The Silence That Surrounds

Harry’s POV:

I jerked awake with a start, late evening streaming now through the windows, shadowing over the inky wave of black that now intrudes the room.

Deep, uneven breath filters the dead air, with the exception of the dark figure sitting quietly at the windowsill.

“You were having a bad dream, Mr. Styles.” Christian said, his voice soothing but far away; like he had been in deep thought only moments before.

“I sort of gathered that thank you, Christian.” I announce out breathless, standing shakily on my feet and carrying myself over towards the cot, dropping down on my knee and touching over Sophia’s sleeping figure.

“No change, she’s been sleeping peacefully through the night so far. Though, your presence is requested out in the kitchen and I was told to apologize for Niall, dinner is late tonight since he was unofficially nominated to shampoo the carpets – Louis was too stoned to stand.” Christian related the going on’s and I roll my eyes.

“Of course he was,” I growled, making sure Sophia was alright before getting up again to head to the kitchen. I stood at the doorway to address the young lad as I passed the threshold of my room. “I will have a plate brought in for you, if you require seconds, then let one of us know. I prefer Sophia not be alone.”

Christian moved slightly.

“Alright, sir. Thank you.”

His voice dropped again and I headed out to the kitchen table where Louis was sitting and watching Niall work on getting my mud stained footprints out of the carpet…laughing.

At the same time that was going on, water was over boiling from the pot in the kitchen, where Zayn was stirring as fast as humanely possibly to contain it – common sense would say that turning down the heat might help the problem but honestly? I was way too fucking tired to care. Liam was helping Zayn to cook, which, turned out to be little help at all.

“Need my assistance?” I offered, trudging to the stove and turning down the heat.

“I offered to help but they made me sit down.” Louis smirked.

“Because you tried to shampoo the carpets with pasta sauce instead of the foam solution.” Niall interjected bitterly, pressing the brush he was using to distribute the foam with death gripping strength.

“In my opinion we need a new colored carpet, red seems perfect, yeah?” Louis interjected sarcastically.

“Louis? We have bigger problems right now. We all do. Damien and his gang are coming tomorrow, Sophia –“

Louis waved me off with a groan.

“Don’t want to hear about that right now, why do you think I’m so bloody stressed? He’s going to kill her and one of us is going to fuck it up enough to let it happen. You know it, I know it, God knows it – every lot of ya’s know it. She’s dead – gone, not to exist.” Louis threw up his hand and I went to grab his shoulder to steady him. Jesus, I thought pot was supposed to relax someone.

“We won’t know until she wakes up. Lou, please calm down. Let’s just eat. Niall? I’ll finish up, give me. Go fix the disaster Zayn and Liam caused with their questionable cooking skills – if they burnt water, I don’t want to even know what the pasta inside looks like.” I muttered, grabbing the bristled, soapy brush and put some elbow grease into cleaning up my earlier walk through – not that I felt like doing anything but I certainly wasn’t going to debate the cycles of life with Louis while his head was in the sky but he had some decent points – if Sophia showed weakness, which, she will after everything that’s happened; then she very well maybe killed. With that, there’s also whose going to explain to Damien about Dylan. Though, half of me hopes that he’s satisfied with the boy’s demise and leaves happy with the titles but knowing who my father really is, someone’s going to get hurt and it’s going to be one of six lucky contestants. Sometimes, there really was no point in trying.

Niall had been waiting for that and ran to the stove to savage what he could of dinner and I threw the broom across the room inn a heap before plopping down on the chair next to Louis with a defeated look.

“Well, we could tell him what happened and risk punishment or we could kill him. No one would ever have to know. Tell the upper management that he fell down a rabbit hole to Wonderland to cause holy hell there.” Louis snorted, his sarcasm and potted out brain were making it difficult to follow and I wasn’t even getting into murder with him right now.

“It’s against the rules, Louis. If I murder my successor, I in turn get murdered. He has to break the rules and though there is really no code of conduct in our gang, he has to overstep a line and sadly the upper bosses don’t view raping a hostage that big of a deal. He has to murder one of us for little to no reason. If we don’t break the rules, he has no cause.” I reasoned but Zayn stepped in with a snort.

“Hasn’t stopped him before, mate. Your dad isn’t the best guy.”

I rolled my eyes, completely done with this conversation.

“We are not killing my father! End of point! Now, when supper is finished, would one of you kindly bring a plate in for Christian? The boy hasn’t been eating lately and I need him at his full awareness tomorrow.”

Liam raised his hand up a little.

“I’ll do it.” He volunteered lightly.

I nodded in approval.

“Very well, stay with him if you must and get an I.V started for Sophia. I need to make sure she is hydrated. She hasn’t even gone into the bathroom today; I don’t think, so I don’t know if her bladder is going to hold throughout the night, so, if you could put something under the cot just in case?”

Liam nodded again with a thumbs up.

“As you say, Harry.” He agreed.

Soon enough dinner was on the table and Liam went back to feed Christian and get Sophia situated. At these low points, I’m glad to have them around.

*

Liam’s POV:

“Christian, you have to eat.” I scolded the sixteen year older. By the way he was acting, you would have sworn I poisoned his food.

“No, m’not hungry.” Christian whined softly, pulling his knees into his stomach on the windowsill. I was sat beside him but was not going to attempt touching at this point in time. I knew Christian hated to be touched and something else was bothering him. Something deeper and though my emotions really didn’t spring either way, why not give the boy an opening to talk?

“I didn’t ask if you were hungry. I told you that you have to eat, so, this is what’s going to happen; I’m going to hand over this incredibly overcooked plate of pasta mush and you’re going to put it in your lap, yeah? Then, I’m going to take mine here and put it in my own lap and we are going to sit here and talk. You’re going to tell me what’s wrong because if your eyes were any more lifeless, you’d be Dylan.”

Christian flinched and I knew I hit the nerve I needed to.

