Authors Note: Second chapter! Hope you enjoy! ^^
Aleks's P.O.V.
I could hear James and Sly arguing past the door, I guessed James was still upset about not getting to eat me. I shuttered at the though of becoming someone's meal, and curled up slightly, hugging myself. I could feel a bit of pain from my arm and leg coming back, telling me that the stuff Sly put in me was wearing off, slowly, but surely. I closed my eyes, wishing I had the guts to run out of here. I looked up from my wishing, smelling and hearing what seemed like wood outside, some smoke floating in from a cracked window. I slowly got up, looking at the back door that James and Sly disappeared into. I could take a peek, then come back before they did. I began quickly and quietly walking towards the back door, opening the door as carefully as I could, slipping through, forgetting to close the door again. The sound and smell of burning wood grew stronger, the smell of burning flesh and a giggle mixed into it. I was greeted by a balcony, a giant black smoke plume coming from below. I slowly walked over to the edge, looking over the railing. My eyes widened as I watched a man in one of the old fashion pyro masks throw a log into a large pile of burning bodies and wood. I looked around, finding some stairs, feeling urged to down the stairs. I walked carefully down them, the smell of burning flesh and wood making my eyes water, as well as making my stomach turn with nausea. As I walked down the stairs, I tried to be as quiet as I could possible be, I didn't want to interrupt the man, from how the two others act, I didn't want to upset a man with a flamethrower. He must have already noticed me anyways, because he stopped and looked at me, silently watching me walk over. He placed his flamethrower carefully down next to him, walking over to meet me. I tensed a little, "H-Hello sir.." I murmured quietly, shaking slightly a he reached out and grabbed my bandaged arm, examining it. He carefully began unwrapping the gauze from my arm, and I was forced to look away as I whimpered faintly in pain while he lightly traced Sly's signature and the stab wound. "What are you doing out here, child?" he asked, looking at my arm still. I looked up at him, not sure how to respond correctly. He looked at me, gripping my wrist, his hand felt like fire, making me want to yank it away, "Answer me." he hissed, making me close my eyes, unable to look at him as I could feel his glare, as if he was staring into my very soul.
"I-I smelled the fire s-so I went to check it o-out..." I responded sheepishly. The man scoffed, muttering something and letting go of my arm, he moved his flamethrower away from him, grabbing my face.
"What is your name?" he asked, tilting my face for a better look at it.
"A-Aleks..." I murmured in response, not wanting to upset him more than I have. He just nodded, taking in my facial features, as if he might need it for later.
"If you weren't marked, I would have thrown you into the flames for trespassing by now." He said humorously, as if burning someone alive was funny. "The name's Ze." he said, taking off his mask. I was a bit taken aback by his facial appearances. I was half expecting some sweaty lumberjack looking man, but instead, I got a man who looked no older than me- or younger than me, I failed puberty, or so Kevin told me. Some of Ze's face was slightly burned, but he looked fine otherwise. Ze opened his mouth to tell me or ask me something, but looked up at the balcony door. Sly and James bursted out of the house. Sly half ran down the stairs, hopping over the railing and running over, James just going fully down the stairs. I felt the fear build up inside me as Sly harshly gripped my arm, making me face him fully. He growled angrily, his eyes having a red gleam to them. James speed-walked over, "See? He didn't listen." he snapped at Sly. Sly lifted his hand as if he was going to slap me, making me cringe in fear and pre-pain. Ze shooed Sly away, gently pushing me behind him. He looked at Sly with a slightly confused look. "Now, there's no reason to smack him." he said, which was somewhat calming to me that someone would defend me. James shook his head, glaring now at Ze.
"There's all the reason to." he growled, stepping forward a little, his eyes locking on me again. His eyes softened for a second, but he looked away. Sly held his hand up, shooing James away. I guess he didn't want James here anymore, or he didn't like what he he was saying too much. James growled a little and left, going back up the porch stairs. I looked back at Sly, trying not to make eye contact.
Sly sighed after he had left, and looked at Ze, "I told him to stay in the living room, Ze." he said, motioning to the back door that lead to where I was supposed to stay put. Ze frowned, unable to think of a good argument to defend me. He silently stepped out of the way, looking away, "Go ahead..." he muttered quietly. I tensed a little, backing away, feeling betrayed by Ze. Sly stepped towards me, raising his hand and back handing me, hard. I whimpered faintly at the pain, beginning to shake as I remembered when Kevin would beat me for disobeying him. His slaps definitely hurt more than Kevin's, that was certain.
It became very quiet outside, the only thing that could be heard was the crackling of flames beside us. Ze started silently putting out the fire, not looking at me or Sly. Sly lightly grabbed my wrist, dragging my back into the house. I didn't struggle, in fear he would hit me again... or worse.
He pulled me along into a small room that looked like a regular bed room. There was a medium sized bed in the middle of the room, a desk next to the door with a computer on it, along with various knives. There was a closet on the other side of the room however, along with a few piles of clothing in a corner and a pile of blankets with a rather large English Bulldog sleeping on them. Sly pushed me onto the bed, closing and locking the door behind him. He pulled a desk chair out in front of me and sat in it, looking at me with a stern look. I gulped, looking down as I felt his gaze sharpen into a burning glare, slowly burning a hole through my skull. He cleared his throat sharply, "Why'd you disobey me?" he asked in a soft tone, which did not match his look. He gently grabbed my chin, lifting my head so I was looking at him, I still didn't make eye contact. He frowned when I didn't answer, "I thought I told you to stay." he added, leaning forward a little.
