It's The Innocent That Are Victims

Greatful

⚠️ Sextual Assault ⚠️ Attempted Rape⚠️ Gun⚠️ Death (the bad guy) ⚠️

Benji finished locking the doors and turned to leave. He had worked the closing shift at auto parts shop and was ready to go home and crash. As he walked away he stouped to pick up a piece of trash off the ground, only have thinking about it. He didn't notice until he was about to throw it in the trash can what it was.
It was a bandage. He cringed realizing that someone had just thrown a used bandage on the ground in public.
Then he noticed the writing.
On the canvas medical tape in neat handwriting,

HELP
Held prison above print shop
I'm 14 pls call dad

Then there was a phone number.
Benji's heart started to pound in his ears.
Was this real?
This had to be some sick prank right?
But what if it wasn't? What is some kid was really being held prisoner?
He glanced to the print shop that was two doors down.
There was an upstairs apartment. The owner was renting it out. Benji had talked to him about it.
"Fucking hell." He muttered to himself as he pulled out his cellphone.
He would rather be seen on YouTube being a good person in a prank video then find out some kid was murdered because he was self-conscious.
He dialed the number in the bandage, noting now that the gauze had small amounts of blood in it.
The phone rang once before tired sounding man answered.
"Hello?"
"Uhm... Hi?"
What was he supposed to say?
"Who is this?" The man asked.
"Sorry uhm... My name is Benjamin Marks. I-I found a... Note I guess. Asking me to call this number. You don't have a missing 14 year old do you?"
Gosh that sounded so stupid!
"You found a note from Hazel? Where are you? What does it say?"
The man's voice was anxious now. His response made Benji's heart pound faster and he could feel his hands starting to sweat.
"I-Im downtown just off the square. This note says theirs a 14 year old held p-prisoner above the print shop. Told me to call you."
"Alex! I might have found him!" The man said to someone on his side.
He could hear a woman's voice talking in rapid spanish.
Then the man was taking to him again.
"Benjamin do you know what print shop?"
"I would presume the one right by where I found the note."
"Send me your location!"

Benji was a simple man. He like simple things and a quiet life. He didn't enjoy drama and tried to stay as far from it ass he could. But he was having trouble just waiting around for that man to show up. He fought the urge to rush around and kick in the door. He paced back and forth. Waiting. Waiting.
His head whipped up towards the apartment as he heard a high pitched scream.
Nope! He couldn't wait!

∆∆∆∆

Once again Hazel found himself being pulled around by his hair. Easton was dragging him back into the bedroom. He tried resisting, but like a horse with a bit in it's mouth, he had no choice but to go where he was being pulled.
"I kiss you a few times and now you're screaming rape?" Easton was saying. "Boy you don't even know what you're talking about! You want to play victim? I can make you a victim. I've been fighting my urges this whole time trying to stay on your good side. But if you're going to hate me anyway I might as well have what I want!"
He pulled Hazel into the room and onto the bed, restraining him with the cuffs he hadn't used since the first week the boy had been there.
Hazel lashed out with his legs, kicking and screaming, knowing what was about to happen to him and trying to get away.
"Let me go!"
Easton ignored him as if he hadn't spoken at all as he retrieved a box from the shelf in his closet. The shelf Hazel had been unable to reach.
He straddled the boys thighs, effectively capturing his flailing legs.
He grabbed the collar of his t-shirt and ripped it down the middle, pushing the pieces away from the boys body, exposing his chest and stomach. Then he went for his jeans. Hazel bucked, thrashed, and screamed his protest. Easton payed him no mind but left the pants and instead reached into the box. He pulled out a long strip of fabric and moments later Hazel was blind.
His loss of vision stilled and silenced him for a moment as he became disoriented.
"Oh come on Hazey," Easton cruined. "Where did all that spirit go? I thought it would make things more interesting."
Hazel felt his chest tighten and tears burn his eyes. A pathetic whimpering escaped him as panic began to over take him. He kicked and flailed as the man pulled off his jeans in a serious of tugging motions. He was left now in his boxers. He felt a thumb loop inside the waistband of his boxers and he stopped breathing entirely as his joints locked up and panic overtook him.

