All was well at Zomji, Aurielle and Aston fighting. Yuka cackling at them, Austin joining his girlfriend in the laughing, whilst Giselle and Geronimo attempted to pull them apart. All while I sat on a stool, watching as the chaos unfolded and trying to hold back my laughter. Once again, I had Judy look at my wound, this time her face more concerned.

“Maybe go air it out or something? I dunno, I’ve never in my-” she suggested but I cut her off.

“Don’t finish that sentence or I will actually puke. Now wrap it up so I can go on a walk.” I demanded, something was off with me. I was rarely ever rude, and always, always with a good reason. She tsked and bandaged it quickly so I could go. Not bothering to put my shirt on, I sauntered over to Giselle, a smirk rising on my face.

“Who’s winning? I’ve been busy.” 

“Oh shut up Maverick! Aurie has already broken Aston’s nose!” Giselle scolded me. A scream came from the fight behind her and I saw Aurielle holding a lock of her jet black hair. Thankfully not the blonde highlight. All I saw before the scene was covered by Geronimo was the older Van Husen sibling pulling the Brit’s arm back and snapping his lower arm. I winced and quickly jogged off. 

Once I was outside, my stomach stung at the breeze, the wind that was pushing against it making it feel like something was being clamped down against it. Biting my lip to keep from grunting at the weird sensation. I felt eyes all over me, crawling on my skin like bugs. Like the world was looking down at me. Then I saw the cashmere of a sack cover my face, before the back of my head hit the concrete and then nothing.

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By the light seeping in through the barred window, I could tell it was golden hour. How I wish I could go out there and take pictures. Instead, I felt my stomach being stretched, ripped apart even, the shackles binding me to the concrete wall pulling my limbs apart. I saw my blonde hair, matted and dirty, blood matted in as well. I wonder if these people had shampoo.

“YO! KIDNAPPER! GOT ANY SHAMPOO?” I yelled, snickering at the abrupt call. I had been completely silent up until then, so I probably scared the living daylights out of them.

“God, he’s awake and screaming for shampoo.” A female voice muttered and I heard a distinct male snicker following it. The voices slowly got closer as I realised it was the twins from the fight. 

“Hey darling, you’re looking mighty fine today.” I winked at the girl, Neriah. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink before red and she backhanded me across the face. Rejected. 

“Maverick. Good to see you and those mysterious voids of eyes you have.” The male butted in. Ezekiel? I immediately turned a bright pink at the mention of my eyes. A milky white they were, from an infection I had when I was younger. Wasn’t blind but still needed contact lenses and glasses.

“They’re not voids.” I spat back at him. The twins shared a smirk as Neriah spoke;

“Seems like we struck a nerve there.” I growled and thrashed my arms forward, only to feel an immense pain in my stomach and have my wrists hit cold metal.

“Aww, poor kitty can’t leave!” She added on, teasing me before a fist hit my jaw and I froze up once more. I felt the blood dripping down my jaw, leaking into my mouth.

“Better let me go, you two before it ends like this.” I mimed a death allowing my limbs to go limp for a split second and sticking out my tongue, acting out death. Bad idea, as four fists came one after another, followed by legs. I grunted as one hit my groin. 

“Good one, Ria.” Ezekiel snickered and another fist hit my face. My right eye. Blood slowly dripped out of my canthus, oozing down my cheek and side of my nose. Crying blood. 

“What a poem? Am I right? ‘Tears of blood, flowing down my cheeks like a flood.’” Neriah, or ‘Ria’ as Ezekiel called her, recited. A bloodthirsty grin spread across her serene face, watching as more blood rained down my right cheek. It closed up, yet the blood kept coming, rendering me near blind.
“Pathetic.” Ezekiel looked at me, disgust in his voice as he kicked my stomach. Blood immediately began flowing. My senses went into overdrive, regular tears now flowing with the blood ones, cackling echoed around me as I continued to thrash around, everything feeling ten times more sensitive. With no way of calling for help, I hung there, feeling the sting as they removed my bandage while laughing. The way their faces only brightened at the sight of it made me sick to my stomach. Sadistic. Utterly disgusting. I felt like sobbing like a little boy there, currently I was only letting a few stray tears flow down with the blood, my right eye hurting like hell.

