voice dropped to softness. "I'm only gonna be gone a little while." The guy's features softened as well even though he was still obviously in pain.
Sebastian took a step back and predictably the guy whined. And then, he looked down at his injured arm and held it up to Sebastian, like a little kid with a cut for his mommy. Sebastian fought off the urge to smile.
"So, look…" Sebastian took another step backwards. More whines, more widened eyes. "I'm gonna be back. I really am."
The guy looked like he was trying to say something. His mouth moved and maybe his tongue flickered, but Sebastian wasn't sure. And just when Sebastian took one more step in reverse, the guy unexpectedly howled!
"Stop that!"
The guy did just that.
"I'm gonna be back."
Suddenly, a recognition of some kind developed in the filthy guy's mind. "Baaa?"
"No. Back. BACK. I'm gonna be right BACK."
"Baa…"
"Back."
"Baaaa…"
"Back." Sebastian took a step in reverse, closer to the staircase.
"Baaaa….c?"
"BaCK." Another step, and then he put on a smile. The guy was getting it.
"Baaa…c…k?"
"Yes!" Sebastian exclaimed, taking another step, smile widening, and relief almost making him collapse. The guy widely smiled and seemed much calmer.
"Back."
"Baaack."
"Back!" Sebastian was one step away from the stairs.
"Back."
"Back!"
"Back…Back…Back…Back…Back…"
Sebastian had already shut the basement door behind him.
The very first thought in his head as he bolted towards the front door was that there seemed to be dust everywhere. He couldn't escape it! The horrible and offensive dirt and grime clung to the staircase, floor, and tables, and even the walls. He just had to get out of there!
But just as he reached for the dilapidated doorknob, Sebastian came to a full stop. Besides the only sound in the house being the guy's echoes of 'back!', his footsteps were the only ones in the house. He peered up the once-grand staircase to the second floor and the dust was undisturbed. Turning around, he walked towards the kitchen but couldn't enter due to his allergies. And still, nothing had been touched in quite a while. He ran back towards the front door and realized that every single room hadn't been touched or walked on for years!
That's when it hit him…
That guy had been alone…in that basement…for a very, very long time.
Waves of sadness engulfed him as he reached for the cracked doorknob. When he turned it, it fell to the floor. And with that, the door slowly creaked open under a pale moonlight. Fresh air was greedily gulped and he all but ran out of the house.
He leaped over the broken banister, took two long steps and was suddenly in a yard. His flashlight wiggled along the ground, but he didn't really need it. The moon provided enough light. Sebastian found his eyes drifting up towards the celestial body, as he high-stepped through the field. But he couldn't stare too long at the hypnotizing moon – he had to watch where he was going!
And that brought him back to reality – and his thoughts.
A man. Not a coyote. Not a wolf. Not a haunted h-
Joel was wrong! Everyone was wrong! There was a guy named…well, it suddenly occurred to him he didn't know it. And the gaunt eyes and thin body. He was so dirty! The chains and the blood! Joel was wrong. SO wrong. The bloody hands the smells the chains and Joel was wrong with bloody thin beautiful moon dirty oh so dirty blood first aid kit-
Sebastian came to a full stop, not even realizing he was breathing heavy. After he closed his eyes, he took at least five deep breaths. Each one was shaky, but got a little easier as he went. Then, he took a sixth. And then a seventh. A soft, cool breeze blew by and he opened his eyes, craning his head towards the only comfort in that lonely field – the moon.
It was incredibly shiny in its waxing state. A truly bright and stunning sight. He immediately thought anyone would be comfortable out here in this unused field. Maybe even that guy.
The guy! Sebastian resumed his task. But this time, he was heading home with a bit more composure and clear determination. He thought aloud what he would do…
"Get a first aid kit. Then, another flashlight. Oh! And I'll bet he's hungry. I'll bring him a sandwich and clean water. I might have some milk. Well, I MIGHT have some milk left. I'll have to find a hacksaw and maybe some sturdy steel clippers. Ooooh, I hope their sharp. And I'm sure he'll-"
Sebastian went on and on as he highstepped some weeds, only one ditch away from his house. And as he crossed it, he looked up and saw the only road sign in the vicinity of his house –
It was an arrow narrowly pointing to the right. A guide for a slow curve in the road. It wasn't much help to him at the moment. So, as his eyes drifted down, he noticed that a little appreciation sign was posted just below it, indicating that the sign was partially funded by the Lima Police Department.
The police! He came to a stop almost in the middle of Hadsell Road. He wondered if he should call the police. Or social services. Or somebody! Doubts started to nag his brain – IS THIS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? SHOULD I CALL SOMEBODY? JUST BECAUSE I LIKE HIM AND FEEL SORRY FOR HIM, CAN I REALLY…TAKE CARE OF HIM?
And as if a bolt of lightning shot through his body, his last thought was all he could think – take care of him, take care of him, take care of him.
