Gone II

WARNING: Abuse, angst, panic attacks, teensy bit of gore

Virgil let out a sigh of relief. They were gone.

Every time they came back meant more pain, so those shining hours when he was alone were his saviour as he sat there in the dark.

Virgil looked down at his jeans, ripped to shreds and torn away from the shins down, legs riddled with scars.

His arms looked the same. Virgil traced his finger over a particularly large bruise on his forearm, wondering how long he would be here.

He relaxed his back against the wall, trying to calm himself down. The person wouldn't be back for a while, judging by their schedule. They would come in morning and evening, and those unfortunate times when they would appear in the middle of the night. But sometimes they would come off schedule. Catch him sleeping or crying or making noise.

Meaning pain.

Virgil closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting out a long breath.

Please hurry, guys.

Roman was walking through the streets yet again, phone in hand and photo of Virgil in the other. He looked at the houses in front of him. He hadn't checked this neighbourhood yet.

He walked up to the closest house and knocked on the door. He waited a moment as the door opened, revealing a lady, maybe in her early twenties. Roman held up the photo. "Excuse me ma'am, have you seen a man like this?"

The lady studied the photo for a moment before frowning slightly. "No, sorry."

Roman sighed. "Thank you anyway." He walked down the small path and over to the house next door.

Knocking on the door, he rubbed his eyes tiredly. He hadn't gotten more than four hours of sleep, surely. The door opened and there stood a man who looked to be in his seventies or eighties. Roman held up the photo of Virgil. "Excuse me sir, have you seen someone like this?"

The man turned around for a moment. "Just a second.." He picked up a pair of glasses from the table next to him and put them on, turning back to the man in his doorway.

The man stared at the picture for a second. He shifted his gaze to Roman. "I believe I saw him around here a few weeks ago."

Roman couldn't believe it. "Really?"

"Yes-" The man waved an arm toward the big 2-storey house across the street- "He was entering that house there."

Roman immediately turned on his phone. "Thank you- thank you so much!" He sent a text to the group chat Patton had set up.

Roman: Someone's seen Virge!

Patton: Really? Where?

Roman: Over on Kaner Street, I'll be at the corner so you can find me

Patton: Okay kiddo! I'll get Logie and we'll be there in 5!

Patton has gone offline

Roman raced to the corner of the street before leaning back against the light pole. Finally.

Finally, Virgil would be found and this nightmare would be over.

It was hard to tell, but Virgil thought the figure smiled, Virgil's phone in hand. "So, they've found us out. Well, here's what we'll do. Are you listening?"

Virgil nodded immediately. It was comply or get hurt. "I'm going to go and meet them when they knock on the door. You're going to stay completely silent, or I'm going to come down here and make you wish you were never born. When they leave, we're going to get ready to go somewhere else, because clearly if they've managed to find us we need to leave. You understand?"

Virgil nodded again.

The sound of a car pulling up to the path filled the room. The figure left the room, hissing, "Stay quiet."

Virgil squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that he would be free from this hell soon. He listened to the voices upstairs.

"Hello!" It was Patton. Virgil tried to say something, to let them know he was there, but his voice was barely audible from weeks of silence. "We were wondering if you'd seen someone like this?"

There was silence for a moment. "No, sorry." That was his kidnapper.

"Are you sure?" Another voice pressed. Logan. Virgil cleared his throat and tried again.

"Guys.." It came out a hoarse whisper.

"Yes, I'm sure. If that's all.."

"No actually, we've been told he came through here a few weeks ago." Roman. His boyfriend.

Come on Virgil, he's here to save you. Breathe and yell.

Virgil coughed violently before screaming, "GUYS! I'M HERE!" His voice was rough and scratchy but loud and so obviously there.

Roman was eyeing the man suspiciously, about to ask another question when they heard a yell.

"GUYS! I'M HERE!"

It was Virgil.

Roman glared at the man and Patton sighed in relief. They'd found him. "I thought you'd said he wasn't here."