“I’m going to die anyway, tomorrow. It my fault for falling asleep. I wasn’t there to guard him when everyone went to bed. Sophia was staying with him and Harry thought that the two would be alright, I didn’t know that Dylan didn’t allow Sophia in bed last night and that she slept here. I could of stopped it if I had known. Dylan was a good bloke. He –when I guarded him those few nights, he told me a story. He didn’t ever finish because of the stuff with his training going awry and then Sophia returning to him but it was about a boy, the one Sophia mentioned…” He trailed off, taking the plate of pasta I held out for him hesitantly but he set it on his lap.

“Peter Pan?” I chuckled, picking up my fork.

“Yeah, Peter Pan. I had no idea literature could be so breathtaking. He told me of Neverland, he told me of the boy’s adventures with the Jolly Roger and Captain Hook. He was just at the point where that Indian Princess was taken to where the tides came in with John and Michael. The only stories I have ever heard was the biblical ones and they never happened anyhow. Mom used to tell me of David slaying Goliath but…none of it was real because everything she ever told me was a lie. I’m not even sure she loved me. You don’t place them in the care of a demon for a cooked syringe of heroin.” Christian sunk into himself even more but gripped his fork and brought up the pasta mush…we really overcooked the shells tonight.

He bit into the food slowly, making a face.

“I know, Zayn and I suck at cooking, Niall will be doing all of that from now on so it comes out better.” I promised, biting in to my own food.

“It tastes like carpet solution.” Christian complained with a gag, setting his plate beside him at the same time that similar types of complaints were heard in the kitchen.

“Louis.” I decided, spitting the pasta back out before I swallowed, my mouth was already tasting the aftermath of the solution.

“Why’d he do that? Is he trying to poison everyone?” Christian asked, watching me put my plate on top of his.

“Louis? One never knows with him but no, Zayn and I made him sit down when he attempted to help with the kitchen. Evidently, we didn’t pay attention enough to realize he had poured some of the shampoo solution in the pot we cooked the sauce in. I’m going to get some ice cream and a sandwich, I’ll bring some back for you too. A soda might do the trick too, I’ll be right ba –“

Zayn came in with a displeasured look but he held out a tray with a few sandwiches and two cans of coke.

“Were having these tonight because Louis –“

“Poured solution into the sauce pot, yes, Christian and I sort of figured that out already.” I interrupted but couldn’t help laugh at the absurdity.

Zayn shook his head with a small smile but it fell, seeing Christian’s eyes glistening with tears. He walked over and handed me the tray, sitting on the other side of the boy.

“What’s wrong?” Zayn asked calmly, reaching his hand over to the boy’s shoulder. I grabbed out and stopped it, shaking my head.

“He’s just worried about tomorrow.” I told Zayn but Christian shook his head.

“But I’m not. I deserve what will happen, I failed. I could have stopped –“

Zayn shushed him, his eyes back to a calm honey dew gold and his stare unwavering.

“None of that, lad. None of us could stop Dylan. Even if his ankle had been chained, it was still long enough to stand on the sill. There’s nothing you, me, Liam, Harry – not even Sophia could have done. Dylan chose his fate. He chose to go out with dignity and bravery and that is something a few of us will remember. Respect is not something Damien would give him had he stayed and left with him. Damien is a bad man, he hurts people for fun. One of us will most likely be hurt tomorrow because we let it happen. Harry’s going to say it’s his fault for not being more observant but one of us is going to have to take the initial blame for not guarding him. In short, we are all going to be in big trouble.” Zayn finished, making Christian’s face drop even more, if that were even possible.

I reached over and slapped the back of his head in a gentle tap.

“You know what? You missed your calling, Z. Next pick me up talk should be given at the care home and then you can tell all the elderly people how they only have a year or so to live. Seriously? Do you ever think before you talk? Thanks for the food, now go. I’ve got this.”

Zayn stood up, his shoulders slumped and a few worry lines forming in the crease of his forehead.

“I wasn’t trying to do a pick me up, Li. The boy needs the truth and we can’t start sugarcoating things now. Damien will have someone’s head tomorrow, he isn’t as forgiving and you know it.” He argued but decided he didn’t want a fight.

I watched him walk back out with no signs of turning back.

With a sigh I handed out the can of soda and sandwich to the boy before taking my own, backtracking on conversation.

“Sometimes lad, a parent will teach their children things that they were taught were moral. Like the whole faith, bible thing. She taught you because she wanted to instill right and wrong into you at a young age. In a sense, I believe she was trying to stop you from going down the same path as her. Drugs will change a person. You yearn and crave them, you can’t stop unless you’re stopped and unfortunately, she overdosed on too much heroin. She didn’t mean to but she did and she traded you until she got the money to pay back her bill. That’s how Harry explained it, anyhow.” I paused, my breathing even and my eyes sympathetic. I did grieve for this boy because he’s Damien’s to do with as he wishes and knowing Master Styles, he will find reason to hurt him.

“Then she shouldn’t have started. I don’t remember him but mom said it was always enough when dad was with us but he died. Mom turned to pain pills to help with the pain and they did for a while. I loved how happy they made her but the doctors wouldn’t give them to her anymore because they were convinced it wasn’t helping. So they stopped and then mom met Damien, he said he could take all her pain away and he did. I was young at the time. Mom knew Damien for years, ever since I could talk – I think. Maybe seven? That’s my earliest memory.”

I listened to him explain, swallowing the air in my closed up throat. He had known the king of demons around the same time we did then.

“Your mum loved you, Christian. Please do not doubt that. She just got turned around and lost somewhere. My parents too. We have the worst luck but you know something? It could be worse and I can promise you that you aren’t dying tomorrow or anytime soon. One of us will take the blame and explain ourselves. You fell asleep on the couch, you had no fault in any of this. Just know that everything will be alright.”

