It's The Innocent That Are Victims

Are You Lost

⚠️ Cringe Warning ⚠️

He had never seen the boy before. And that was odd. Easton knew everyone around here and everyone knew of him.
The boy for his part seemed very very lost. He kept looking a his phone and then back up and around as if looking for something. He wore a confused frown on his face.
Easton watched him for a moment. He looked to be around 15-16, on the small side, hair died silver, and he looked like a victim.
His very being oozed uncertainty.
Easton decided to make his move.

"Hey," he called "Are you lost?"
The boy looked up at him all wide eyed.
Gosh! He was kinda cute.
"Uhm... Y-yeah. I'm a little lost."
Easton gave him an easy smile, trying to seem friendly.
"That's alright. Where are you trying to get to?"
The boy glanced down at his phone again.
"Uhm- I'm looking for this address?" He held his phone out to show Easton.
The man walked over to get a closer look and the boy just kept talking.
"It's my uncle's house. Or apartment I guess. The directions were really confusing and he didn't answer his phone."
Easton was blown away by how open the boy was, giving all these details to a stranger.
He was probably some sheltered kid from the middle of nowhere.
Funny enough Easton knew exactly who's apartment this was and his pulse quickened.
He was Mateo's nephew?
He had to work hard not to let the devilish grin he had on the inside show on his face.
"Yeah I know exactly where this is. Mateo is a friend of mine."
The boys face brightened.
"Really? You know my Uncle Mateo?"
"Yeah. Although you dont look hispanic to me. I never would have guessed you're related."
The boy smiled nervously.
"He's my mom's brother. I look more like my dad."
"You look more like an alien with that silver hair."
The boy flushed.
"I-it was blue. It's just faded out now."
"You're lucky it didn't fade to green."
"I was very intentional about the hue I chose."
Easton chuckled.
Yeah. He was cute.
"Alright. Come on then. I'll show you how to get there. It's been a while since I saw Mateo."
"Thanks so much!"
Easton started walking and the boy came up beside and slightly behind him.
The traveled in silence for a bit. Easton had to hide a smirk when he saw a frown crease the boys face as he began to look around.
"A-are you sure this is right? My phone says we passed it."
"The phone always gets confused on this side of town. I think there's too many buildings too close together or something. Can't get a clear signal. Don't worry. We're almost there."
It seemed to settle the boys anxiety and they kept walking.
They came up to a small printing business and Easton lead him behind it to a set of stairs that went to an apartment above the print shop.
"Just up there kid."
"Ah! Thanks so much!"
The boy trotted up the steps and Easton waited at the bottom. The boy nocked a few times and as Easton had expected nobody answered.
The boy frowned.
"Uncle Mateo?" He called.
Nobody answered.
The youth looked down at him, that confused frown back on his face.
"He's not answering."
Easton tilted his head in fake confusion as well.
"Really? He knew you were coming right?"
The boy nodded.
Easton trudged up the stairs.
"Well I'll open it for you. He gave me his spare key."
"Huh. You guys must be best friends or something."
"Yeah I guess."
Easton unlocked the door to the apartment and gestured for the boy to enter. He did so and Easton followed him in closing the door.
Only now that he was alone in an empty apartment with a stranger did the kid seem to realize something was wrong.
He turned to look at Easton and flinched when the man was standing directly behind him.
"Uh... Sorry. You-you startled me."
Easton said nothing.
The boy fidgeted.
"Maybe I should call my uncle again."
He looked down at his phone and Easton took a step forward.
The boys head shot up as he instinctively took a step back.
Eaton took another step forward and the boy took another step back.
"W-what are you doing?"
Another step forward and another step back.
"You're making me really uncomfortable."
Another step forward. Another step back.
Easton continued until the boy was less than foot from the back wall and much farther away from the door.
"What's your name?"
The boys mouth opened and closed several times.
"H-Hazel."
Easton reached out and ran a thumb over Hazel's cheekbone. The boy flinched slightly but didn't pull away.
"Like your eyes?"
The boy had stunning hazel eyes. Like moss on whiskey. All bright and wide eyed.
Hazel hesitated.
"I don't know. I guess probably so?"
"You have a very delicate frame Hazel. Don't you think you should be more careful about talking to strangers?"
The youth glanced around.
"I'm not so fragile as I look," He looked up at Easton. "Are you gonna hurt me?
Easton took in the boys narrow shoulders, his bambi like eyes, and his perfect smooth skin. Something stirred inside him. A feeling he had never had while looking at a boy.
"Only if you fight me."
"You're not my Uncle's friend are you?"
"I'm actually probably the last person your Uncle wanted you to run into."
