AN/: I'm sorry this shit took damn near a month LMFAO. I've been working a lot and been tired... and leveling up Bones. FUCK BONES. Also I'm sad because Friday The 13th the game is over. That was my main love. So... besides working, being tired, leveling up Bad To The Bone, and such... I've been grieving over that game LMAO! This one and I feel like the next will be kinda short. However, we do have another death coming up in the next few chapters! Sorry not sorry LOL! Anyways, I hope you enjoy :)

April 15th, 1973

10:10pm

Nancy's Basement

Song recommendation: "So Tired" by Nine Inch Nails

The Awakening

Danny

-.-

I still can't feel my damn arms. If I were to be set free, I felt like it wouldn't matter just because my arms would probably be stuck in place. I had been trying to get onto the table behind me but with no success. I swayed backwards again, trying to wrap my foot around the leg of the table. Nothing - just constant trial and error. I tried to swing backwards a bit harder but couldn't either - I even tried to twist my body but couldn't. It doesn't help my ribs feel even worse than before. The table was almost too far away now from me either accidentally kicking it backwards or someone else moving it without me noticing. It's been several hours and the last time I saw Johnny, we were interrupted by some old man telling him about visitors. I can only assume it was Maria and our friends. God, I hope Leland and Ana are okay. Ana is still so young - she doesn't deserve to go through all of this or have this stress. It's bad enough her and Maria's father died a few years prior, both of them having to take care of their grieving mother, and now this whole shit show. Leland, on the other hand, is my closest friend out of our entire group. However, he is one of the strongest too. I'd hate if anything would happen to him - or even Sonny. Although I'm not super close with Sonny, I know Leland and him are best friends and roommates.

I just hope they're all okay.

At that moment, the door of my make-shift prison cell opened. I slumped my head down - acting as if I was still asleep. My hair fell in front of my face, covering my entire face, which worked to my advantage. I opened my eyes slightly, seeing the boots of the Hands guy. He stopped right beside me and bent down, hiking something over his shoulder, before grabbing a rope that was around the back of his belt. Using no help whatsoever, he had tied something - no - someone up beside me. He grunted as he tied one ankle of someone to the ceiling before the other - stringing them upside down instead of right-side up like me.

"Yeah, that should work." It was the older man who interrupted Johnny and I the other night. He was standing in the hall - just so slightly out of my site. I turned my head slowly, looking at Hands' boots. The older man spoke up again, "Is that the last of 'em?"

"Mhm." Hands grumbled - his voice very low and raspy. It was probably the first time I've heard him speak - or at least come close to it. Is he mute? Knowing these sick fuckers, they probably cut his tongue off. They probably don't care too kindly about their own blood.

"That'll do it." The older man spoke before sighing to himself, "I swear that Johnny is gonna get us all busted someday. All of this over some damn girl! Should've signed Sissy up for the job instead of him - should've known that his hopeless romantic ass crack would've gotten us all into this mess."

Hands didn't say anything as he finished tying the stranger up by their ankles. He grumbled before turning on the heel of his boot and walking out of the room before locking it. That just left me and the other person stuck in this situation with me. I raised my head - gently shaking the hair out of my face - before turning and looking at the stranger. I first saw their brown leather boots that were mostly covered by their denim bell-bottom jeans. Going downwards - as they were hung upside down - I saw their brown leather belt and blue button up shirt. It wasn't until I noticed their brown hair and facial features that I immediately recognized the stranger.

"Leland?!" I called out - my eyes widening in shock.

One of my closest friends was unconscious with a bruise on the side of his face. He was probably knocked out still from Hands or Johnny I assume. Then again, that was last night. Was he dead?! More than anything, he was probably knocked out several times. Jesus, at that point he probably has a concussion! That older man looked like he could barely do anything. Shit, he had to get others to do his dirty work! I gently tapped his body with my shoe - right against his ribs.