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After an hour of enduring that, I passed out, blood covering my then limp body. 

So, when I awoke, I saw my jeans had disappeared, leaving me in my boxers. I saw them, 5 metres or so away. Way out of my reach. Now instead of being suspended against a wall, I was hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the ‘torture dungeon’. Now, it wasn’t exactly a hard task to move me, but it certainly would be a tedious one, considering I was 6ft of mainly bones and legs, but they did the impossible. So there I hung. Waiting and being sure not to make a noise. My side felt as if it were on fire, my arms feeling like they were being ripped from my shoulders.

I heard the creak of the stairs before the voices. My body went stiff as a board when they came, snarky grins, knives as well. 

“Tell me what you want.” You sadistic pigs. 

“Location of Zomji, and others handed in. Without restraint.” Neriah spoke, throwing the knife in the air and catching it with ease. “We’ll still have to keep you, but the punishment will be less brutal.” 

“No.”

“Suit yourself!” she giggled and threw the knife at me like I was a dartboard. I quickly swung to the side. Maybe they wanted to play dodge-knife with me. Another knife came my way so I swung, but it grazed my arm, drawing blood.

“Didn’t know you could aim, Ezzy.” Neriah snorted and her brother glared. 

“Oh no. I’m hurt. Boo-hoo.” I laughed sarcastically, making sure to grab their attention. “Now that I have all eyes on me, I’d like to be let go. Pretty please.”

“No.” Another knife came flying at my legs so I swung sidewards. 

“Missed me!” I taunted, making sure to get them riled up. Using the power I had hanging from the roof, I swung and swung, moving my legs forwards and kicked them both. I cackled. Ezekiel growled and punched me in the stomach. The pain there now was unbearable and I just wanted to scream. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of it. Again, I was kicked, away from my stomach though. Lower, in the back of my knee. I grunted but nothing else came from me. They sighed in unison and went upstairs. I smiled and began swinging around, nothing else for me to do.

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The barred window creaked and I saw a shadow outside of it, followed by whispers. It had been at least 2 days. My body was now a rainbow of bruises and blood, my eye still occasionally leaking blood. A few bars fell inwards and in came people. With my blurred vision, I saw the outlines of Austin and Giselle coming in, shortswords in hand. 

“Mav, don’t move.” Giselle stage-whispered.

“It’s not like I could if I tried.” I shot back snarkily. I was pissy this morning. If it was morning. Maybe it was Monday? I could tell she rolled her eyes and motioned for Austin to cut me out. He was tall. Taller than me. He cut me out and I dropped to the floor, on my knees, unable to stand.
“Get my jeans.” I pointed to them, my ability to walk lacking. He nodded and chucked them to me. I slid them on, incredibly slow as they watched, legs bouncing up and down wanting to leave quicker. The iron stairs creaked and my eyes widened. “We have to go.” Standing on shaky legs, I began walking to the window when Austin threw me over his shoulder, like I was a damned sack of potatoes.
“Slow. Giselle, go on the other side and catch him.” He instructed her, keeping his face stern.  

“Yes, Austin.” She replied, sounding almost bored. Out she went. The creaking of the stairs got closer and I only went stiffer in Austin’s arms. I then passed out. Fear overwhelming my senses.

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I woke up in the infirmary, the smell of antiseptic and vomit nauseating. I saw 12 eyes looking down at me and I physically jumped in my bed.
“The hell? Can I not get privacy?” I questioned them and they all sighed.
“He ain’t dead, so that’s good.” Geronimo mumbled and walked out, Yuka following.

“Yeah I’m not. So, wassup?” I asked, all nonchalant and chill. Weird for a guy who was about to die. Maybe. 

“Okay, so you were out for about 5 hours and-” Judy began speaking incredibly fast and I just groaned and used my pillow to cover my ears. 

“Blach, blah, blach. All the same to me.” 

“Maverick, you're high you know?” Aston said to me and I looked up at him.

“I’m in my bed, how the heck would I be high?” I mumbled.

“So high.” Aurielle giggled and walked out with Giselle.