Wren

Part 6

Thunder boomed outside as Wren lay curled on the carpet of the dark, cold room. At around 11:00 pm, Matteo had turned off the TV and gotten ready for bed. After throwing a pair of black sweatpants at him, he'd completely ignored Wren, acted like he didn't even exist. He'd turned out the lights and gotten into bed, and fell asleep. Wren could hear him snoring. Not snoring, really, just soft sleep-breathing sounds. 

Wren waited for what he estimated to be around an hour, spending the time running his hands through the carpet of the semicircle his chain allowed, hoping to find something. And he did. 

He found what felt like a women's hair pin. A bobby pin tucked under the baseboard, where the maid's vacuum had missed it. Relief washed over him, then fear as he realized what he was about to do. Could he really go through with this? Would they kill him if he was caught? It didn't matter. He had no choice but to try to escape. He'd hate himself if he just sat here forever, letting that monster abuse him. He'd dealt with that shit enough from his dad.

It was way harder than the movies made it look. . . It took him twenty minutes of fiddling before he heard a soft click. He was careful to keep the chain from rattling as he slipped the unlocked cuff off his ankle and laid it down. He began to crawl across the floor, intently listening to Matteo's breathing, praying that he wouldn't stir.

There was only a tiny bit of dim light glowing from a nightlight in the bathroom, the door cracked. Wren could only see just enough to not bump into anything right in front of his face. The back of his hand finally brushed up against something hard. The door. He reached up, gingerly fiddling with the knob, cracking it just enough to squeeze through and then shutting it behind him. He let out a shaky breath. Now he needed to get as far away as he could quickly as possible. 

Although still dim, there was slightly more light out here. He could make out little pieces of furniture that lined the hallways and rooms he passed through, so he was able to move fairly quickly without running into anything. His feet padded softly on the floor as he moved around the maze of a house. Why did people think they needed such a big house just because they were rich? it was just more to keep clean.

After about twenty minutes, he found himself at the bottom of a carpeted staircase and in the main entrance. Good luck? His heart hammered as he snuck out of the hallway and toward the door, keeping his back against the wall and staying out of the more light areas. He was only a few feet away. all he needed to do was reach out and turn the knob. . .

"You think there aren't guards that patrol around here at night?"

Wren's heart jumped out of his chest as a hand caught his arm and spun him around. He came face to face with the guard whose nose he'd broken. Bad luck. Very bad luck. He was drug roughly by the arm, having no time to react. Thrown into a dark and empty nearby room. The guard slammed the door behind them.

"You little shit. How'd you manage to get out? Ah, well. I don't care. But I'm gonna have fun repaying you for this lovely nose job you gave me. Doesn't that sound fun?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Wren was hauled to his feet and lead roughly through the mansion. He'd been severely beaten, the assault only stopping when his screams were heard by other guards who came to see what was happening. They'd stopped the man with the broken nose and separated him from Wren, dragging him away seething. He hadn't gotten to finish beating the shit out of the little rat.

Fear consumed him as he was guided through the mansion back up to Matteo's room. He stumbled along, the grip on his arm sure to leave bruises. The man spoke in hushed tones as they climbed the stairs and approached Matteo's door. 

"If you know what's good for you, kid, you'll lie low. He'll kill you if you ever try something like this again."

He opened the door, deposited Wren into the room, and slammed it closed.

Wren fell to his knees. He looked up slowly. The lights were on. His eyes locked with Matteo's and he knew he was done for. He was sitting in his pajama pants on the edge of the bed, waiting. Anger flashed in his eyes when they met Wren's. He held up the bobby pin as if evidence in a crime. 

"Come here." he growled. 

Wren began to push himself to his feet, but was stopped. 

"Crawl." Matteo demanded. 

Wren reluctantly obeyed, stopping a few feet away in front of Matteo. He was terrified of what he would do to him.

"Closer." 

Wren shuffled forward a few feet, now within reach. Matteo glared at him in silence as thunder shook the ground outside. "What. Did. You. Do?" His voice was equally low and threatening.

Wren felt hot tears drip down his cheeks as he kneeled with his head bowed. He couldn't speak. 

Matteo grew even angrier. "Pathetic. I'd beat the shit out of you, but it looks like someone beat me to it. But I have something else in mind. Follow me." He stood and began walking across the room, past Wren's corner and to the wall of windows. Wren crawled behind him. 

Matteo flung open the dark curtains, revealing a glass door along with all the bay windows. Wren felt the dread wash over him. He knew what was coming. He watched as Matteo unlocked the end of the chain from the loop on the wall, and crouched down by Wren. He was way too close.

Wren tried to scramble backwards and away from him, but was grabbed by the ankle and the cuff snapped on his raw flesh once again. Matteo stood and dragged him, begging and crying, to the glass door. He opened it and flung Wren out into the downpour. He stepped out only long enough to attach the chain to the railing of the balcony, then went back in and slammed the glass door, yanking the curtains closed.

The rain came down in torrents as lightning flashed above. Wren felt like he was drowning. There was a table over on the side, but the chain wouldn't allow him anywhere near it. He also couldn't reach the door. . . not like he could knock and be let back in. 

He spit water out and wiped it from his eyes, but it was no use. It was absolutely dumping on him. He jumped every time the thunder clapped, and had to shield his eyes when the lightning flashed across the dark sky. His wounds stung in the cold rain and the blood washed off of him. 

There was no way he could even think of sleeping, He'd have to wait out his night in this hell.

                     Part Seven Coming Soon