Silent

19. Focus on me

Michael awoke alone on the bed of the room he and Jack had waited in. He groaned softly, opened his eyes, and stared at the path of light pouring in between the curtains. He felt the ache in his body, brought by the lust of the monsters who had ravaged him. Ricky had been there. He had been there and watched. The monster had control, and he decided what they could do to him. Michael had no voice. Ricky had robbed him of his voice, robbed him of the right to choose.

How thankful he felt that could only remember flashes from here and there. He had Jack to thank for that and the sweet substance they had smoked.

Jack... The other boy was not in the room with him... But they had left together, they had been together. Michael closed his eyes, whimpering. A man had collected them, two of them maybe? Blurry images... A room, a mattress laid onto the floor, men watching... Such average-looking men at first glance. How cleverly the monsters could seal the ugly beast inside! Behind those smiles, a terrible ugliness lay.

"Focus on me... Just you and I," Jack had whispered. The monsters ordered them to undress each other. Those faceless monsters watching... drinking expensive drinks and watching... Just you and I. They had kissed, and the monsters around them faded from their consciousness. Just Jack and him.

Jack's touch had been so gentle, his voice so soothing. The warmth of his eyes. Just you and I. Words spoken silently, but for him so he could hear and remember. Michael had listened, he had focused. Just Jack and him, caught in a dream of what could have been, had the world been fair to them.

All too soon, they had been forced apart. Michael torn into the torture where Ricky watched and...

He did not want to remember. He had not been there. He had been with Jack, dancing with Jack, kissing in a room filled with sparkling colors. An unearthly place. Yet... now awake, the pain was there. Though his mind had escaped, not completely but enough to fool himself, his body had not been able and the sickening desires of the monsters had left their mark. The markings would fade in time, along with the pain. The shield that his mind had offered had taken the scratches, and would bear the poorly knitted wounds as long as it needed.

There would come a time when those wounds that formed scars were bound to burst open. There would come a time when he could not pretend no longer. The mind could only take so much, to push back till it would become too much. First, he just needed to survive, and so... He had not been there.

Michael focused on the path of light between the curtains. "We'll survive." Jack had assured. "One day, ya get out, 'kay?" -Would he though? Michael wondered.

And where was Jack? Had his mind tricked him? Was Jack even real? -surely he had to be!

Approaching footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Michael pulled the cover on higher, heart beating rapidly, fearful of the monsters returning.

"Get in," he heard a man's grim voice say. A pained moan. The door opened and closed, was locked once more, and Michael turned to look to see Jack. He wore a robe covering his nakedness, his face exhausted and pale. He dragged himself forward towards the bed and Michael sat up, pushing his own pain aside. It was obvious the older boy was in more pain than him and he hurried to get up to help him.

"Jack," he gasped. "Let me help you," he said, helping him to the bed. His chest tightened and tears welled in his eyes watching the other. Jack looked at him, trying to smile, but the smile faded soon and he moaned as he turned to his side.

Michael got onto the bed next to him, watching with worry, gently stroking his hair. "D-do you need something? Can I help?"

"Don't ya worry..." Jack managed to breathe out. "I'll just rest a bit...and I'll be as good... as new...ya see..." He closed his eyes and Michael kept stroking his hair, swallowing repeatedly, unable to hold back the tears. The monsters, the rotten monsters. How sick they were... There were bruises on Jack, his neck... His wrists.. and the robe that... most likely covered the worse of them.