He bolted towards his house and awkwardly opened the door. Sebastian hadn't realized the flashlight in his hand was still on. He quickly turned it off and turned on the lights in his house. Like a madman robber, he ran to the kitchen and sloppily made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sebastian's brain scattered towards bringing fresh water or milk. Water of milk. Water or milk. Another flashlight. Bedding. Water or-
"DAMMIT!" Sebastian roared. He came to a complete stop in his kitchen. THIS IS NUTS! He thought. But then he remembered how sweet the chained boy had been to him. How afraid and even tender. And his paternal instincts kicked in once again. But THIS time, with a much clearer purpose.
He darted out of the kitchen and to the linen closet to grab a couple of blankets. Then, he ran back through the house and out to his garage, snatching up his dad's old metal clippers and a hacksaw. After securing those, he ran back into the house and to the kitchen, filling a big container with fresh water. Finally, he focused on the most important thing he thought the boy needed – a first aid kit.
After returning to the kitchen with all of his supplies, he placed everything into the blankets and rolled it up, like an army knapsack. On his way out of the house, he grabbed another flashlight and he was out the door!
And just as he was sprinting out of the front door, a thought occurred to him.
His bike!
He'd get there much faster on his bike. Lugging the full blankets over his shoulder, he ran back to his garage and mounted his bike. Then, after closing his garage, he started off on his trip back to that haunted house. The blankets were awkward and bulky over his shoulder, making it hard to steer. And Hadsell Road wasn't exactly the smoothest road, especially with his bundle.
As he rode, those nagging thoughts haphazardly came back. He just wasn't convinced this was the right thing to do. How would he…rehabilitate this guy? Was it possible? How long was he down there? How did he survive? Is this right?!
He almost missed his turn onto the house's driveway. It was obvious no one had used the bumpy and even pothole-laden path. Weeds that had filtered through were so high they scraped along Sebastian's knees! He even had to swerve a little to avoid crashing.
Finally, he reached the house and let his bike fall to the ground. Sebastian raced up the front steps, carefully avoiding the collapsed banister. And as he opened the door…well, he didn't know what to expect. But he knew one thing – he HAD to be patient. So, after a few deep breaths, he opened the front door.
He sneezed. And far off into the house, he heard excited, boyish giggles! So, of course Sebastian had to smile.
He closed the front door as best he could. Then, he walked towards the basement door. And right when he opened it, he heard the giggling intensify.
"Back! Back! Back!" the boy cheered.
The demeanor of the situation changed completely. Sebastian, no longer afraid and on a mission, darted as best he could down the dark staircase. And as he walked towards him, he carefully avoided the lump or whatever the awful smelling thing was and approached the guy.
His smile was all Sebastian needed. Using his flashlight, he looked on the floor for any clean place to drop his bundle. But as he moved the light, he discovered how the guy survived. It nearly made Seb vomit.
Literally dozens of rat and mice corpses littered the floor. Many looked half-eaten or even more. Hoping to avoid that mess he moved his flashlight to the corner of the basement, near the chains on the wall. And he regretted that.
A pile of human waste.
Sebastian turned away, holding his hand over his mouth. How could ANYONE survive in these conditions? And then, the most surprising sound filled the room.
A sympathetic moan. Sebastian turned around to see the boy with a sad, almost embarrassed expression on his face.
This was too much! Sebastian couldn't even look at the boy, even as his moans and groans intensified. It was such a disgusting, filthy sight!
That's when Sebastian felt hard, bony fingers on his sleeve. Seb turned and now, the boy had a needy, almost pleading look in his eyes. As best he could, Sebastian Smythe took a deep breath, ignoring the horrid odors, and resumed his task.
After he squatted down on the floor Indian style (and making sure he wasn't sitting on rodent remains), he opened up his bundle. The boy nearly jumped for joy. His eyes could probably see the contents a lot better than Sebastian. Still, the flashlight exposed everything he brought the guy and one-by-one, Sebastian got to work.
Sebastian grabbed the two sandwiches and presented them to the now sitting guy. He struggled with the neck harness but managed to sit anyway. A pang of remorse shot through Sebastian until he saw the smile on the guy's face. At first, the guy didn't know what to think of the proffered food. So, he hesitantly took it, smelling it over and over. Finally, he took a cautious bite.
After a second or two, the guy looked at Sebastian and smiled as brightly as he could. Then, he devoured the sandwiches. Sebastian was astonished at the guy's speed with eating. He was so busy chewing he didn't notice the water bottle Seb held up for him.
It didn't take very long for the sandwiches to be eaten. And when the last bite was swallowed, a loud belch escaped the guy's mouth. He giggled and Sebastian merely smiled, still holding out the bottle.
But THIS time, he looked at it suspiciously. At first, Seb was confused. He should just take the water bottle-
OH, Sebastian thought, THE BOTTLE. So, Sebastian demonstrated how to open it and how to drink from it, allowing some water to go into his mouth. He was surprised at how thirsty he was. But instead, he pulled the bottle away and handed it over. Unfortunately, that didn't deter the guy's suspicion. He looked at it and turned it over, water falling out of the open spout. So, Sebastian got up.
