Thank you, guys! I hope you like this chapter and I don't disappoint you.
Enjoy!
The world was spinning around him. Kurt had no idea how it was possible with his eyes still closed, but he took a deep breath and turned to his side. He wasn't sure he wouldn't throw up and the last thing he wanted was making his clothes dirty. Or his bed. Carole wouldn't be happy to clean up after him.
As he was lying there, breathing in and out, he realised that he wasn't in a bed. He was lying on something more harder and colder. He reached out to touch the surface under him and frowned. He was lying on the ground, but how had he ended up there?
He finally opened his eyes to look around but the darkness continued. He was in a dark room with no windows and could see absolutely nothing.
He gave himself a few more minutes, wondering what could have happened to him. Kurt remembered nothing. His last memory was going to school in the morning and then... blackness.
When the dizziness seemed to go away, he sat up slowly. His back hit something hard behind him, he assumed it was a wall and reached out towards it. His hands met cold metal and as he brought his hands up, he realised he was in some kind of a cell. He jumped to his knees, running his fingers through the metal in panic. It was hard in the complete darkness but he soon found out that he wasn't in cell but in a small cage, with barely enough space to kneel up but certainly not enough to stand on his feet.
With some more searching, he found the door of the cage and pressed his whole body against it in hope to free himself. But it was locked securely and he had no chance to open it.
He opened his mouth to call for help but before he could make a sound, memories of the previous night attacked his mind and he fell back in horror. He remembered what had happened. Karofsky had made him run into the woods and he couldn't get out in time. And then the monster...
Kurt gasped and kneeled in front of the door again, hitting it desperately. He had to get out. That beast would come back for him, he knew it, and he couldn't find him here. He couldn't die here... No. He had to get out and run, get out of the woods and never come back. He only had to open that door somehow.
He heard a quiet sound in front of him and he jumped back, screaming. He wasn't alone, there was somebody else in the room. He knew what he had heard were footsteps. But now it was silent around him again, he could only hear his own harsh breathing. He didn't dare to move. He kept his eyes on the darkness in front of him, afraid that those black eyes would appear in any second.
But they didn't. He stayed there for who knew how long but nothing happened. He knew that the monster was still there, that it was just a trick, so he couldn't let his guard down. His hands were all cold from gripping the cage behind him but he was afraid of letting go of it, afraid that that black-eyes creature would grab him from the other side and pull him out of the cage.
He remembered what had happened to the others whose bodies had been found. They had been full of injuries and there had been no blood left in them. It was his fate, too. The monster would bite him and drink him blood, watching him die slowly.
Kurt took a shuddering breath, his whole body shaking with fear. It was just matter of time, maybe in the next second. Maybe the creature was just waiting for him to be completely petrified and then he would attack him.
Kurt closed his eyes. If he had to die here and now, he didn't want to see anything. Alright, somewhere deep in his mind he knew he wouldn't see anything anyhow, it was too dark around him, but he had that stupid fear that he would see those eyes again somehow.
There were footsteps again and Kurt forgot how to breath. That was it. The moment of his death.
He waited for it to happen but nothing came. He listened to the sounds around him and opened his eyes tentatively. There was a door slightly open in front of him, only a few feet away. The light coming from outside was enough for Kurt to see where he was. It was a small room with nothing but two cages in it, one of them where he was locked up and the other, it was empty. He heard footsteps again and he saw something moving from the corner of his eyes, so looked back towards the door with wide eyes.
There was a man standing outside of the door, with his hand on the handle. He was facing Kurt, the light of a torch on the corridor illuminating his face. He was a young man with handsome features but as he smiled at Kurt, the boy could see long, sharp teeth peeking out of his mouth. And his eyes... They were completely black.
Kurt gasped and pressed his back to the cage, needing to get away. The man smiled again and pulled the door towards him.
"No!" Kurt screamed but it was late.
The door slammed shut and was locked from the other side. He was left alone in the darkness with only his horrible thoughts.
~ o ~
Burt Hummel had gone through some horrible things in his life. He had lost his parents at a young age as well as their house. He had had to start over everything from almost nothing. When he had thought he had everything, a beautiful, kind wife and a son, he had lost his wife, too. That time, he had been devastated. He had thought nothing worse could happen to him. But now as he was pacing in his room, waiting for news about his missing son, he felt like his whole world had been destroyed.
Kurt hadn't come home from school the previous day. Finn had arrived alone, not knowing where his stepbrother could be. Burt first thought had been going to the sheriff and telling him about Kurt. Jones had promised him to look for Kurt if he wouldn't get home before sundown. And he hadn't. So they had started a research, hoping that Kurt had just stayed at one of his schoolmates, forgetting to tell his father.
When the new day had come and Kurt had been still nowhere to be found, the sheriff had sent out his men to find the boy. Burt had wanted to join them but he had been sent home to wait for Kurt there.