He picked up the two pieces of bread and bit into it gingerly, savoring whatever filler was between them. I followed his lead silently, my thoughts speeding around my own troubled head. It certainly was a worry, considering Damien loves to punish for the slightest of infractions but letting someone hang themselves might go past little into one big spiraling mess.

“You know the story, right? The part Dylan left off on, don’t you?” Christian asked, possibly trying to get me to quit overthinking things.

“I’m not a storyteller, kid. I’m sure Dylan was way better.” I immediately shut the idea down, knowing where he was going with this conversation.

He sighed but nodded to let me know that he wasn’t going to pursue the discussion anymore but I could tell he was uneasy and his thoughts kept spinning around, much like my own. The waiting game was enough for all of us and half of me wished tomorrow would come already and another part wished I lived in Neverland, where time stood still and there was never need to worry for a clock to watch the hours of your life tick down. Shockingly depressing, yes, but this isn’t a story. This is real life for many of us and you only get one shot to fight and survive or give up and die. Much to the struggle of the lost boys and pirates. Both equally willing to survive but – in the end, the youth won out, sadly, I had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case for us.

I gave a low exhale of air into the silence and started to recall what I could remember of the book I read when I was just a lad. I could, surprisingly, remember a lot and Christian’s eyes never faltered from my face, even long after we finished eating and I got Sophia’s I.V inserted, not even when Harry came in to check on her. Although, he did interrupt me to ask where the absorbent pads were to stick under the cot, which I had to go get but once that was over and he was satisfied I returned, continuing where I left off, past the Indian princess and to the part where Hook dies. From there, we were back in London again with the Darling children, back into reality.

It’s sort of funny how that goes. You can tell a story, from the beginning to the end and it only goes on for a little bit. Then it’s back to real life. Just like the end of the book, which, if you think about it began at the beginning, leaving a cycle to rerun for the next time you want to read but knowing more than when you started.

“So, Peter will never grow old? He’ll never get to grow up to experience life to its fullest and who in the hell says that dying would be one big adventure? He was so ready to give up when Hook got the upper hand but that means that he didn’t truly care about Wendy the same way she did about him. Had he died, she would have followed, as would her brothers and the others. It seems somewhat selfish to me.” Christian huffed while Harry was now on his own bed with an open book, spacing out in his own thoughts – I only know because he opened it to a random page and hasn’t turned it since.

“He is a boy that doesn’t know how to show that emotion. Peter Pan represents the innocence we all lost, innocence and ignorance that we will never get back. Peter’s hope, in the turn of events that followed with Hook was that Wendy ended up saving him. Neverland is timeless, you don’t grow old and you never grow up. Therefore, you cannot grow and learn from your mistakes. Each day a new adventure begins, each moment that passes, you gradually forget the outside reality. It’s depressing if you think about it; that a boy can live forever and never learn how to love, know right from wrong and is so carefree, that he centers that attention to himself as that is the only thing he understands. The world in which he lives in makes that possible. It makes him forget and keeps him carefree for all eternity.” Harry answered Christian’s questions, putting his own book down.

I looked at him with a piqued expression but he ignored me, staring at Christian.

“And death being an adventure? Would it be? Is it?” Christian swallowed, something strange reflecting from his eyes.

“I never died, I cannot tell you for certain but I imagine it would be like flying to Neverland or any other universe you’d wish to go. Dylan is at peace and no more needs to be spoken of him or death. It’s getting into my head and causing me some fucked up dreams.” Harry muttered, tossing the book on his nightstand and standing up, walking to the cot and kneeling down, pressing his hand gently over Sophia’s forehead, massaging the hair from her face.

The worry in Harry’s expression told me everything. It told me there was something deeper going on around here. I may be slow to catch up but the other boy’s behavior and Harry’s lack of anger was a surefire sign that Sophia was the center and if Damien saw this, he’d kill her without another thought, no matter how useful she may become.

“Harry? Are you alright, mate? You aren’t yourself and this new person I’m seeing is going to get himself tortured and beaten. You need to get some control around here. Shit, he’s going to punish you for not being coherent enough to make sure someone was guarding Dylan and then kill whoever was supposed to guard him.” I pointed out but put my hand on his shoulder, seeing him look up. His green eyes had never seemed so troubled.

“No, to be honest? I’m not. I was going to let Dylan go free. I was –I was going to let Sophia go too. I made her promise to work on her training in exchange for Dylan’s life but I was going to surprise her and let her go with Dylan when it came down to it. In fact, a few hours from now when you were all asleep, I would have driven them to a ferry and let them cross into Ireland, after I removed their trackers but that’s all fucked to hell now isn’t it? I can’t keep my promise, I can’t let her go because we are FUCKED! I won’t even be able to keep my promise to protect her and Dylan mentioned in that godforsaken letter that I would keep my word but how can I? I’m not killing my father and he won’t stop and there’s not a bloody thing to be done about it.”

He loaded his frustrated eyes onto me and the intensity they held as much as the hopelessness showed that Harry was morbidly worried for what tomorrow would bring as well.

I stood frozen a few moments, unsure. After all, Harry never showed how afraid he was, not before Sophia. Now he’s worried because somehow, his wall cracked…or he cracked his head on a wall. Either way was devastating enough to potentially cost a loss of life.

So I took his arm and pulled him from the carpet to sit at the windowsill between Christian and myself, our eyes watching intently.

He pulled a deep breath from the suffocating air, letting it out slowly.

“You could still let her go, Mr. Styles. Not now, but when the time is right. You’re not fucked.” Christian tried consoling.

I stepped in because I knew it was going where it didn’t need to go.

