Can You Believe What They've Done To You?

In the gaslight that brings both life and death.

January 20th 1836

Growing up, I had two joys in my life.

My violin and Victoria.

Victoria was my best friend. We met when I was five years old playing on the street one day. Our mothers shared an... occupation and often worked together. Sometimes, they bought us along to pick pocket the "customers" whilst our mothers distracted them with their breasts and unholy words. On one particular day, when there weren't many costumers around, Victoria and I went off to play. We instantly formed a strong friendship. She was a pretty girl, pale with bright green eyes and long brunette hair in loose curls and often tied with soft pink ribbons. She never changed in the whole time that I knew her. We would play nearly everyday in an abandoned back ally, whether it was raining or sunny, we didn't care. We had each other and we were happy for the first time in our lives.

Nothing else mattered.

I was about eight years old when she moved away. I remember watching from the hole in my bedroom wall as she and her family fled their house, arms full of sacks and cases and walked away into the fog. I had never known such sadness before in my life. My only friend, gone, just like that. Not even a good bye.

Then it was my turn to run.

Just ten years old with nothing but my violin and the clothes on my back. I ran as far and as fast as I could. Eventually, I found myself in a part of London I thought I'd never live to see. The rich part, where the people who had more money than sense lived. The houses, no, mansions that surrounded me were bigger than needed, considering most of their occupants were just childless widows or fine old gentlemen. I remember collapsing in the middle of the street, my legs aching from the long run. It was completely dark out, save the dim gaslights dotted around. Before I knew it, I had blacked out.

Laurence sighed as he clung tightly to the rusty, yet strong, bars on the cell. He looked around the hall that was dimly illuminated by copper gas lamps, tainted green from lack of care and thought about his childhood. It was terrible, but still, it was still better than this Hell. He took breath of the filthy air and closed his eyes, trying not to gag on the smell of decomposing bodies, blood and various other bodily fluids amongst other dirt. He couldn't seem to take his mind off of Kier. Every time Laurence pictured his face, his heart began to race, Whenever he remembered Kier's voice, he couldn't help but smile a little.  

Laurence coughed violently, dust filling his lungs. Oh, how he wished for death. It would be much better than spending another second in the place. Sure, when he died, they would just dump his body in a ditch around the back of the asylum, carelessly thrown on top of other decaying bodies until the ditch over filled and the doctors finally remembered to burn the bodies. Laurence smirked. That still sounded more appealing than being in this place. 'How easy,' he thought, 'it would be to die in this place. If the doctors don't kill me, I could easily do it myself. I could starve, hang myself, Hell, I could even bash my bloody head in against the wall!' He laughed quietly, temptation to do just so quickly filling his thoughts. He then turned to face his sleeping companions and frowned. He could never leave them like that. They're all he had in the world. He needed them and they needed him. Again, Kier began to take over Laurence's mind. He couldn't leave Kier, either. Provided he was still alive, anyway. Laurence promised himself he would find Kier again. He would get Kier out of here if it was the last thing he ever did. Laurence silently shuffled back over to his bed, laying down on the cold, rusty slab and lay there, staring at the crumbling roof.

Kier lay on his back, one hand resting on his protruding rib cage the other behind his head. He wished Laurence was here. Kier began to think of how to find him. 'First things first,' he concluded, 'get myself out of here.' Suddenly, he frowned. Even if he did get out, how would he find Laurence? This place was ginormous and he didn't even know what Laurence looked like. 

But surely someone would. Someone would know him. Someone would know where he is. All he had to do was find that someone. Kier sighed and shook his head before closing his eyes, ready for sleep to take him.

~oOo~

125 readers?! 

Bloody hell thank you! 

I never thought it would get this many! 

X