The Boy From The Basement

The Moon

I sucked my lips to keep them warm.
I squeezed my legs together under my torn dress, hoping by doing so that it would warm up my legs. My stomach rumbled as I hadn't eaten since lunchtime. I heard the boy let out a huge sigh, which I then realised was him shivering. I looked over my shoulder again and saw him shaking. His eyes were closed and he bit into his bottom lip. He had no reason to be cold. He had at least 10 blankets over there and yet he chose to sit on them.
I looked at the window and watched it as the light faded even more. I stood up curiously and approached the window. I wrapped my dress around my torso and slowly walked over whilst shivering.
The tint of the window made everything outside a little blurry.
The window was only what appeared to be a ruler length wide and tall. I put my hand on the small metal bars on the window, poking a finger through a gap in the bars.

I imagined how worried my mum would be. She would become worried since it only took me half an hour to get home and yet I was taking longer. She would probably be calling the police and searching for me desperately. Tears filled my eyes as I longed to be safe at home in my own bed. I pressed my head against the window and let out a quick sob. I forgot that the boy was with me, as I heard him shuffle. I didn't dare look at him, he would probably laugh at me like all boys did when they saw girls cry. I then heard his feet slap against the basement floor. The footsteps approached me and I clenched my fist. With anger, I turned around, only to see him a metre behind me holding 2 of his thin blankets. With a weak smile, he held them out towards me. My mouth opened and I looked at the blankets. I was very much embarrassed by how he was trying to help me, because I was hopeless. I brushed awkwardly past him and sat back down on the cold floor. He walked over to where I was sitting and I looked at the ground away from him. He bent down and gently placed the blankets on the floor beside me.
"It gets colder, you might want to stay warm," he murmured gently.
His voice was rather soothing and it made me feel at peace.

I had been debating for ages whether or not I should take those blankets, but then I finally made up my mind and grabbed for them blankets. I sighed I wrapped them around me, and warmth began to spread throughout my body. I laid down onto the floor, using my dress as a pillow. The boy shuffled from where he sat, and I could see that he was looking at me. He had seen me take the blankets. He pulled a small smile and then straightened his face again. I lifted my head up to look at him.
"Ok it's cold and freezing down here I don't want to die to frostbite!" I half yelled at him.
He smiled and nodded. " I know."
His voiced echoed in the empty basement. I sighed and put my head back down to the floor, hoping that this nightmare would soon end.

I was grew bored eventually. I was also tired, yet I didn't want to sleep. This place made me feel highly unsettled, and I didn't know if when I woke up, the man would be here ready to beat me up again. I looked over to the boy , who had his eyes closed.
His face shape was rather nice, like it had been sculptured from stone. Or maybe it was the way it was because of the bones that were visible from under his skin. I couldn't get over how skinny he was, and the curiosity grew over me. Why was he so skinny? Had he been kidnapped just like me? Why was he here in the basement and not upstairs with the men?
I stared at him curiously and my eyes burned from dried tears, as well as from the darkness. Then, the boys eyes opened and I looked down away from him. He stared at me and then blinked a few times. "Why aren't you asleep?" he asked me calmly.
His voice made my heart sink a little, I don't know why
"I can't sleep," I answered in honesty.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
I shook my head in response but then stopped. I lied, I was freezing. I let out a sorrowful sigh and turned to look at him.
"There's a lot going on, it's cold, I've been kidnapped and beaten up..."
I listed all the things going wrong in my life at the moment, but then I stopped. He probably didn't want to hear me complain. I looked down quickly in embarrassment. He picked up another one of his blankets and walked over to me. He sat down a metre away from me, and looked me in my hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry. If it helps I sort of know how you feel?"
I creased my brows.
"You have been kidnapped?"
He smiled with his mouth open and shook his head.
"No I haven't, but I have been beaten up, so I know how that feels."
"I'm sorry that you've had to go through that," I expressed with a gentle sigh. "Why are you in here and not upstairs with the other guys?"
Part of me felt bad that I had asked him a confronting question, but I was to eager to know.
"Oh um.... I kinda live in here," he said hesitantly.
My mouth opened in shock. So this was like, his bedroom?
"Wait what? You live here?"
He laughed and shook his head. "Look, I'm not supposed to say anything, but I can tell you that I only spend half the day in here, so don't worry."
I nodded in response, however I still wanted to know more, I was so curious.
"Well what more can you tell me?"
"Like I said, I can't really say anything and it would be better if you didn't know," he said looking into my eyes deeply.
It made me angry how he wouldn't just trust me, yet again he didn't even know me, I was just some girl who turned up here crying and all covered in blood. I didn't blame him. He saw the slight disappointment in my face and opened his mouth with a croak in his voice.
"I'm sure I can try answer some questions if it makes you feel better?"
My stomach dropped as suddenly I felt awful.
He was trying so hard to make me feel better, even though he didn't necessarily want to tell me anything. I was an awful person to have come and confronted him with my own curiosity, given all I had treated him with since I got in here was my awkwardness. I sighed and shook my head.
"No it's ok, I'm to tired to comprehend or go into detail with anything at the moment," I sighed.
I turned my head to look at him. His green eyes sparkled, it looked as if they glowed in the dark. He smiled with his thin, dry lips.
"Alright," he agreed, shrugging and then frowning his mouth.
He turned his head straight forward and leaned his head against the wall. I did the same and let my sore eyes close.