So now he was walking up and down his little room, with nothing else to do. He knew that Kurt wouldn't go home. His son was a good boy, he had never caused trouble before. And he would certainly not make his father worried, especially after Burt's heart attack a few years ago. No. Something should have happened to him, that's why Kurt hadn't made it home the previous night.
"I made breakfast" Carole said from the open door.
Burt turned around, facing his second wife. He had married her a few years after Elisabeth's death. It had been mostly because of Kurt, the boy had insisted to ask her to marry him, although Burt and Carole had been just friends that time, two people who had lost their other halfs because of the monster in the woods. He still didn't know how or when it had happened, but he had fallen in love with Carole at some point and they lived happily with their sons.
Or, they had lived happily, until the previous day...
"I'm not hungry" Burt said and turned away.
"Burt, you have to eat something" Carole said and stepped to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They will find him."
"Something happened to him, Carole" Burt said desperately. "Something horrible. I can feel it."
"We have to hope that they will find him soon and he will be alright" Carole said quietly.
"He's a good boy" Burt said as he turned around. "He wouldn't do this, unless..."
Burt closed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't think about the possibility that something had happened to Kurt.
"Come on, let's eat something" Carole said and took Burt's hand gently.
"Fine" Burt muttered and followed his wife outside.
They sat down and ate in silence, forcing down small bites of the food. It was delicious as always, Carole was an amazing cook, but neither of them had appetite. They kept their eyes on the front door, waiting for someone to step through it tell them that Kurt was fine, that he would be home soon.
Suddenly, the door swang open and they jumped up from the table. It was Finn, and his expression told Burt that something was wrong. Very wrong.
"Have you found him?" he asked anyway.
"No" Finn said sadly. "We... God, Burt, I don't know how to tell you..."
"Just say it" Burt said impatiently.
"The sheriff talked to Karofsky and Azimio" Finn said slowly. "They saw Kurt the last time. And... He went into the woods."
"What?" Burt asked in disbelief. After his mother's death, Kurt had barely gone near those woods. Since that beast had killed his mother, he had been afraid of that place. He would never... "You have to be wrong."
"It's true. I swear" Finn replied.
Burt didn't move at first. He kept his gaze on Finn, waiting for the boy to tell him it was just a cruel joke. But it didn't happen.
"I... I have to go after him" Burt said and pushed Finn out of the way as he rushed to the door.
"Burt! Burt, come back!" Carole shouted as she followed Burt with Finn. When they reached the man, she grabbed Burt's left arm as Finn grabbed his other. It was too dangeorus to go into the forest and they all knew what had happened to Kurt. That he wouldn't come back again.
It didn't mean that his father could think rationally and accept the fact.
"Let me go!" Burt shouted, struggling in the others' grip.
Finn put his arms around Burt from behind and pulled him to his chest, making the older man unable to take another step.
"Let me go, Finn! Now!" Burt shouted, struggling in Finn's grip.
"Burt, this is crazy" Carole said, stepping in front of her husband, shaking his shoulders. "If Kurt went in there and he couldn't get out before sundown... You know you can't help him. It's too late, honey."
"No, I have to... I..."
Burt closed his eyes and fell to his knees, sobbing. Finn still kept his hands on his shoulders from behind, ready to stop him if the man wanted to run again. Carole kneeled down beside Burt, hugging him. She pressed a soft kiss onto Burt's forehead and blinked rapidly to stop her own tears because Burt needed her. She had to be strong for him.
"My son" Burt sobbed, burying his face into his hands.
"I'm so sorry, Burt" Finn whispered from behind.
Carole reached up to squeeze his hand but it was useless. They had lost Kurt and there was nothing that could make them feel better.
~ o ~
Kurt had promised himself that he wouldn't fall asleep, not when there was a man with black eyes and sharp teeth in the same house, holding him prisoner. But somehow, somewhen, he had closed his eyes and had fallen into a light dream about his family.
He woke up to the sounds of the door swinging open and a woman screaming. He sat up quickly and saw the man from before but this time, he wasn't alone. There was a young girl with long, blond hair beside him, screaming and trashing as the man pushed her into the room by her hair. He led her to the cage next to Kurt's and tossed her inside, slamming the door after her.
"Let me out! Please!" the girl begged, shaking like a leaf.
The man said nothing. He turned around and slammed the door behind him.
"No!" the girl screamed again, shaking the cage's door. "Let me go! Let me go, please!"
"He can't hear you" Kurt said quietly, hugging his legs.
"Who-who are you? Plase, let me go" the girl pleaded.
"I can't" Kurt answered. So the girl hadn't seen him when the man had brought her here. "I'm locked up, just like you. We can't get away."
"What does he want from us?" the girl asked, her voice shaking. Kurt could tell she was crying.
"I'm not sure" Kurt said slowly. "I mean, I know what happened to the others but we are still alive. He keeps us here for a reason."
"I don't want to die" the girl said. "I don't deserve it. I've done nothing wrong!"