“Had Harry actually succeeded in letting Sophia and Dylan go, he himself knowingly forfeits his own life as well as all of ours. Letting a hostage or former hostage go, it breaks a pact amongst the divisions – simply put, brings risk to our group as well as the inner circles surrounding us. Harry letting Sophia go would cause an initial collapse in our gang. They would come and they would execute us without blinking an eye. Zayn’s sister and former leader – amongst discovering that they left, another of our inner circles, known as the hit men, went to the cabin and finished the rest of whoever still remained, including extra hostages and members,” I took in a few breaths, gathering my spinning thoughts. “In short, we’d definitely be fucked because none of us can extract our trackers unless upper management say so. I mean, I CAN extract them but not my own, we don’t touch them because we are not running the risk of that happening. We do as we are told, we obey our direct orders – end of discussion. Harry? Go get some rest – you truly look knackered. I’ll keep an eye on Sophia and keep checking her I.V throughout the night. Christian? The couch is free, lad. Go on, bedtime. We all need to make sure to be alert tomorrow. I’ll catch a few moments when I can, since angel here is tied up and asleep but since I am evidently the lightest sleeper of everyone here, I’ll be able to keep alert.”

Harry initially grumbled about being told what to do but he didn’t argue. Instead, he changed into a two piece brown striped pajama set and shut the light off, bathing us in darkness. Christian was the second to get up, bending down slightly to place a kiss on Sophia’s temple, whispering something even I couldn’t make out before leaving the room.

Then finally, it was just me and my thoughts. I liked the silence. I never minded it much, even before the girl with the angel face came. Ms. Stone – Sophia. Her name is still so foreign to me but that’s what I get for being reserved and ‘uptight’ according to Tomlinson. Who, I still need to pick a bone with because that cleaning solution aftertaste still hasn’t gone away and it is bloody terrible.

*

Louis’s POV:

Bright sunlight filtered in through the cracks of the drawn shades. Oh how I already loathe the day. Though the quiet voices from next door shook me from my initial tiredness.

I groaned and threw the covers off, heading towards the sound of the quietly wafting sound and entered into Harry’s room to see Liam kneeling down next to Sophia, who sat up with Harry’s help, her own body prompted up against his almost effortlessly.

“How is she?” I asked, coming over to stand near the cot. Not enough to be in reach but enough to get better details of what was going on.

“I had to give her a light sedative, she woke up screaming – surprised you didn’t hear it.” Liam stated, moving his finger in and out of her vision. By the looks, no one was currently upstairs in her head and I wouldn’t imagine they would be for quite some time.

“She’s not following your finger and she’s not responding to touch from Harry. You’re supposed to be the doctor; that should tell you something.” I folded my arms, racking my brain. There was something that I read once to get someone out of it.

“I am the doctor, Louis. Thank you. I know she’s in shock, there’s nothing we can do.” Liam rolled his eyes, moving his finger to her cheek and gently massaging it up and down her dull, dry skin.

Not even a blink.

I shook my head and walked over to them the rest of the way.

“You need to do something to stir a memory –Harry? You’re sitting behind her, do that two finger massage thing on her arm. Her brother used to do that. I read somewhere that familiar touch or whatever the fuck, sound or memory can get them back in to this reality. At this point, Damien will be here in a few hours and if he sees Sophia like this, he’ll skin her like a rabbit and fuck her there and then.” I pointed out, making Liam screw his face up in distaste at my wording but he knows it’s as much truth as corporate punishment is in America.

“Yeah and if she has another freak out? I can’t sedate her anymore, she needs to come out of this before Damien gets here.” Liam questioned, looking more than frustrated.

I shrugged, my feet sinking into the thick carpet as I knelt down to Sophia’s level and stared into the dark blue hues of her departed soul. I recognize the look all too well.

“Sophia? Hey, flower? You in there?” I snapped my fingers in front of her face but she didn’t respond. She didn’t even blink. No one was home, in fact, there was a light in the window that said ‘gone fishing, back later’ because this girl was long gone.

“Maybe a cold shower?” Harry suggested tiredly, glancing at me.

I shrugged.

“Couldn’t hurt, Hazza. The important thing is not to panic just yet. You just need to kick Sophia a certain place to jumpstart her. It’s pressing the right buttons.” I explained, carefully pulling the emptied I.V from her wrist and putting pressure on her wound. At the same time I did that, Harry was pulling her nightwear off, leaving her in just her bra and underwear.

Liam didn’t interfere and Harry lifted her off the bed without a problem, walking her out of his room to the bathroom.

“I’ll turn on the shower, see if you can get her to go to use the facilities. She didn’t go all yesterday, did she?” I asked, going to the shower and turned it onto the coldest setting before taking the handle and sliding the expendable hose to the ground for better accessing.

“I’ll handle that when she’s in the shower,” He paused, giving me a once over, continuing unaffected. “Since you’re in your boxers already, mind taking her? I need to strip down to mine, I don’t want to get soaked.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, hand her here.”

He did as requested, stripping his clothing off except for his boxers – as that would be slightly more disturbing. Though, if you’ve seen one dick around here, you’ve seen them all.

Harry handed her off and I immediately took her to the shower and placed her on the cold tile, reaching around to unhook her bra and finished stripping her completely from there.

“This is going to be really cold, flower. I’m sorry for it but you need to come back now, we need you to come back.” I apologized quietly, my hand reaching to remove the black dead strands of hair from her lifeless face.

Silence followed and I gripped the shower handle and brought the ice cold liquid over her head. All she did was jerk slightly but other than that, there was no further response.

By this time, Harry was stationed on the tile floor next to us, his eyes a dark hue of worry. It was almost impeccable that the son of a gang leader could look as lost as he did then. It defined reason and Harry Styles always had his reasons for doing things his way and fuck all to anyone else who disagreed. Now? He was unsure and that spelled danger for the rest of us. Something in my gut told me that.

“You’re looking a little miffed, Harry. Tell me what’s going on.” I tried to pry his Pandora box open a little but it looks like he wasn’t too worried – or it was already opened previous.

“I was going to let Dylan and Sophia go, this morning I would have. Am I an idiot for still wanting that? To let her go? Damien got his papers, why does he even NEED Sophie?” Harry breathed out.