"I-I was just seeing what the smell and sounds were coming from.." I replied stiffly, shaking once again, "I was gonna come back afterwards.." I added, still looking down with my eyes. Sly let go of my chin, nodding a little at my answer. He scooted back a little in the chair, brushing his pants off.
I took a moment, admiring how fast he could clean up himself, although, cutting me up didn't make much of a mess anyways. I was still impressed by it though. Sly, noticing my admiring look, gently smiled, "You were nothing compared to actual victims.." he said, sounding a bit harsh about it. I frowned a little, looking somewhere else in the room, I didn't really feel up to conversing anymore with someone who practically was saying cutting me up was disappointing. He sighed, standing up, "Fun or not, it doesn't effect my gain in the pain." He said, "You are now a family member, a pet, to be exact." he added, brushing his pants off again. He turned toward the door, and motioned for me to follow him, as he opened it, leading me out into the hall, and toward the room I had first been in, when I was conscious. He opened the door, and gripped my shoulder, pushing me inside a bit roughly, as I was confused as to where I was supposed to go.
"You will be sleeping on that table, as we do not have any available rooms at the moment," he said, and he chuckled when he noticed my horrified look as I looked at the blood stained table, "We'll figure something out though when you wake up in the morning." he added, as if he thought this would reassure me.
"..Can I at least have a pillow?" I asked tentatively, hoping he would at least let me have a pillow for the night.
"Of course. I'll give you one of James'," he grinned when he saw my expression of both mild disgust and terror. "Oh, don't worry, it won't be too bad. He has enough pillows." Sly then offered his hand, and I took it, allowing him to help me up onto the table, so I can get comfortable. "I'll need to secure you in, otherwise you'll roll off in the middle of the night," he stated as if it would be quite humorous to see me roll off the table onto my face.
"I-I suppose.." I stammered, feeling quite sheepish that he had to make sure I wouldn't end up getting myself hurt. He placed my arms and legs in the slots for the movement restraints, and hit a button on the bottom of the table, the metal restraints come out, and snapping around my ankles and wrists.
"I'll be right back with your pillow," he said as he practically vanished out the door, the room so dark I could barely even see my feet at the end of the table. I heard the door click shut once more, as he entered once again, this time carrying a fuzzy purple pillow, and he grabbed the back of my head gently, lifting it to place the pillow underneath, before releasing my head from his grasp. "Are you comfortable?" he asked, and I nodded slowly in response, almost laughing at how this fluffy purple pillow was James'. My eyes already started to close, both from exhaustion, and from worried thoughts. The last thing I remember before passing out into total blackness, is a soft chuckle, and a pat on the head.
Aleks's Dream
"Where am I?" I whisper, sitting in a dark room, before a light appears, and another. A candle lit shrine is placed in the darkness across from me, personal pictures of myself there, from pictures of me showering to pictures of me as a child in Russia. I cringe, realizing where I am. I had never truly escape from Kevin. It was all fake. I crawl over to a door that was beside the shrine, pressing my cold hands against it, I tried to push it open, failing. I heard a soft sound, as if someone was getting up, and I started to bang my fists against the door quickly, glancing over my shoulder into the darkness, seeing a figure slowly walking toward me, a knife in hand. I continued to beat the door, my eyes wide with fear, as I could feel tears starting to stream down my face. I wanted to scream "GET AWAY FROM ME!" but all I could do was hopelessly beat my fists against the door, until the figure came up behind me, pressing his free hand against my lips, and he began dragging me back into the darkness, as a light appeared in the doorway, "Is someone here?" a familiar voice asked. I attempted to answer, only to be muffled by the hand, and a mouth pressing up against my neck, kissing it up and down, my body screaming for me to run, run as far away as possible, but I couldn't, my body wouldn't let me. Kevin tilted my head up to look at him, a grin was plastered on his face, his eyes full of love-driven insanity.
"My Aleks, I love you.." He whispered, as he smashed his lips against mine, and I gasped out loud, not from the kiss, but as the knifes blade entered my stomach, causing me to start hunching over, blood start to come drip from my lips, as Kevin yanked the knife back out, continuing to kiss me, before breaking away and licking his blood stained lips. "I will /ALWAYS/ love you."
Sly's P.O.V
I was sitting there in my chair, holding a clipboard and pen, staring at the young Russian boy, as I was examining how he slept, in case something happened. I let out a soft yawn, feeling myself growing bored as I watched, letting my thoughts drift away to something else, before snapping back to reality when I hear something, like a groan. I stood up, peering over him, wondering if he was waking up, or if he was simply just making noises in his sleep. That's when I noticed his hands balling up into fists, and they started twitching, before pressing against the restraints, as if trying to rip them off, repeatedly, his legs doing the same, struggling. I put down my clipboard as he continued to try and break them off. The restraints began to slowly open, and I quickly grabbed his arms, attempting to pin him down, but he just struggled more, before suddenly stopping, his breathing quick, short breaths, as if he was terrified of something. A nightmare, it seemed to be. He snapped awake suddenly, his eyes full of pure terror as he struggled again, screaming "GET AWAY FROM ME!" over and over, tears streaming down his cheeks. I quickly let go of him, and rushed to cover the boys nose and mouth with a cloth covered in chloroform. I felt him struggle one more time, before seemingly passing out, and I remove the cloth from his face, throwing it aside, and picking up my clipboard.
Sly's Clipboard
Name: Aleks
Heritage: Russian
From: Russia, moved to America at age 9.
Found: Woods, running from 'Kevin'.
Sanity: Good
Insanity: Mild? (Must Look Into More)
Sleep: Wild (Must Look Into More)
Awake: Does not like confrontation.
Medication: None. Drugs: None.