"If I take his place, will you let him go? Safely home?" Kevin asked, ignoring his father's cries.
"Yes." the man replied. "You have my word that he will go home safe if I have your word that you will not try to escape and you will not leave."
Kevin looked back at the tent. His father was in there. He'd go home and be happy. He turned back to the man, even though he couldn't see him. "You have my word."
Kevin didn't know what he expected once he said that. The words just poured out of him. Like his mind took over before his body could tell him otherwise. But Kevin didn't take his words back. He meant every word. He would take his father's place in a heartbeat. He would die for his father if it meant that he'd stay alive. He would do anything for Tom. Tom had raised him. Done so much for him. It was the least he could do. Give up his freedom so that his father could go out and free.
Kevin looked back out into the darkness and nodded. "I'll stay. I promise." he repeated. "Just let him go."
"Done." the man growled, coming out from the darkness and walking past Kevin. Kevin went down fully on his knees, covering his face in his hands. He no longer had freedom, but his dad would be free at least. Kevin heard the chains rattle and someone start to come from behind him. Kevin thought that it would be the hunter that remained hidden in the darkness.
But it was Tom. He knelt down beside his son and took his child's hands in his. Kevin looked at him with tears in his eyes. "Kevin, listen to me. I'll be fine here. Take back your word."
The man, still hidden by darkness and his cloak hood, walked over and grabbed Tom by the hair. Tom reached out for Kevin as he was dragged away.
"Wait…" Kevin called out weakly, before his father was no longer in his line of clear vision. The man kept pulling Tom away before he called out into the village.
"Let my son go, I'll do anything!" Tom begged.
"He's no longer your concern!" the man said, pinching a part of his neck and knocking him out cold. Kevin's heart stopped seeing his father manhandled like this. The man left through the vine wall and after a couple of minutes, he returned without his father. He walked over to Kevin and grabbed by the arm, but it was a more gentle touch.
He was dragged inside the tent where his father previously was and he was pushed against the pole. The manacles were tightly clasped on his own wrists and the long chain was wrapped around his chest. The man noticed Kevin's silence.
"What is it?" he asked, almost like he cared. Which he didn't. Why would he?
"I didn't get to say goodbye. And now I'll never see him again." Kevin sobbed, burying his head into his knees. The man reached his hand out to him, but took it back. He would only be repulsed to see him. Joaquin turned away and closed the tent flap, tying it tightly closed. Joaquin turned away from the tent and pulled off his hood.
He walked back down to the main road of the village and ran his hand through the top of his head, his rough and cracked fingers running through the cracks of his now bald head. Joaquin was getting in over his head. First that older man, now this beautiful young man. So beautiful. Joaquin shook his head, ignoring the feeling from the young man.
"Joaquin." called out someone from behind the cursed huntsman. Joaquin turned around and saw that it was Betty and Jughead. He rolled his eyes and pressed both palms against the well.
"What do you want? Shouldn't you be sleeping? It is late."
"Is it true. That there's another man in Southside?" Betty asked. "And that he's younger?"
"There really is not point in keeping secrets in this cursed place." Joaquin growled. "Do not worry about him."
"I don't want to agree but… I'm with Betty on this one. This can be good." Jughead said. "He could be the one to break the spell."
"There is no breaking the spell. It's impossible. It's been months, there is no way that I'm going to break this spell." Joaquin said. "There's no such thing as falling in love."
"Yes there is." Betty said. "Look all around. Me and Juggy love each other. We love you."
"Yeah, that counts." Joaquin said scoffing before walking off. Betty and Jughead met eyes before turning to Joaquin. "Look. There is no way that the spell can break. This is my fault. And I'm sorry that you all got trapped in this hell with me."
"What about the boy?" Jughead asked.
"Do not speak to him, do not engage with him." Joaquin said, continuing up the road. He continued walking up until he made it to his old and creaky estate. He slammed the huge door closed behind him and made his way up the huge spiral staircase up to his bedroom. Ever since he was cursed, his bedroom was trashed. The bed had been broken in half, feathers from his pillows everywhere, the previous paintings made for him were cut up and thrown all around. Joaquin walked over the items and onto his large patio and looked out at the village.
His eyes wandered to the tent that was just resting there in the middle of the grass. Joaquin moved back inside the trashed bedroom and grabbed the small handheld mirror from the bed table. "Show me the boy." he said.
The glass glowed a bright pink before showing Kevin's face. Chained to the tent pole and sobbing into his knees. Joaquin sighed and set the mirror down. He turned back over and looked at a beautiful glass table just resting in the middle of the room. It looked like the glassblower who created it had spent maybe a whole month on creating it. And on top of the table was a beautiful glass case with diamonds and rubies surrounding it. And inside the case was a beautiful black and gold cobra snake. He slithered around inside of the case, snapping it's tongue around almost jokingly. "Oh shut up." Joaquin said to the snake, lightly tapping his finger on the glass. "Why are you being so annoying? You'll die whether this works or not."
The snake snapped his tounge at Joaquin and it made the huntsman roll his eyes but laugh. The cobra had become a close companion to him. He was actually kind of sad that he would lose him, if the spell was broken or not. Joaquin walked away from his cage and towards the corner of his bedroom. Could this actually be the chance that he's been waiting for? The opportunity to break the spell that made him look like broken stone and that trapped all of his friends and people inside of this town? Could this boy, Kevin. Could he be the hope that everyone has been hoping for for two months? Joaquin shook his head and positioned himself on the floor, resting his back against the corner and allowing some of the chipped paint to fall against his shoulder. It couldn't be. There was no such thing as true love. Look what happened to his parents. They were in love. They loved him. Then his mother was murdered by his father and his father beat him before his death. Love? It made no sense. It was just a word.