A mental image of being shot dead center in the back of the head flashed in my mind and I felt my skin redden with a slight wave of frustration. Had he set them free or would set her free, spells certain death for everyone at the cabin.

“Yes you’re an idiot, you bloody blighter!” I yelled and punched him on the shoulder but he didn’t seem to care much.

“I wanted to keep a promise. I promised her and –“He started but I interrupted.

“We can’t do anything about Sophia right now, Hazza. I have no doubt that you will find a way to protect her but she belongs here now. She needs guidance and training. The skills she picks up is up to her to learn for long term survival, not us. It takes a certain situation to fight for what you want the most and hers maybe death but maybe not,” I reasoned, seeing him look at me skeptically, so I decided to finish my thought. “Each of us have an inner tick to fight, our inner instincts come out to play in moments of certain death. We do what we can to survive. Hers hasn’t started ticking yet. Dylan killed himself to guarantee his own eternal soul. He killed himself to save himself, if you will. Heaven knows all of ours are doomed to hell. His fate was never ours to decide. In the end he survived by dying” I finished with a shrug, my hand reaching to massage the shampoo Harry had put in her hair while he used the body wash to soap her body.

“I didn’t peg you for a religious philosopher, Tomlinson.” Harry joked but his tone was anything but light. He was thinking on my words, I saw the gears in his head.

Wordlessly I decided to warm the water seeing as Sophia didn’t respond much to the cold. Just her subconscious. She was shaking but it wasn’t even helping matters. So why torture her more than we needed to?

“I’m not. We kill, we do questionable things that humanity seems to frown upon. Then there’s stealing, selling illegal contraband and drugs, murdering innocents. I mean, if we make it to wherever we go, they’re going to take one look at our rap sheets and we’ll be falling like anvils to the opposite side of there. Although, I always wanted to visit a sunny, warm place so maybe if there is a Hell, it won’t be so bad. As long as they have lounge chairs and a Sambuca on a metal table by a sea of burning lava.” I chuckled, watching Harry roll his eyes.

“If you want Sunny and hot, try Florida. An hour there, you’d burn to a crisp, fair skin. Anyhow, we’re getting off point. What do you suggest with this one?” He nudged the comatose-like girl gently.

I shrugged.

“Make her angry, let it run her for a while. Let her be in control of herself, not us but herself. Everyone needs a sense of control over themselves.” I suggested.

“Are you mad? She’d hang herself the first chance she sees.” Harry rolled his eyes, throwing out the idea immediately.

I copied his eye roll. How dense can he be?

“I’m not saying let her off her chain to bark and chase the moon all night; just, extend the chain slightly. Have her accompanied if you wish but let her make some decisions of her own accord.”

Harry let out a scoff but remained silent. Instead he placed his two fingers on her forearm and began to move them fragilely up and down Sophia’s arm to her wrist.

“Waking her up.” Harry answered my puzzled expression.

I finished rinsing her off and watched Harry for a few minutes, keeping my eyes on Sophia’s face – most importantly her eyes, they were darkening to the deep pools I was used to seeing.

“It’s working.” I smiled but jumped back when Sophia came to in a most violent motion. Her body jerked and her mouth opened in a silent scream, a brief moment of fear flashed in her face before the shrill ring of her voice echoed off the wall and throughout the cabin.

Sophia was back.

*

Zayn’s POV:

A few hours had passed and Sophia was back to looking up at the ceiling but the tears had not stopped. Not once.

Unfortunately, Damien was to be here in an hour and the other men left me and Christian to try to get her calmed down, which wasn’t going too well.

“Flower? Please, we need to get you calmed. Damien is going to beat the crap out of you if he sees you in this state of emotion. I don’t want that, neither does Christian.” I tried to reason but she just laid there, a sad sorrow of deep blue emerald diamonds lost to the emptiness that surrounded her. It was grief in the truest of forms.

I let the silence take over for a moment but it didn’t last.

“Ms. Sophie? Please look at me?” Christian begged her, taunted her with an innocent voice like gently falling feathers.

Sophia’s eyes took the bait and they met, another deafness protruding the tense moment.

“Dylan told me a story, about Neverland. He taught me about inner strength. He told me that to be brave, you must give into your weaknesses and embrace your strengths. He said you were the strongest person he knew. He said he wish he could be like you, strong and brave. Like Mr. Darling. He tried his best to provide for his family, he worked hard but he was weak. He said, that in a way, you’re a Ms. Darling. You gave him the strength to take chances; you were his significant, his equal. He loved you, Sophia. You got to be brave now, for him. He needs you to go on, even if he himself was not able to. Dylan still wants what is best for you. He always did, he told me so much –so, so much. Please, Sophie? For him?”

To say I was impressed with Christian’s words would be an understatement. He was an extraordinary young man who, had his life not drifted him into our grasp, he could have been a very successful speaker.

Sophia still laid there, her eyes just a dead pool of heavy weight now where the last of her tears fell.

“My brother is dead! It doesn’t even matter! None of that matters!” Sophia cried, jerking up from where she had laid for the past few hours prior to being forcibly dressed and laid back on the cot. This time no restraints needed.

Oh boy, lifeboat for two coming up.

“Christian? Take your leave, she needs some more time.” I excused him, which he was more than happy to leave, frustrated tears streaming down his own face and for a moment I didn’t think he would say anything else but I was wrong.

Crossing the threshold, he stopped and turned.

“My mother died and no one was there to pick up the pieces. Not till you and Dylan helped me see what a real family could be. When you left, Dylan spent hours with me, talking to me like I was his younger brother and then he started telling me stories about you. He told me how you saved him, how your father hurt you. He got me to see things past their tragedy and to push forward. Your brother was a good person, amazing even; you can’t disappoint him. You can’t because he had the most faith in you and you can’t forget him and pretend his words never mattered because they do! He’s gone and you’re still alive, you’re the lucky one! He had to leave and his last action was to protect you! He tried, Soph. God as my witness, he fought but as each day past, he knew he lost. Don’t disgrace his fucking memory by giving up and rolling on your back. Keep him alive and fight for his memory, don’t ever forget.” Christian finished, marching out toward the kitchen, the outside door slamming shut a moment later.