There was a loud crashing sound in the living room and the hand retreated.
"What the fuck?" He heard Easton say. Then "Who the fuck are you?"
"Get away from him right now!"
This was a new voice Hazel had never heard before. It was a man's voice. Had he found Hazel's note?
"I SAID GET AWAY!"
"Ok. Alright. I'm moving. Just calm down." Easton's voice had a forced calm to it. He obviously felt threatened by this man, whoever he was.
Hazel felt Easton's weight shift, and then leave the bed entirely.
"Move away! Into the living room!"
"Hey man. I think you're misunderstanding something. Nothing's happening. He's my boyfriend."
"You shut your mouth you bastard! Your just digging your pit deeper. Fucking pedo! Now MOVE!"
"Ok. Alright. I'm going. Just... Just calm down man. Don't wave that thing around like that."
For a moment the only sound was Easton's footsteps as he walked out into the living room.
The blindfold was tugged off over Hazel's head and he blinked rapidly before his eyes came to focus on a short and stocky, hispanic looking man.
He wasn't looking at Hazel. He was looking towards the living room at Easton over the the top of a pistol.
"Boy I called your dad. He's on his way. Your names Hazel right?"
Hazel couldn't speak for a moment. He swallowed a few times before managing a quiet and raspy
"Yes."
"Ok. Alright. I'm Benji. Just hang in there a little longer. Alright?"
As he spoke he pulled the flat sheet over the boys body to cover him. A small amount of privacy but something Hazel appreciated more than he could say.
"Just hang in there Hazel."
Benji then took a few paces towards the living room.
"Down the stairs. Go."
Easton said nothing but threw a glare towards Hazel before turning and walking out the door and down the stairs. Benji followed him.
Hazel could hear him now and again.
"Keep going." Or "Don't even try it!"
Then there was an ominous silence.
There was a loud BOOM followed by a scream from Easton.
"AW! FUCK! FUCK! YOU FUCKING SHOT ME! BASTARD!"
Hazel twisted his hands nervously in his cuffs as he listened.
He didn't know how to feel.
He was glad.
But he was terrified.
He heard Easton's cries of pain as Benji began to beat him and Hazel shook with both fear and relief.
There was another loud BOOM and then silence. After a moment he could hear Benji trudging back up the steps. He knew it was Benji because he had heard Easton coming up those steps what felt like a thousand times and it wasn't Easton.
The man came back in the room looking twice as tired as when he had left. But his face was gentler. Before he had looked scary and ominous. Now he looked.... Fatherly maybe?
With a sigh he sat in the edge of the bed and reached for the cuffs.
"Don't worry anymore Hazel. It's all over now. Nobody's going to hurt you."
Hazel was very aware that he was shacking with sobs but oh he just didn't care. He couldn't bother to be embarrassed. He was just so scared and relieved! He didn't know what to do!
The cuffs came off and he wrapped himself tightly in the sheet.
Benji started to stand and without thinking Hazel grabbed for him, catching him by the wrist.
"Don't!"
The man stopped and looked at him. He seemed to freeze in place, not daring to move.
"I'm just- I-I-I please I-I-" he cut off into hiccuping sobs for a moment. "Don't-don't leave me. I-Im sc-sc-sca-ared." He finally managed.
Benji slowly sat back on the bed.
"I wasn't going to leave," he spoke gently. "I just thought you might want some privacy since you don't know me. But I wasn't going to leave you."
Hazel curled into the man's chest.
"I'm scared." He repeated pitifully. "I'm really scared."
The man gently wrapped his arms around the boy, curling his hands into loose fists so as not to accidentally touch him.
"It's alright. It's alright to be scared. You've been through something scary. So it's alright to be afraid. But it's over now. I know that doesn't always make you feel better but now your safe. So just do what you have to do to feel better. Cry, scream, anything. Whatever you have to do. But now you're safe."

And Hazel cried. He wept bitter tears. Crying and sobbing so violently that sometimes he could hardly breath. And Benji just held him.
And he thanked God for the nightmares he would surely have. Because this boy in his arms was safe now. He had going to alright. He would need therapy certainly. But he would be alright.
And so Benji was greatfull. Greatful that God had put him in the right place at the right time. Grateful that he would forever relive this night in nightmares and wakeup in a cold sweat. Because it meant he had done something. He hadn't stood by and let this boy suffer. He had done something. And Hazel would be alright.