Finding Their Way Home

Chapter Fifteen

Peter couldn't sleep.

He had been lying in his bed for the past four hours and he was just as awake as he was when he got it.

The doctor.

Where had that come from?

Peter had never even thought of a doctor before. Not even once. It came out almost like a reflex. Peter had barely even said the word before the weight of it crashed down on him. Even though Peter had no idea who the Doctor was, he could say without a doubt in his mind that he was utterly terrified of him.

The feeling was one he'd never felt before.

His hair stood on end and his heart beat so fast that Peter swore it was trying to beat out of his chest. His palms got sweaty and legs twitched and every instinct in Peter's body was screaming at him to run.

(Runrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrurun)

Peter let out a groan and rolled over, his eyes finding the clock by the bedside table. Peter glared at the offending 2:29 AM and covered his face with his pillow to let out a muffled shout. He wasn't sure what to do now.

He knew he needed to go to sleep, but anxiety wouldn't let him.

The Starks knew who he was. They knew the truth. What were they going to do with that information? What if they told May? She'd be so worried, and Peter knew that the stress wasn't good for her. He couldn't even fathom the idea.

Peter shivered slightly and frowned when he lifted his head to see that his window was cracked open. Weird. He thought for sure that he'd closed it. Peter groaned as he got out of his bed and trudged over to the window before he snapped it closed.

Peter than slumped back into the bed and closed his eyes, falling into a fitful sleep.

_________________________________________

"Welcome to your new home, Experiment 2176." he said with a cruel grin, and Peter noted with slight curiosity and slight apprehension that he was missing a few teeth. Peter then frowned when he realized what he had said.

"My names' Peter," he said matter-of-factly. "An' I already have a home. With my mommy and daddy."

He scrunched up his face and Peter was afraid. Why did he look like that? Peter flinched back when he brought his hand crashing down. Peter's cheek stung from the blow. Peter's eyes were wide for a second before he blinked and wetness rolled down his cheeks as he sobbed.

"Stop your crying!" he ordered. Peter hiccuped and bit his lip, afraid that if he didn't comply he would be hit again. "Brat! Я ненавижу детей ..." 

Peter tilted his head at the foreign language. "W...What did you just say?" he asked.

The man smiled---it was the same cruel grin from before that set his hair on end---and knelt down on one knee. He put his hand on Peter's shoulder, and if he noticed Peter's flinch, he didn't say anything about it. "That, my experiment, is Russain. And it's your new language. Do you understand?"

Peter nervously brought his hand up to grab at his curls. "B-But I don't know it..." he said.

The man stood, gesturing Peter to follow him as he let out a dark laugh.

"Don't worry, эксперимент 2176,"  he said. "You will."

______________________________________________

Peter woke up slowly, his body coming into awareness in stages. Peter groaned and lifted his head. He then let out a hoarse scream.

He wasn't in the tower anymore.