Roman stepped forward and shoved the man out of the way, rushing towards the sound as fast as he could. It only took about fifteen seconds of searching before he found a staircase, going down into darkness.

Virgil heard the rapid steps coming towards him and his breathing picked up pace. Oh no, what if they didn't hear it, what if it's them coming to hurt me again, why didn't I just stay silent why did I have to open my damn mouth Virgil now you're going to get hurt and it's all your fault. His breathing quickened even more as his ears were filled with the rapid beating of his heart.

The door burst open and Virgil almost screamed.

Someone stormed up to him and he shrank back against the wall, raising his hands to shield his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me!"

Roman barreled shoulder-first into the door at the bottom of the stairs and it burst open, revealing a figure crouched on the floor, attached by chains to the wall. It was Virgil.

Roman rushed towards him as Virgil shrank back as fast as he could, covering his face with his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me!"

Roman stopped short, noticing the scars and bruises littering his arms. "Stormcloud... What did that.. that man do to you?"

Virgil slowly lowered his arms, looking uncertainly at the man in front of him. "R-Roman?"

Roman nodded, eyes welling up. "It's me Stormcloud."

Virgil tried to reach for him but his hand was caught by the chain. Roman reached out a hand, taking Virgil's in his own. "Stormcloud.. What did he do to you?"

Virgil took a breath, preparing to answer, before bursting into tears. He was saved.

Virgil sat there, crouched on the floor, sobbing his eyes out as his boyfriend stood before him.

Roman dropped to his knees and moved closer. Virgil let out a small squeak and moved backwards before remembering it was just Roman. "Are you okay Virgil?"

Virgil looked at Roman and took a breath, breathing out slowly and wiping his face. "Th-they would come in here and hu-urt me ev-everyday and th-that's why I look like this.." He was in tears again. Roman took Virgil in his arms and held him until Virgil stopped crying. They could hear shouting upstairs. Virgil was confused. "What's happening?"

"We're getting you out of here, and if I'm correct Patton has already called the police." Roman pulled at the chains.

"They probably have the k-key, R-Ro.."

Roman looked uncertainly at Virgil. "Will you be okay down here for a few minutes while I go and get the key?"

Virgil smiled, trying his best to retrieve his old humour. "I was down here for three w-weeks, I can handle a few minutes."

"If you're sure." Roman released Virgil from his arms and stood up, moving towards the door. "I'll leave this open."

Virgil nodded as his boyfriend ascended the stairs. He was saved.

Virgil listened as the sound of sirens got closer, and more shouting filled the room. Police. He would be out of here soon.

He suddenly heard loud footsteps getting closer. It didn't sound like Roman.

Virgil watched in horror as his kidnapper ran into the room, chased by about three policemen.

In the second it took for them to reach them, Virgil's kidnapper raised the knife in his hand and slashed Virgil across his left eye.

Virgil screamed as blood flowed out his eye and tears from the other and the figure was restrained and Roman came thundering down the stairs, holding a key, closely followed by Logan and Patton.

Roman wasted no time in rushing forward and unlocking Virgil's chains before yelling up the stairs, "He's down here!" and four paramedics ran down the stairs.

Two of them went straight to Virgil, helping him up and moving him towards the door, while the other two stopped for a moment, taken aback by the smell of sweat and tears and blood and the stains on the walls and floor.

Roman followed behind as the paramedics took Virgil up the stairs and out towards the ambulance.

As they laid him on a stretcher in the back of the ambulance Roman came running out of the house. "I- I need to come in with him."

"Are you a relative?" One of the paramedics asked.

"I'm his boyfriend, please, just let me in-"

She nodded and Roman climbed into the back next to Virgil, taking his hand. "It's okay Stormcloud, we're getting you to a hospital."

"I'm... I'm safe?" Virgil's tone clearly showed he couldn't believe it.

"Yes Virgie," Roman replied. "You're safe."