Joaquin pulled off his cloak and shirt, throwing it into the vast piles of crap on the ground. There was no such thing as falling in love, despite what anyone said about it. Joaquin covered himself in the fur that he had dressed while hunting for the Southside and leaned against a thin pillow. Sleeping on the floor calmed him. It made him feel like the animal he was once was. He moved his ear into the pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep. His dreams were filled with the boy who had selflessly taken his father's place as a prisoner. The sun had raised hours later, awaking Joaquin. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and looking around the room. Had he dreamed of the boy that had took his father's place or was it all real. Joaquin sat up from his little nest in the corner and walked back over to the cobra snake. He was awake and slithering along freely and happily. Joaquin rolled his eyes at him as he stood.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it." he said to him, walking over to the patio. He looked out and saw that the village was beginning to start their day. Most of the people had gone out of their cottages and beginning the commute to and fro. He saw blonde haired Betty and dark haired Jellybean handing out mugs of hot cocoa and Jughead was joking around with his finger pointed at his younger sister. Joaquin sighed. They all looked so happy. How could they after what he had done to them. He had trapped them there. The curse forbade them from ever leaving the town. And if they tried the vines would slice them. Joaquin hated that he did that to his friends. His family almost. And yet they were still happy and kind. No matter how crappy they were treated. Joaquin sighed and made his way down the stairs to find himself some food. There was a knock at his door just as he made it down to the foyer. Joaquin sighed, rubbing his fingers through his head cracks as he opened the door. He was met with the always so kind Toni. She was a sweet young woman that worked in the tavern that was across from his estate and the heart of the town. She smiled at Joaquin and handed him a mug filled with the steaming hot cocoa. Joaquin smiled and took it from her. :Wow, the rumors are true." she said. "You are ripped."
"Literally or figuratively jackass." he said with a smile, taking the mug in his hands. "Thank you. How is everyone down there?"
"Do you really want me to tell you that?" she said with a grin. "Everyone heard you from last night. And how there's a new prisoner in that tent over there."
Joaquin's eyes went to the tent where the said prisoner was. He hadn't heard any yelling from him. Maybe because his estate was so far. But he had heard the yells and the screams of his father when he had been a prisoner. Why wasn't he calling out for freedom? Joaquin looked back at Toni while he took a sip of the warm liquid. "Do not worry about him. As long as he doesn't try to escape and he is not bothering any of you, he will be no issue to us." he said. "Is everyone coming over for breakfast?"
"I don't even know why you ask. You host every single day." Toni said with a smile, pulling off of the dried skin from her lips.
"It's the least that I can do for all since I trapped you all here."
"Yet me, Alice, Betty and Gladys do all of the cooking."
"You all volunteered!"
"Yeah, yeah I know."
Joaquin chuckled at her before sipping his drink again. He turned back over to Toni. "You all can let yourselves into the kitchen. I have things to attend to."
"Hunting things or the prisoner?" Toni asked.
"What are you implying exactly?" Joaquin asked, crossing his arms while balancing the cup on his palm.
"Come on Joaquin. I'm not dumb. I saw him last night through my window. He's beautiful. And our age. He can actually be what we're looking for." she explained. "He can be he one that can break the spell and free us."
"That's impossible Toni and you know it. There's no such thing as real love. Now, let yourself into the kitchen, do whatever you need to do. I'll be back." Joaquin said, before exiting the estate. He looked out and saw the tent where his prisoner was sitting. He was tempted to go out and check on him but he opted against it. He moved his head away from the tent and made his way over to the side of the estate. He opened one of the empty stables and was welcomed to his arrow making supplies. He sat down against the chair and grabbed the small paring knife. As he began to carve into a wooden stick, his thoughts went to the prisoner in the tent. Toni was right. He was beautiful.
Tom had come to hours later in the middle of the woods. There was a pounding pain in his head and throbbing sensation coming from his hand. Tom sat up and looked around, trying to figure out what was happening around him. He looked over and saw that he was in the middle of the woods, snow covering his body and soaking his clothes. Tom looked around him, confused as to how he got here. What happened? Tom moved over to see if he had just fallen asleep while hunting. But the memories then started to flood back to him.
The magical vine covered town. Being taken prisoner. Kevin taking his place. Tom stood up immediately. "Kevin?!" he yelled out, hoping that he was still inside of that town and he could still be able to rescue his child. "Kevin?! Where are you?!"
There was no response. Tom looked around and remembered that he was laying in the snow. Which means that he was dragged off deeper from the town and away from his child. He looked all over for any glimpse of him. He ran around frantically in the cold, searching for his child and hoping that he would find that magical town. He didn't. Tom was running around in frantic circles. He tripped over a twing and fell down onto the snow in his face. The pain in his injured hand now started to throb even more. Tom sat up, grabbing his hand and holding it. Kevin. He needed his son. He would find his son. He would find him again. He would rescue him. He would rescue Kevin, no matter what it tooks. He would rescue his son from that monster that took him away.
Tom looked up and saw that someone was approaching him now. Was it Kevin? Had he escaped and found him? Was it that huntsman that captured his son? Tom looked over and saw that it was someone that he recgonized from Riverdale. With bright red hair and a bright red cloak. "C-Cheryl?" Tom shivered.
Cheryl walked over to Tom. She took his hands in hers before Tom slowly lost his consciousness from the cold.
Do you like it so far? Is it good? Is it terrible? Let me know in the reviews.