Te Odio

7~ Daylight

Before we started, it was over
I feel our bodies getting colder

Michael lay awake all night, not really thinking about anything in particular. He was tired, of course yet he couldn’t close his eyes to sleep. He still couldn’t shake away the thoughts of Calum in his mind. He thought about everything and anything all night but on top of all that, he was scared. Yesterday, Luke claimed he’d treat Michael better than Ashton did but he was drunk. What if when Luke wakes, he’ll hurt Michael because nothing he said or did last night mattered? Sure, Michael was upset and craving to see Ashton but he didn’t want to die. He had to think of something, something that would keep him safe.

What would Luke want me to do?

Knowing Luke’s twisted mind, he’d probably want Michael to be a straight, homophobic dick who beats up defenceless teens. He couldn’t do any of that. He had beat up a few kids, and he was no longer regretting beating up Calum but he was gay and definitely not homophobic. He had to try, though. He just wanted to get out alive.

Michael lay in bed a little longer, contemplating whether he should go out of the room or not. He was absolutely starving and just wanted a small snack. Michael clutched his stomach when it grumbled loudly, wincing at an aching pain on the lower left of his stomach. He lifted his shirt up slightly to reveal a purple bruise form in said area. A large graze on his leg also caught his attention and it stung lightly.

Michael sighed, knowing it’ll be a painful few days ahead.

Ignoring his gut instincts, Michael slowly climbed out of bed and opened his door, revealing an angry looking Luke about to knock.

“Mike?” Luke whispered. “You weren’t gonna leave, we’re you?”

Luke looked so hurt and upset. It was really strange.

“No, I’m just really hungry.” Michael replied, trying not to show the confusion on his face.

“Okay, well I’m going to go find the prick.” Luke replied, pulling his hood up over his head.

“Who?” Michael blurted dumbly.

“Ashton?”

“What are you going to do with him?”

“I’m gonna finish the job I started, obviously. Kitchen’s just down the hall. Help yourself to anything you like. There are cameras.”

Before Michael could protest, Luke had already left the house, slamming the door behind him and leaving Michael to fend for himself.

The first thing he wanted to do was run. He wanted to run straight out but Luke no doubt had cameras and alarms set up. Instead, he made a beeline for the kitchen, looking around for anything edible. He found a packet of chips on one of the top shelf which he quickly grabbed. The packet was already open and the chips were stale but it’ll do. He was too hungry to care, anyway.

Michael sat down on the couch and switched the tv on. He wasn’t really paying attention to whatever show was on but he certainly was paying attention to putting food in his mouth. To his surprise, the packet that was supposed to contain plain chips, actually contained salt and vinegar. Again, he didn’t complain. He was far too hungry.

Within minutes, he had finished the packet yet his stomach was still rumbling. He got up and ventured back to the kitchen to look for more food. On the way there, he knocked something off a shelf which hit the ground with a loud bang.

Michael yelped and jumped back, the sound definitely frightening him. He was so goddamn jumpy since he got here.

“Get a grip, Michael. He’s gone.”

Michael sighed and picked the item up, which turned out to just be a remote for an air conditioner before heading back to the kitchen.

Luck was definitely with him as he found a large wedge of watermelon in the fridge. That always filled him up. Quietly, he chopped up the watermelon, leaving some for Luke but still keeping enough to the side for himself.

He sat back down on the couch once more, a bowl of watermelon in hand this time around. Again, he fixed his eyes on the tv but again didn’t focus. All he could see and think about was Ashton’s beaten, bloody, pale body when Luke first got to him.

“I’m gonna finish the job I stared, obviously.”

He didn’t care about how much Ashton had hurt him. He didn’t want a repeat of seven months ago.

Back at the Hood house, Ashton was cuddled up close to Calum on the couch. Calum had his arm around Ashton’s shoulder, holding him close as if he was going to fade away as soon as he let go.

“Cally?” Ashton whispered.

“Yeah, baby?”

“I’m hungry. Can you get me some salt and vinegar chips?”

Calum sighed gently. “We don’t have any.”

“Please, Cally?” Ashton whispered, looking up at Calum with pouting eyes.

Calum couldn’t resist that face. He’d do anything for that face. Gently sitting Ashton up, he got up, stretching his limbs out.

“I’ll be back in twenty.” Calum smiled, kissing Ashton on the forehead.

Ashton’s face lit up as he smiled at the younger boy.

“I love you,” Ashton whispered.

“I love you more,” Calum smiled, before walking out.

Calum kept the goofy grin on his face for majority of his walk to the store but it soon faded when he got a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. He kept hearing rustling in the bushes and twigs snapping.

“I guess you’ll do,” a voice whispered.

Calum felt his blood run cold as he heard that. He recognised that voice. He knew that cold whisper all too well.

His heart thumped loudly as a cloth was placed over his face, the hands pulling him back. Calum screamed and clawed at the hands, trying to break free but as he inhaled the harsh chemicals, he felt dizzy. His knees buckled beneath him as he fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. In his last moments of consciousness, he saw Luke’s satisfied smirk.

“Sleep tight.”

Then everything faded to black.