A small tremble ran through the boy.
"Where am I?"
"My place."
"Why?"
Easton allowed that devilish grin to break to the surface now.
"Like I said Hazel. I'm probably the last person your Uncle wanted you to run into. We kind have it out for each other. It's a very complicated situation," as he spoke he moved forward again causing the boy to back himself up the rest of the way to the wall. He placed an arm on the wall either side of him to block escape. "And running into you was the best luck I've had in a long time. Too bad for  Mateo though. I'm sure he never wanted you mixed up in this feud we have going on."
The phone in Hazel's hand began to ring. He reached down and plucked it out of the boys hand and tossed it onto the couch.
"He should have picked you up."
He then scooped the boy up slinging him over his shoulder.
Finally he got some fight from the boy.
"Hey!" He screamed. "Let me go!"
He kicked and thrashed pounding on Easton's back. Easton had to admit. He was heavier than he had expected and hit a bit harder that he had thought he could. He almost got kicked in the face. But it's nothing he couldn't handle.
He carried him into his room and threw him on the bed. Easton was an adventurous man so he already had restraints installed on his bed.
Hazel yelled and thrashed under the man as he was pinned down, arms forced above his head, and his wrists cuffed to the headboard.
He was probably imaging the worst right now.
"Calm down Hazel. Theirs a business downstairs. You don't want to scare people."
He searched around for something to gag the boy with to at least muffle his fear filled cries. He found a bandana and shoved it between the boys teeth before tying it behind his head. He was still loud but in no danger of alerting the downstairs to a kidnapping.
He went and retrieved the boys phone from where he had thrown in on the couch.
"Hey what's your pass code? I need to text your Uncle."
Hazel yelled something unintelligible at him.
Easton raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what you just said but it didn't sound very nice."
Hazel shouted at him again.
The man sighed and running a hand through his hair moved to sit on the bed beside the youth.
"Hazel listen. Do you want your Uncle to realize your missing now or later?"
Hazel hesitated in his thrashing and he looked up at his captor with panic but also a fierce anger.
He smirked and ruffled the boys hair.
"Gosh you're so cute! But you want your Uncle to get to finding you as soon as possible right? You want to get out of here right?"
Hazel just stared at him more.
Easton pulled his gag down.
"So what's your pass code?"
The boy seemed to think for a moment, weighing the advantages verses disadvantages of his captor knowing his phone password.
Finally he said "0-2-0-7"
Easton typed it in. He was rewarded with a home screen rather than a lock screen.
"Is that your birthday?"
The boy didn't answer.
The man huffed.
"Well if your not talking anyway."
He shoved the gag back into his mouth checking to make sure it was tight enough and he couldn't just spit it out.
He ignored the boy as he started shouting again.
He found the camera app and tapped it.
"We'll need photo evidence."
He snapped a picture of the boy and then checked it.
"Meh. You don't really look all that scared. You just look mad. We need to pull those heart strings a little harder."
He set the phone down on the bedside table and moved to straddle the boys waist.
Hazel froze.
"See. Now you finally grasp what kind of danger you're actually in."
He reached down and tugged at the boys t-shirt, riding it up slightly to expose his stomach. Hazel made a small panicked noise.
"I could do anything to you boy. I could make you my bitch. Even if your Uncle found you tonight I could make a pretty mess of you before he gets here."
He slid a hand up the boys stomach and under his shirt to run gently up and down his small ribcage.
Hazel shivered involuntarily.
Easton leaned down close to his face so he would feel his breath on his mouth when he spoke.
"So how about you be a good boy and look pitiful for the picture. Otherwise I'm gonna have to leave bruises. Because I have a point to make Hazel."
He then grabbed up the phone and snapped another picture.
This one was much better.
"Very nice."
It was easy enough to send the photo as Uncle Mateo was the second to last person he had messaged, the first being his mother.
When done he smiled down at the boy.
"You know you're so small I thought you would feel more boney. But straddling you like this is quite comfortable." His voice had been cheerful and now, as he once again leaned over the boy, he dropped it down into a raspy whisper.
"I really wanted to fuck you but I suppose I should give you some kind of reward for being so cooperative. Maybe later though."
And with that he left, closing the door behind him.
It was as cruel as it was merciful. He had left the boy alone sure, but he had left him tied and exposed with nothing but his thoughts. And after such a declaration there was only one thing the boy could possibly be thinking about.