"No, no." Sebastian began. "Like I showed you." Sebastian demonstrated it for him again. And this time, the guy got it. He greedily drank from it, some of the water spilling on whatever the guy was wearing. And when it was empty, he swallowed the last of it.
"Good." Sebastiansupportively said. Predictably, the guy smiled, like he won a prize at the county fair. Sebastian's heart just warmed at the sight. This was this guy's first time at having decent food and clean water for who knows how long. Unfortunately, it became bittersweet. That also meant that the guy had no choice but to eat rodents to survive. And use a corner of the basement to…
Sebastian shook his head and just watched the guy lick his chops and smile and smile. So, without a second thought, he brought out the metal clippers and hacksaw.
The guy screamed! With wide eyes and arms covering his torso, he shrunk back against the wall. Sebastian stood up, which made the guy scream even louder!
"No, no!" Sebastian said. He took a step back, nearly tripping on that annoying, smelly bundle, and started to approach the guy. That was a mistake. Screams turned to shrieks!
"No, no!" Seb repeated. "Hey, hhhhey.…. It's OK. It's…OK."
That did no good. The guy still was smashed against the wall and wouldn't budge. Sebastian held the flashlight towards him, but knew the guy was terrified of the tools.
"I just need to cut you free." Sebastian began. "It's OK. The metal is old and you need your cuts treated." He wondered why he began saying that. The guy had already demonstrated he couldn't understand complex sentences.
Sebastian was at a loss. He HAD to free this guy! But how? In frustration, he turned away, letting the flashlight swing light to the corner of the basement. He didn't want to see THAT anymore, so he started to swing back towards the guy when the light helped provide Sebastian's answer.
The wall! He knew what to do.
"See?" Sebastian began, "See? I'm gonna…" He took a step and the guy didn't move. Another step. Still another step. Sebastian thought he heard growls but wasn't sure. Sebastian was almost to the wall!
"It's OK. Shhhh… Shhhh…" Still more steps towards the wall. He almost reached it when the guy clearly moaned. But he didn't growl.
The guy was afraid.
One. More. Step.
More fear on his face.
Sebastian finally got to the wall. From this angle, the boy should've been right beside him. Sebastian's footing was unstable – he was probably standing on rodent corpses. But his determined self blocked this thought as he ever so slowly raised the hacksaw.
The guy went silent, watching him with the care of a cornered animal. And in many ways, he was. So, Sebastian slowly, slowly raised the hacksaw against the chain connected to the wall. After he glanced at the guy, Sebastian began cutting the loose metal.
The sounds of the cutting metal seared the room and the guy shrunk to the floor in terror!
"Hey, hey!" Sebastian cooed, still cutting. "See? I'm gonna set you free."
He kept cutting. The guy kept watching. More shrill, metal-tearing sounds. More cuts. More careful watching. More, more, more…
Suddenly and unexpectedly, the metal gave way and the chain fell to the floor! Both men were astonished at what happened and they stared at the chain. But Sebastian seized the moment.
"See? You're free."
The guy blinked twice. "Freeeee…."
"Yes! Free!" Sebastian smiled. But the guy was still trying to process this. Bravely, he stared at the chain, looping it a little. It scraped across the floor and was gradually gathered up in his hand. He looked over at him.
"Free!" Sebastian exclaimed with a smile.
The barest traces of a smile and clarity showed on his face. He looked back down at the chain and then at the wall fixture. And then, he took a step towards Sebastian. And then another.
But, not exactly. Instead, the guy's main destination was to the wall fixture. Politely, Sebastian backed away as he reached it. He moved his finger over it, ignoring the sharp edges from the hacksaw's work. Over and over the guy stroked it, still holding the chain. Quite unexpectedly, he looked over at Sebastian and generated the biggest, soppiest grin of his life!
"Freeeeeee!"
"That's right. You're free. You. Are. Free."
The guy was absolutely giddy! He dropped the chain and just stared at his liberator. Sebastian smiled back. They each took a moment to revel in the happiness of the moment. The guy bravely took steps forward, adjusting his head around his neck bind.
Sebastian's smile slowly faded. He knew this part would be harder. Regardless, the guy was so incredibly happy, looking at his dark basement with a freedom that surprised him. He took more steps forward. They were awkward since his muscles were so atrophied.
Meanwhile, Sebastian deftly reached down for his metal clippers. And just as he stood upright, the guy suddenly shoved him! Sebastian crashed to the floor, practically landing on top of the bundle on the floor.
"Noooooo!" The guy kept bellowing this over and over, staring at Sebastian and his clippers. Sebastian couldn't get his bearings straight. And when he started to get back up, the guy shoved him back down!
"Noooooo! Nooooo! Noooooooo!" And then with animal wildness, he bellowed in primal fear and feral veracity, "NOOOOOO MORRRRE MOMMMMMAAAA!"
.
AN: Poor guy! :( That was hard to write. More will be explained later. If you have questions let me know. Thank you for reading! :) More to come soon... I'll try to update as soon as I can. Have a Nice Day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3