I whispered out to him, "McKinney! McKinney, wake up!"

He didn't wake up. I nudged him again in his ribs. Maybe I should do it harder? I began to sway my body until I built up enough speed and force - knocking my knee into his ribs. Nothing - not even a slight twitch. Fuck! They really did knock him out cold. That's when I got desperate - wanting him to wake up to know he's not dead or anything. Especially now, since I noticed his hands are untied - meaning he could set us free. Swaying harder and faster - I knocked my body against his - but not without my chin colliding with his groin. My body hits his before I grunt out in pain and disgust - not just from the pain but also having my face that close to my friend's crotch. Leland immediately woke up before gasping out in pain.

"FUCK!" He yelled, "MY FUCKIN' BALLS!" Leland's hands flew to his crotch as he breathed heavier in pain. Despite me literally kicking him several times in the ribs and my entire body hitting his - that was the moment he decided to wake up. How ironic and convenient, right?

"Rise and shi- AH SHIT SHIT SH-!" I yelled as our swaying bodies collided once again. I winced in pain due to my ribs still being on fire. Leland didn't care as he continued to hold his crotch with both of his hands. I chuckled at the site, "Nice to see that you're finally awake. I just got an accidental face full of your damn balls."

"Oh, sorry." Leland whispered out before chuckling, "Were they at least tasty?"

"Ew! What the hell?!" I scoffed in disgust, "Fuck no, man!"

Leland groaned a bit before blinking several times - finally coming to his senses. His eyes scanned around the room as he viewed the crisis we were both in. His face was a shade of red due to the blood rushing to it and still hung upside down. Looking over at me, Leland's eyes widened more at the current state I was in. My hair was messy, bruises on my face and neck, along with blood and dirt staining my clothes. I must've looked and even smelled like shit. His brows furrowed together as his eyes scanned all over my face.

"Christ, Gaines!" Leland whispered over to me, "The hell did they do to you?!"

I scoffed, "What haven't they done to me?! Knocked me out, broke a few ribs, choked me, forced me to eat... fucking... Christ! I don't even want to think about that shit!"

Leland shook his head as he tried to understand, "What do you mean?!"

I rushed out without thinking, "They had me eat someone, man! Human - a human person! I was held down and either had the choice to swallow it or choke and die. These people are fuckin' sick, Leland! They took Maria and they plan to use her to carry on their bloodline or some freaky bullshit! I don't fucking know anymore! Apparently she cheated on me willingly too but I don't know what to believe anymore! I don't know where she is either!"

Leland's eyes widened as he heard me ramble. Yeah, I'd be in shock too. I didn't even tell him everything I've faced in graphic detail. Leland wasted no time by using all his muscles to do a curl up while hanging upside down. He pulled and tugged at the rope that bound his ankles together before beginning to slowly untie it.

"Well, I don't know about you," He groaned, "but I don't want to go through that shit either! I'd rather escape, find Maria and the others, then come back and lock up these bastards!"

"Agreed." I nodded as I watched him work. He was straining like crazy - using all his strength to raise up and untie himself. He took a few breaks before going back at it. Surprisingly, Hands didn't tie him up well enough. Or maybe the rope was too thin. Either way, Leland broke loose from his restraints - falling hard on the concrete floor with a loud thud. He winced in pain - holding onto the shoulder he had landed on. I chuckled before joking, "Come on, McKinney! You've gone through worse, right?"

"I should be saying the same thing about you." Leland breathlessly laughed, "Can you still taste my balls, Gaines?"

Man, fuck this guy! Out of everyone who could've ended up in this room - it just had to be my non serious best friend. I rolled my eyes as Leland smirked before standing up and walking over to me. We both weren't tall like Hands, which resulted in Leland standing on his tip-toes to grab the rope that held my restrained wrists. He pulled and tugged until finally he was able to set me free too. My knees hit the cement floor like his body did - causing me to wince in pain - before slowly standing up. Oh, I guess my arms didn't get stuck in place after all. Then I realized something; we could make it out of here. We could escape - telling the damn police about this place and they'll finally listen to us! We had actual proof of this entire whole shit show! Maria wasn't just some "cold case" they could just sweep under the rug anymore. If we all escaped, we were living proof of this… massacre.

