Charlie had been mocking Georgie about his missing poster for the past week. Georgie kept it folded up under his mattress. Matt had given it to him and told him to keep it as a souvenir, which Georgie found mean. Still, he didn't want it to be thrown away, so now he has it.
Seeing it made him wonder what his parents were up to. Probably lying down crying together. He thought sadly. In reality, they were having daily screaming matches. He was lying down on his mattress, taking deep controlled breaths. Davin had been deep in thought the past week, refusing to talk to anyone and Matt finding it amusing.
Ozzie was still his normal self and the two of them still talked together daily. Davin and Charlie seemed to be in their own bubbles, so he and Ozzie just kept their distance.
Georgie was sitting at the edge of the unoccupied mattress and Ozzie was ranting about the darkness. "It's so scary in here, I mean, sure I've gotten used to it, but that changes nothing." he sighed. Georgie had yet to get used to the dark fully, but it wasn't all bad since the lamps made it plausible to see. Still, Georgie hummed along.
"You've been here for two years, right?" Georgie interrupted his rant. Ozzie looked at him.
"Yeah, Davin said that Charlie came here when he was six too. I guess that's the age dad decided to take people in." he reasoned. Georgie nodded.
"Oh. So, Charlie's been here for like...a lot of years?" he asked, scratching his head. He was never good at quick mathematics.
"I guess so, he was here when I first arrived." He shrugged. Georgie hummed. He looked behind him and saw Davin at the white line, bordering it. His foot was so close to the edge of it. Georgie watched on. He seemed to be staring out into the black space. Georgie wondered if the camera could still see him. He snuck behind Davin and tapped his foot.
Davin jumped and looked down. He calmed down when he saw Georgie's big brown eyes staring back at him. He sighed and rose his brow. "What?" he asked, coldly. Georgie flinched.
"What're you staring at?" he asked, looking forward. Davin's face softens a little.
"Y'know Georgie, there isn't really much to do down here. Charlie doesn't think anything is beyond the line, but I think differently from him." he smiled a bit, pointing at himself proudly. Georgie giggled.
"I don't know, Ozzie and I don't think anything is beyond the line either." he shrugged. Davin smirked.
"Then I guess I'm special, huh? Even if there's nothing, I'd love to be allowed beyond this point. More breathing room, I guess." he chuckled. Georgie smiled softly.
"How long have you been here?" Georgie asked quietly, a little scared to upset Davin. He looked down at the small child and smiled back.
"Practically my whole life. I was 4 and a half. Not much of a fighter, my mother practically handed me over. She didn't really want much to do with me. Matt said I was a rape baby, though I still don't know what that is."
"Your mother just, did that? Ozzie said you didn't know your dad, does that mean he didn't have a say in what happened to you?" Davin shrugged at the question.
"I didn't know him, but Matt said I used to. Before Charlie came, Matt used to come down here and tell me stories, but he stopped when Charlie arrived. He told me that my mother had a restraining order against my dad, so I guess he really didn't have a say."
"Matt knows your mother?" he tilted his head. Davin sighed.
"Matt let it slip a few years back we're cousins. Don't know what that means but I guess we're related. Charlie taught me a few words a few months into his arrival, related means we share blood."
"Isn't he younger than you?" Georgie teased slightly. Davin chuckled.
"His mother had a 'bachelor's degree' in English, so she taught him lots of words from a young age, and he taught me."
"Bachelor what?" there were practically question marks popping up above Georgie's head. He'd never heard of a bachelor or a degree, naturally.
"I don't know either, it makes you smart though, I assume." Davin shrugged.
"Matt didn't teach you words too?" Georgie asked and Davin shook his head. Georgie nodded and stared ahead, so did Davin. They both just stared into the dark, though it probably wasn't healthy. "Hey, I have another question." he said, still staring straight ahead. Davin hummed. "Have you ever tried to leave, I know you said no one has but, have you thought of it?"
Davin was quiet for a few moments. "The first four years I was here, Matt was really nice, and I got used to calling him dad, but after Charlie came, he was colder, he shouted at the both of us a lot and he never really had time for me or Charlie. We used to talk about escaping, and we were going to try, but then Ozzie came, and the shouting died down."
"Not to mention security got tighter as the years went by. I decided against trying to escape, knowing Charlie couldn't do it alone." He sighed once he finished talking. Sitting down on his knees, closer to Georgie's height.
"So, is that why you don't like Ozzie?" Georgie whispered, looking behind him to see if Ozzie had heard him.
"I don't dislike Ozzie, I only keep my distance because of how guilty I feel about Charlie not liking him." he shrugged. Georgie's eyes widened, and Davin chuckled. "I figured you'd realized that. Charlie's never been good at hiding his emotions." he shrugged again.
"Charlie doesn't seem to like anyone." Georgie huffed. Davin giggled and nodded.
"I guess he doesn't." he nudged Georgie in a joking manner. Charlie had been asleep the entire time. Georgie yawned. "Are you tired; you should take a nap before Matt comes down with lunch." Georgie nodded in agreement. He turned around and went for his mattress. He lied down and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep.
YOU ARE READING
The Recruits
Mystery / Thriller'Everyone seems normal, but we all have secrets.' The year was 1986. All Georgie wanted to do was get to school, but he never made it. Instead, he was kidnapped and forced to live out the rest of his years in a basement surrounded by people with sim...
