Wren

Part 9

Wren slept fitfully, having memories and nightmares blur together in his dreams. Matteo hurting him, his father beating him, old school bullies. . . Everyone that had ever hurt him swam through his nightmares. 

He woke with a start, realizing he was still chained on the floor of Matteo's room. He drank some of the water beside him, remembering what had happened a few hours ago. How he'd been retrieved from his prison outside. He thought about the men that had helped him. Their names were Leo and. . . Dace, right? He remembered hearing them call each other by those names as they talked while he slept. He didn't trust them yet, but at least they hadn't hurt him. Hopefully they weren't just trying to get him to trust them so they could use him later on, like everyone else in his life had.

The door opened after a while, and Wren scrambled back against the wall as someone walked in. To his surprise, it was Vincenzo.

"How are you doing, Wren?" He dragged over a chair and sat a foot or so in front of Wren's semi-circle of reach. He had brought a stack of colored paper, which he set down in front of Wren. He noticed the boy trembling in fear. 

"I'm not going to hurt you, kid. I thought you might want something to do so you don't lose your mind in here." The kid had been hurt more than when he last saw him, but he didn't bring it up. He had ordered the guard with the broken nose to be punished for nearly killing the kid and acting without orders.

Wren lifted his eyes to meet Vincenzo's, seeming to war within himself how to act around this man. He hadn't hurt Wren himself, but he'd allowed others to. So what was Wren supposed to do?

He nodded, grateful for the paper, at least. It wasn't much, but Vincenzo was right. Wren needed something to do. 

"I'd like to apologize for my son's treatment towards you. Please understand, I didn't bring you here just for him to hurt you. I'm hoping that in time, he'll return to his old self. He used to be a kind, caring person."

Wren felt curiosity well up in him but tried to fight it. "He did?" He whispered, his interest getting the better of him.

Vincenzo smiled at the boy. "Yes, he did. But a woman broke his heart and he hasn't been the same since." 

"Is that why you want me in here with him? To fix him?"

"Fix him? Ha. I don't know about that, but you've got the right idea. I'm hoping that he'll realize that opening his heart to someone doesn't always end in pain. I hope he can find a friend in you, maybe more one day." He winked. 

Wren tilted his head in confusion, but Vincenzo just laughed and waved his hand. "That woman was a monster, anyway. Always bugging him for more money, cheating on him, and telling him how horrible he was. But he wasn't. He was a good kid until she hardened his heart. Broke it into pieces." He stood and drug the chair back to its place. 

"Anyway, kid, I'm sorry he's being so rough on you, but hang in there. I know you can help him."

Wren wasn't so sure. He wanted nothing to do with Matteo. "Thanks for the paper," He said as Vincenzo left, leaving the room quiet and lonely once again.

His stomach rumbled. He was hungry. Leo had taken the other foods with him, as he didn't want Wren eating without supervision in case he got sick again or something. Wren hoped he or Dace would come back soon. . . As much as he hated to admit it, they were kind of growing on him. . .

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Wren was startled awake as Matteo came into the room, loudly shutting the door behind him. He ignored Wren, who scrambled into the corner. He walked to his closet, pulled out a change of clothes, and headed to shower. He left the door open, and Wren could hear him singing to himself. He wasn't half bad.