Kurt rolled his eyes. Telling that they didn't deserve to be here wasn't helping at all.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Quinn" the girl said. "Quinn Fabray."
"I'm Kurt. Kurt Hummel" Kurt introduced himself.
"How long..."
"I don't know" Kurt cut in. "I was unconscious when he brought me here."
"It's the manor" Quinn whispered. "I saw it when we arrived. It's the Anderson manor."
"I know" Kurt said.
"Somebody has to come for us, right?" Quinn asked hopefully.
"Nobody would come here" Kurt said sadly. "They think we're dead."
"No, no, no. They will come. It's God's challenge. I's because I cheated on Sam with Puck and I have to suffer. But I will show him that I've changed. I'm not that girl anymore" Quinn said.
Maybe waiting alone in the room hadn't been that bad at all. Quinn was a weird girl and Kurt had a bad feeling she had gone crazy
"God won't help us" Kurt said quietly.
"That's not true!" Quinn cried out. "We just have to pray. He will listen and send help."
Quinn started praying quietly and Kurt sighed, rubbing his forehead. He didn't believe in God, so there was no way that he would join Quinn in her pleading for someone who didn't exist. He went completely silent, staring into the darkness in front of him. The door would open sometime. He had to prepare himself for meeting the beast again.
~ o ~
"I'm so hungry."
Kurt sighed and turned towards Quinn. It had been some time since the girl had been locked up beside him. After praying for what seemed like hours for Kurt, the girl had become angry, shouting and crying, hitting the cage with her fists. But it had been useless. Quinn had given up after a while and had fallen silent. They had nothing to talk about. They were both tired, weak and scared. And hungry. So, so hungry.
"I know" Kurt said quietly. "If we're lucky, he will bring us some food soon."
"What if he forgot about us? What if he left us to starve to death?" Quinn asked, panicked.
"I don't think he brought us here just for that" Kurt said. No, he wants to kill us himself. Bite us, let us bleed. Maybe hear us beg for death.
"I don't want to die" Quinn whispered. "I-I can't. Not like this."
Kurt opened his mouth to say something to comfort her but he knew he couldn't guarantee anything. They were locked up here, waiting for their death, and there was nothing they could do against it. But he understood why Quinn couldn't accept her fate. He couldn't, either.
"Let's hope it will be quick" he said, his voice shaking. "Maybe... maybe he won't torture us before..."
"I should try to seduce him" Quinn muttered. "Do you think it would work?"
"I don't know" Kurt sighed. He wasn't sure a monster like that man would like anything but blood.
They heard a soft click from outside of the door and Kurt backed away from the cage's door, pressing his back to the wall behind him. He watched with wide eyes as the door opened and the man from before stepped inside. He smiled at his prisoners as he walked closer to the cages.
Kurt pressed his eyes closed. If he had to die, he didn't want to see him or anything else. Hopefully, it would be quick and mostly painless.
But the man didn't want him this time. He walked to Quinn's cage, opened the door and grabbed the girl by her hair, pulling her out of the cage. Quinn screamed and tried to free herself, digging her nails into the man's chest, her plans from earlier completely forgotten. The man's grip didn't loosen the slightest. He kept smiling as he turned back, pulling the girl with him out of the room.
"No! Leave her alone!" Kurt shouted.
The man raised an eyebrow as he turned towards him for a moment, but then he turned his head away again, heading towards the door.
Kurt didn't think. He saw the desperation in Quinn's eyes as she was dragged towards the door, heading towards her death. She kept begging, for the man to let her go, for Kurt to help him, and Kurt knew he couldn't let her die just like that. He couldn't watch it without doing something.
He grabbed one of his shoes, pulled it down and hurled it across the room. It hit the man's back with a soft thud and fell to the ground.
Kurt knew he had made a mistake the instant as the man turned back towards him. He growled, pushing Quinn to the ground, and in a blink, he was in front of Kurt's cage, grabbing the boy's neck. Kurt's hands flew up to his neck, trying to free himself from the grip that made him unable to breath.
"Not so brave anymore, right?" the man said, smiling as he watched his prisoner fighting for air.
He held Kurt there for a few more seconds and then pushed him back hard. He didn't care about the boy anymore, he went back to Quinn who was quivering on the floor, grabbed the girl's hair again and pulled her out of the room.
"No!" Kurt shouted, his voice hoarse from the choking earlier.
The man looked at him one more time before slamming the door and locking it from the other side.
Kurt was left alone in the darkness again, but it was a lot more horrible than the first time. He could hear Quinn's voice from outside, her begging, her shouting as she was dragged away from the room.
And then, the blood curdling scream that told Kurt she was in so much pain. Then a low growl and Quinn screaming again. Kurt pressed his hands to his ear to suppress the sounds but he couldn't. He heard Quinn scream over and over again, for what seemed like hours.
Even after the sounds seemed to fade away, he stayed there, with his hands pressed to his ears, with his legs pulled up to his chest, crying. It was a lot worse than he had expected. And it still wasn't over for him.