A Lesson Never Learned [✔]

e l e v e n

Oliver told me not to go into the basement. He begged me not to go in the basement. He threatened me to not go in the basement. In the basement, he told me there was some of the people who attacked our guys. He told me that it was only right to kill the ones who were responsible. He told me not to go in the basement. But, he also told me he didn't care if I went in the basement or not. He's been so up and down: last night when he came into my room and started crying, he stayed in my bed that night as I cradled him.

He was whispering about Josh in his sleep.

When he woke up this morning and he cried. I didn't know what to do, or say, so I just hugged him. He was visiting Josh at the moment. Josh was in his apartment with Jared (who was almost fully recovered) and he always had someone to protect him. So, much to Eric's protesting, I ventured into the basement. Beau stayed right behind me, along with Neil and Dan. I guess they wanted to make sure I didn't get hurt. I had to pull some kind of sob story, saying that I wanted to see who killed my second brother, or something like that. Only Eric could see through my bullshit.

I opened the door to the basement and walked carefully down the wooden steps. It was amazingly dark. Oli must've turned the lights all the way off for some kind of psychological torture. I heard Neil sniff loudly and it was replied to with a grunt from Beau.

Dan's boots sounded on the stairs behind me and I felt my scalp crawl as I heard the panting from whoever was being held down here.

Beau flipped on the lights and I blinked at the harsh, bright lighting. If I thought the lights were too bright, the others must've thought so as well, because the 'prisoners' gasped, some of them even cried out.

My eyes finally adjusted and I felt my eyebrows shoot up.

Muscle man-Zack-was there, a red-headed man was there, the Jack from before, the one who liked his knife...Barakat, I think, was there, and there was another guy-another stranger-just lying there, his eyes closed.

"Zack, Jesse, Jack, Cory." Beau pointed them out and the sleeping one-Cory-lifted his head when his name was mentioned.

"What now?" Cory asked weakly. I felt my stomach twist as I looked them over. Zack was bloodied up, his body obviously bruised and his nose ring had torn, leaving a disgusting excuse for a nose. Jesse's hair was a dark, dark red, but I see now it was because of a head wound on his forehead that bled into his hair, soaking it. Jack's arms had multiple burns and cuts on them, his shoes were also taken and his feet looked like they were hit with a baseball bat...the soles of his feet were a purplish color from bruises. Cory didn't look injured, but when he shifted a little, I could see his shirt brush up and I saw the bruises of his ribs. From what it looked like, he had both of his sides kicked in, his ribs probably shattered. He's lucky that the ribs didn't puncture anything.

All of them were tied somehow, to the wall, to the water pipes, to the floor, none of them were going anywhere soon.

"Okay." Beau said bitterly. "That one stabbed Elliott." he pointed to Jack.

Jack grinned toothily at me and winked lazily. Something made me want to slap that smile off his face. He stabbed Elliott. Why would he do that?

"Did you break his feet?" I whispered to Beau and Beau looked down at me, his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah." He said gruffly. Elliott was one of Beau's friends and Beau treated him like a little brother. They were almost like me and Eric, except Beau doesn't want to date Elliott, and Elliott doesn't want to date Beau. At least, I don't think they do. "That one shot Max and Eric." He pointed to Jesse. Jesse looked me over wearily, his mouth open a little, breathing heavily. "And that one, that one is responsible for Josh."