I looked at Sophia, all she did was sit up in bed, breathing heavy.

Thankfully Louis came back, his eyes guarded over but when he spoke, it was defeated.

“Sophia? Do you want to say goodbye to your brother? We have to stick him into the bath before Damien gets here or he’ll cut him up and though Dylan maybe dead but I don’t want to witness that man’s full cruelty. I want to see him have a proper dip, uncut.”

Sophia didn’t move or reply but I could see the tears falling again, she didn’t have the inner strength to face her demons today. She was defeated.

“Alright, I’ll go tell Harry. “ Louis seemed to accept Sophia’s silence as resignation to pass but she shook her head and sobbed, reaching her hand out desperately to Louis, a painful gasp coming deep from within her chest.

Admittedly, Louis was the last person I thought she’d reach for but she was and I didn’t stop her. I simply guided her weak form from the bed and escorted Sophia to her desired partner. To be fair, this was out of my league. I could comfort her in moments of sadness but utter despair was something completely different.

Louis put his arm around her shoulders and used his strength to hold her up enough to walk.

Soon enough the door outside shut, leaving me a moment to gather my thoughts. We were having a funeral. A service to bring comfort to the one who needed it most. The problem? It didn’t seem like anything could wipe the grey skies from the overcast above us and no one to comfort the lonely soul that still remained.

With a sigh I walked into the hell, seeing Niall heading out of his room next to this one. He seemed tired but we shared a knowing look and headed outside with the others.

*

Niall’s POV:

Sophia fell to her knees again when Zayn and I had carefully unwrapped Dylan from his resting place to allow her a final viewing. We kept his lower half covered to allow him decency but his body had swollen a little from last night’s rain. None had penetrated the plastic sealing of course but the moist air was completely different.

“Dylan?” She whispered, her words caught in a breathless echo that seemed to only reach our ears.

A few tense seconds and her knees were to the side of him, her hand reaching to his face to smooth back the hair from his forehead.

“Dylan?” She tried again, the tears falling from her eyes down onto his cheek.

Harry kneeled down beside her, offering a hand to her shoulder.

“Sophia, you know he’s gone. You need to say goodbye, Damien will be here soon.”

His voice was soft but urgent, knowing her fragile state.

Silence.

“Do you know what I wish?” She finally whispered to no one particular and when everyone remained quiet, she sniffed but the sorrow didn’t seem to leave her tortured gaze.

“What, dove?” I asked, surprising the group…well, all but Sophia.

“I wish it was me laying here. I put Dylan here, I killed him and should be punished for it.”

“Oh, Nightshade. No, no-no. Please don’t say –“Harry tried to console her and I shut my lips tight. If I didn’t I would have said something I regretted.

“I KILLED HIM!” She screamed this time, turning swiftly and pushing Harry from her to the ground, his head hitting the edge of the acid bath. Thankfully nothing splashed up, that stuff burns.

“Sophia!” Louis yelled, getting her attention but the air was thick again and I knew interfering would only make things worse.

“I killed him.” She seemed to ignore what she did, like she was acting on instincts alone. Which, she technically was.

“No,” Zayn shook his head, kneeling down the opposite side of Dylan’s body. “This isn’t your fault, this was his fate and now you need to decide yours.”

I shook my head. I truly did not know what to say to that, so I spoke up –she didn’t need sugarcoated bubblegum rubbish. She needed to hear the words everyone was denying her.

“Technically lads, it was.” I pointed out, looking to my nail and picking it, shocking the whole group into silence for the second time. Though, a few of them had gone from shocked to plain angry. Sophia seemed to go melancholy, which was better than hysterical.

“I brought him in, this was my fault.” She finally concluded in whisper, leaning down to kiss his temple.

“Do you want to pray?” Christian asked cautiously, stepping beside Zayn, reaching for her hand that still sat idly at the side of her brother’s face.

“No.” She murmured in agitation, pulling away from Christian and bringing her other hand to Dylan’s arm, massaging them up and down, a faraway memory splashed across her beautiful face. It was peaceful for a few seconds after.

Harry was sitting on the ground with Louis kneeling next to him, whispering in his ear and Harry only glancing at Sophia and nodding, though looking quite unsure.

“Never forget.” Christian told her softly, his hand going to her shoulder.

“Never forget.” Sophia agreed, nodding. She reached under him, kneeling down level and hugging his deadweight to her, a soft sniffle leaving her red nose and swollen eyes.

“Niall? We need to burn the rope Dylan –“Harry paused at his words but I caught onto it and nodded, turning back into the cabin and untangling the rope from the bed and hook, freeing it, returning about five minutes later.

Zayn and Louis were just setting Dylan carefully into the bath of acid when I had come back and Sophia hadn’t moved from her spot on the ground, Christian hugging her to him for comfort but the lass couldn’t be consoled, this did nothing but torment her further.

Without pause I went to the rubber bath bin and grabbed the top that was discarded on the ground, throwing it over to seal in the fumes and sights of a melting body. In days it would be sludge – in a week, nothing should remain of it but the aftermath of rotting tissue. As gross of an image, it was a lot better than being chopped up and fed to rabid dogs. Damien’s favorite pastime.

I cursed and realized I had forgot to throw in the rope and went to open the top again but Harry stopped me with a clear of his throat, nodding to Sophia, who was looking at me.

I agreed silently and respectfully began to loop the rope up in my hand. It was about that time Damien’s van came up the dirt path to our cabin, stopping right by us, the engine cutting curtly and the demon himself stepping out with a huge smile on his face.

“Oh darlings, I’m home.” He raised his arms in self-worth as the air hung thickly around him.