I rubbed my wrists, as I had gotten a slight rope burn, trying to ease the pain. Leland slowly walked over to the wooden door that locked us in here, trying to push and pull on it. He was stumbling slightly due to being upside down for so long - having all the blood rush to his head - which made him feel lightheaded. I slowly stood on my feet before walking over to the door where Leland was.

"It's locked." I told him.

"No shit, Sherlock?" He laughed with an eye roll, "Maybe with enough force we can break it open?"

"You want me - someone who had their ribs kicked in - help you break open a door?" I asked Leland with my brows knitting in confusion.

Leland shrugged, "Why not? The more the merrier, right?"

I sighed before rolling my eyes at him. He's my favorite idiot. However, this was gonna hurt like hell but it needed to be done. We had to get out of this damn place one way or another - even if it meant breaking a few more bones. I should be crying and in pain but I'm not. Maybe it's the adrenaline rush or something. I placed my shoulder against the rotting wooden door as Leland did the same.

I looked him in his eyes, "If I break another bone - I'll have the hospital bill you."

"Duly noted." Leland stated before chuckling, "If I die, you're gonna be paying for my funeral."

With that, we both took a deep breath. That alone caused a fiery and sharp sensation in my ribs and lungs. Leland and I gathered what strength we could combine and began to slam our shoulders into the door. Dust and debris began to cloud around us like a bad snow storm. I bit my bottom lip as my breathing increased along with the pain. Fuck, this shit really hurt! Leland was hardly injured - besides his bruised cheek and stinging shoulder now. Me on the other hand? I was holding on by a very thin thread. I had tears welling in my eyes but refusing to let them fall. One slam turned into two, two turned into three, and finally three had turned into four.

After the fourth slam against the door, it finally broke open. Leland and I fell onto the concrete floor again. This time, my body landed on something slightly soft too; it was a long brown rug with some blood stains. To my left, there was a hallway leading to a few other wooden doors and an open room. To my right, where Leland had fallen, was a very large room with a bunch of furniture. The entire place reeked - especially from the left where the hallway was with the open room. I whimpered in pain as nothing but fire consumed the left side of my body. I wouldn't be surprised if part of the broken bone had pierced my lung by now. Leland got up quicker than me before grabbing my arm - helping me to my feet. I let out a shaky breath as I continued to power through this shit hole.

"How are you holding up?" Leland asked me.

I shook my head in response, "Not good, man."

Leland sighed before starting to walk me into the storage room of the older woman's basement, "We're almost out of here, okay? We can try to escape, alert the police, and come back for the others."

I shook my head again but at his idea, "No! We have to find Maria."

Despite what she did or not, I came here for a damn reason. I wasn't just going to leave her and everyone else behind. Especially her. Maybe she was forced into sleeping with him. Maybe she did it out of survival. I won't know until I see her and we talk it out. I needed her home safe and I could ask all the questions later. It might damage our relationship or make it stronger. Either way, I wasn't just going to abandon her here with these… freaks!

"Danny, you need to get-"

"Where's Julie, huh?!" I had cut him off, "Would you leave her behind?!"

Leland's worried gaze flattened as his eyes roamed all over my face. His expression turned cold - not liking that I brought her up. Especially in this tough situation that we're not just in - but the rest of our friend group too. Then, Leland sighed as he tried to relax, admitting defeat. He truly loved and cared about her - despite what he also did to Ana. I'm just hoping Maria's reason wasn't the same as his. Leland's grip tightened on my arm as he shook his head, walking a bit faster with me.

He nodded as we continued to walk into the basement, "Let's go get them, then."