Christian backed away from Sophia and Sophia remained positioned on her knees to the ground. Everyone frozen where they were.

“Aw, not happy to see me, lads? I’m hurt,” He antagonized, surveying the scene around him, landing on the rubber bath tub. Immediately his good mood – if you could call it that, went out the window and his stare became enraged. “Who?” He demanded.

“Dylan Stone, sir. He hung himself.” Louis covered for our lack of response. Honestly? The fire in the dark man’s olive eyes scared the absolute piss out of me.

“Who was in charge of guarding him, how was he able to obtain the object” Damien continued unaffected.

We all looked at one another…except Christian, who, stupidly took a bold step forward as Liam seemed to do the same thing at the very same time. Idiots, the both of them. Harry took a step forward as well to speak.

“I was instructed to guard Dylan the night he hung himself, sir. It was my fault.” Christian butted in quickly before Liam could get a word in edgewise.

Liam’s mouth tittered silently, possibly in disbelief or relief I wasn’t sure but he didn’t smile, nor did he seem happy to Christian’s revelation.

“Really, lad? I leave you alone for this short amount of time and you fuck it up to hell? You truly are worthless.” Damien chuckled, seeing the loose hung rope that was laid limply in my hand. He walked over and tugged it from me, throwing it open.

“It was my mistake, I pushed him past his limits.” Harry defended, the gentle breeze swooping his curls back from his face, the air much more damp around us.

“See? The problem I’m having right now is if, Harry Styles, was actually pushing Christian to his limits, he wouldn’t have been explaining Peter Pan to a sixteen year old and as much as I loved his thoughts on it, the problem I’m having trouble with getting my head around is the fact my SON was going to betray me.” Damien snarled, taking a step forward Harry, whistling to his cronies who promptly stepped out of the back of the van, each with a stony expression, save for Jonathan. His look was sullen and steadfast.

“H-how?” Harry stuttered, taking a step back in shock, his eyes wide.

“You really need to make sure your phone doesn’t dial out and set itself on speaker, Harry. You never know who it’s going to call –like your father.” Damien piped, whistling each of his gang’s numbers and pointing to one of us each time. “Hold them, I’ve got Ms. Stone.” He suddenly grinned. I went forward the same time as Harry, sidestepping his old man and standing in front of Sophia protectively. Christian was helping her from the ground and backing away. Damien and his gang just stared at us the whole time, scowling.

“Oh son, you know what happened to Caroline when Niall tried to save her, do you really think I won’t snap Ms. Stone’s neck in front of you all? Especially since she weakened you? I mean, it’s sickening. A girl, a nothing –nobody, comes in here as a hostage and somehow turns all the tables? You make me nauseated to call you something remotely even related to me.”

“Good, because I don’t want to be related to a fuckhead like you. Keep your title, keep your last name. I’ll take back my mother’s surname.” Harry argued, stepping back and motioned for Christian to get Sophia out of here before things got heated and he seemed to understand because he was tugging her to the safety of some trees but a knife flew from the direction of one of Damien’s gang’s hands.

Sophia let out a yell, dropping to the ground beside Christian, his own scream a loud echo around the trees. I turned to run over to protect her but Jonathan caught my shorter form as the others were taken. Harry against Steel, Zayn against Colton, Liam against Shane and Louis the only one left free but he was frozen, especially when the other gang members took out their knives – save for Steel, whose blade was currently in Christian’s shoulder.

I felt the blade pressed against my neck but it didn’t tight and I was thankful for that, unfortunately I couldn’t look to see what was going on and the protests of everyone came to an abrupt halt.

“Louis? You have two choices, either bring me Sophia or I slit your neck and follow through with the rest of you useless mouth breathers. You know I will, Tomlinson – although, you out of everyone have surprised me the most. I didn’t peg you for stupidity but falling for a hostage –“

Louis interrupted, walking to Sophia’s crouching form, her arms holding Christian, whispering soft words in his ears but he didn’t give her a chance to finish before he picked her up and forced her back to Damien. I spoke up to protest but Jonathan’s knife pressed into my skin a little more.

“I’m not weak and I am not falling for a fucking hostage, Master Styles. I told you, I’m in this gang to stay. Why do you think I told Harry it was a bad form to begin with? I set him straight, so, if you’re thinking of killing him, you will find the whole point quite useless.” Louis sassed, his tone sure of himself but he swallowed thickly, not taking his eyes off Harry while he dragged Sophia to the monster that stood tall in front of us. She didn’t protest –she simply let the blue eyed brunette guide her to her fate.

“Oh but I’m not going to kill him. I’m going to punish him, Sophia too. If he so wishes her to live and since I may need her in case something goes wrong with the titles I won’t. At least not yet.” He assured pushing out his hand to signal Louis to stop.

“Christian was supposed to guard Dylan that night, wasn’t he?” Damien continued, looking at the fawn-like boy on the ground, his form hunched and his hand gripping the handle of Steel’s knife in defense.

“I was, I passed on the responsibility.” Liam offered but Christian interjected from the ground.

“He’s lying! I fell asleep, it was my fault!” Christian exclaimed, his voice rising high from the pain and his face flushed.

Damien laughed in disbelief.

“Pathetic.” Damien muttered, walking towards Christian. I tensed but held my ground, Sophia let out a muffled exclamation when Louis’s hand covered over her mouth, his mouth earing to her ear, speaking frantically but silently. Unfortunately that didn’t deter her.

Damien reached the boy and jerked the knife from his body, throwing it over to Steel, who, amazingly enough had caught it in mid catch, using the bloody blade to still a fidgeting Harry.

Christian sobbed, meeting Damien’s eyes. A deep sadness in his own but though they were sorrowful, they sparkled an innocence…an ignorance beyond the fear he expressed. The lad truly was pure in nature and Damien was about to steal it.

“I took you in, I gave you a chance and betrayal is how you repay me? My boy, I knew your mother since you were but a leaflet high. I supplied that crack whore with some of my best drugs to take away her pain, to ease the disappoint that was her pathetic life. I even took you under my wing and it was still not enough. You’re like my son, a disappointment! A pathetic excuse for anything that would be considered human. You are like your mother. Weak, pathetic and –“

“Kind.” Liam interrupted, catching their attention –bad move but at this point I was tired of waiting to see what would happen. I wanted to get this over with, I wanted them to get their shit and leave us to our routine…slim bloody fucking chance of that happening now.

“Kindness is not what we breed here, Liam. You of all people should know this. I’m afraid Harry failed at doing what he needed to do so I have no choice but to end his transgressions and I will start here.” Damien decided, gripping the rope tightly in his hands before wrapping it around Christian’s neck, tightening it until it was knotted.

Christian’s blood stained hands slid against Damien’s unwavering ones, sounds gurgling from his throat, choking and sputtering.

Without waiting, he pulled the rope back to the tree Sophia and him almost made it to, throwing the rest of it over a low hanging branch and pulling Christian up from the ground, making sure to tie it around the tree itself securely.

“Now, if I know my ropes and I do – the force of the way I tied it won’t be enough to kill him right away, he’ll stay conscious for about two minutes, in excruciating pain I might add –“ He looked over at Harry and smirked proudly as he paused to let it sink in before continuing. “To which he’ll slowly suffocate and if you’ve been paying attention in torture 101, you will find that the brain will start suffering complications from lack of oxygen. Leading to brain damage and then eventually, death,” Damien clapped his hands together and speaking as if he were a professor giving a lesson. “Any questions?”

I heard Sophia whimpering, the sounds intermixing with Christian’s choking.

Everyone was so focused on Christian that they missed Louis reaching into his pocket and giving Sophia his knife, letting out a loud exclamation as he pushed himself back and gripped his balls…well played, mate.

Sophia ran to Christian and slashed through the air like a crazy woman, mentally hoping to cut Christian down. She pointed it away from her face when she ran past Damien, only for him to chuckle, not bothering to stop her and since everyone else was occupied with the rest of us, it was easy for her to reach the tree and slice the fray strands.

Christian’s body fell and I never saw her work so fast, cutting the ropes from his neck in record time but as she threw them aside, a pained cry left her mouth in a wail, the tears again starting.

“NO!” She howled, picking up Christian’s body was still making gurgling sounds, his eyes slowly misting over. That’s when realization hit me – Damien had purposely crushed his windpipe when he had tied his head.

“No.” She repeated in a failed whisper.

“Oh yes, my dear. You see, I knew Louis was too weak to let you just watch so when I tied Christian up, I crushed his windpipe. He has about…forty-five to fifty seconds before his loses consciousness. Possibly seven minutes until he suffers irreversible brain damage and a possible another seven before he dies. I leave it up to you if you want to watch him suffer. Either way, I win.” Damien smirked, making Harry growl but a quick swipe to his throat kept him further silent.

Sophia’s tears fell and a sob left her throat but it too was quiet. I wondered what she would choose –if she could chose to take a life and for that moment, everyone stopped breathing. Every sound in the forest dulled to complete silence and it was only them, Christian and Sophia. We were simply the outside observers.

Sophia sat and put his head on her lap, tears falling and intermixing with the ones falling down his own cheeks, begging her silently with his eyes and clawing hands to end his suffering and by the look in hers –I knew what Damien did.

Keeping the blade from shaking too much she positioned it over the young boy’s heart, her voice raspy when she spoke again, lifting it in the air.

“All children grow up, except one,” She started as if she were telling a story, pausing again to hear the useless struggle of his lungs gasping but his frantic clawing had gotten weaker and weaker. “Because his adventure ends here, setting forth an amazing one somewhere else. Somewhere beyond this Hell on earth, somewhere beyond the stars and planets – somewhere safe, somewhere no one will ever hurt him again,” Sophia cried, catching the light in Christian’s beautiful orbs one last time before plunging the knife into the dead center of his chest –into his heart. “You will never have to worry again, Chris. Because to die, is an adventure waiting to be lived. Go live it.”

Her voice cracked and died off and we all watched the light leaving the young soul, misty death clouding over what used to hold life. It was quick once his heart stopped beating but he had suffered before that. To which, like a stilled scene from a movie, everyone and everything froze.

The first one to break the trance was Liam.

“Angel.” He whispered out, tensing against his captor but didn’t attempt anything else.

“Angel of death.” Louis murmured, standing from the mucky ground, realization hitting every one of us, even Damien, who was no longer laughing.

“Angel of mercy.” Harry spoke soft, even more so than Louis.

“Enough!” Damien yelled, clearly not having expected it to play out against him but a smirk was back on his face. “It seems Ms. Stone is not yet useless and though we need to work very hard on her, she could prove useful. Especially in my cabin. For now though, I’ve only just begun doling out punishments. Lads? Take my son and strip him of his shirt and acquaint him with the chains in the basement if you will. Tie up the rest of the lads, just like last time and be sure to gag them. I don’t want any more interruptions.” Damien ordered, feeling breath at my ear suddenly.

“I’m so sorry, Niall. Please forgive me.” Jonathan begged, silent tears falling from him eyes as I felt them land on my neck. His rasping voice told me everything else.

“I always do, lad. Come on. Let’s get it over with.” I murmured back just as quiet, seeing Damien grab the back of Louis’s shirt and forcing him to Sophia.

The other men had begun to lead or drag everyone else back inside the hollowed cabin. We stayed a few precious seconds to see Damien brutally kick Christian’s body from Sophia’s lap and drag the crying girl up with brutality.

When Satan’s protégé glanced back to us, he was roughly pulling me to where everyone else was led.

Notes

10,162 words guys - 19 and 1/2 pages on word. Enjoy! Lots happening next chapter with Damien! Enjoy and thank you guys so so much you are awesome readers!