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Antony stumbled as he was shoved out of the house and into some sort of box with seats. He struggled to remember what it was called, he was sure he had been in one before. If he had, it would have been a long time ago, back when he was a child. He sat down and found the strange strap that the man had told him about. He pulled it across his chest and pushed the end into the strange contraption on his side. It was some sort of constraint, keeping him from moving about the box.
He stared out the window. He hadn't had much time to look around as the man had hurried him into this thing. The light hurt his eyes, making tears run down his cheeks. He wiped them quickly. It had been many years since he last cried. Crying showed weakness. If he cried in front of this man, he could find himself tied to another bed. "So bright..." he said, as the man joined him in the seat next to him. He didn't want the man to think he was crying out of sadness or being scared. those were two emotions he never felt any more. Jerry had seen to that. |
Lee huffed up, grabbing the seat belt and fastening it. "Yep." He said in accordance to his passenger's note. "Early afternoon's usually pretty bright." Ten years inside. No doubt he hadn't seen the sun in that long, hadn't had contact with another human being besides Jerry. Perhaps he hadn't even been free of that bed in a few days. And that was about as bad as Lee's tortures. Well, nowadays they weren't just attached to the floor. He'd put together a few interesting little contraptions. Taking off the glasses, he slid them into the sun visor and shrugged out of the jacket, instantly losing about ten pounds. "God, disguising myself is really a bitch." He muttered, starting the engine and pulling away. Going down the alley, he angled toward a small road that would indicate he had come from the small suburb-like area that was adjacent to where his house was. "So, you're Antony?" He glanced to the kid, taking in the relatively bad marks on his arms. "That bastard didn't change your name, I assume." He spoke quietly now, as though more to himself. "Must not have let you out at all, judging by your skin. Didn't bother taking care of you, must not be too picky." He stuck his tongue out in relative disgust. |
Antony jumped slightly at the mention of his name. It had been awhile since he had heard it. He had only remembered what it was by telling himself over and over again in his mind. He had to make sure he remembered at least his name, having forgotten his life previous to being with Father. He stared over at the man that had spoken. He had changed slightly. Must have been wearing that jacket to hide who he really was. He looked back out the window, watching the world move past. It seemed that this thing was now moving in a controlled way, he glanced back at the man. He had pedals, dials, levers and a wheel on his side of the box. Antony assumed that this man could control the speed, direction and movement of this thing with them.
"My name is Antony. Who are you?" he asked, tilting his head. His voice was rough, from years of screaming. He tried to put on the act of an innocent child for the man, but he could tell that the man wouldn't be impressed with it. "What will you do with Father?" he continued. He had many more questions, but decided to not ask too much. He still didn't know what this man was like. He didn't want to risk annoying him. |
Lee glanced his way. Reiterating what he'd already said, was he? Well, he couldn't expect a terrible amount from him. By his knowledge Antony had never left the house, never gone to school. He probably learned everything by television, if he was even given that chance. "Name's Lee Mason. And that bastard is in the back. He's not your father, you better know that. He took you from your real parents when you were younger. Looks like... nine years old, I'd say." He reached up, scratching at his head. The bobby pins were digging into his scalp and making it itch, and the way he'd highlighted it was ridiculous. How some people could do this was almost laughable. But maybe that was just how he looked, rather than something more widely-spread. "I'm taking you to my place. They stopped searching for you several years ago when the statue of limitations ran out." He shook his head as he turned onto the road that led toward his house. It was still one floor, but it was larger. "I don't know what I'm gonna do with you..." he sighed. |
Antony laughed slightly, a light giggle that was slightly unnerving, just like the way he stared at everything without blinking. "I know he isn't my real daddy," he replied, but said no more on the subject. It seemed they were slowing down and nearing a large, new looking house. He guessed that this Lee guy was going to use him as a slave, just like Jerry had. He couldn't see any other reason for why the man had taken him from his house. He could have just left Antony there and called the police later, or dropped Antony at the police station. Lee was either extremely paranoid, or very stupid. Though paranoia and stupidity come hand in hand, the voice said in his mind, making him laugh some more.
Dan was his only friend. Someone he had invented when he was first kidnapped. A person that could keep him happy and hoping that his parents were going to find him. After a few years, when he knew that his parents weren't coming, Dan became so much more. He became his father, his mother, his sibling, his family. |
Lee nodded, raising a brow. "Welp, you won't mind when I rip his favorite parts off while he's still alive..." He laughed as if he just told a joke, then stifled it and started slowing as they reached his house. It seemed since a few years ago, even the most horrifying thing could make him laugh like a maniac. If only for a moment, anyway. It was almost involuntary, really. Shaking his head, he pulled into the now-paved driveway and into the garage. He had never realized how amazing a garage could be until he actually had one, but now, he'd never give it up. Switching off the engine, he didn't wait for Antony. "Press in on the latch and it'll unhook the belt." He said simply as he shut the door and turned, almost running in to someone. He gasped. "Urgh! Maurice, I swear..." Lee spoke through gritted teeth at the dark-skinned man only he could see. An illusion that had started precisely one year, seven months, and three days ago. Of course Maurice wasn't the only hallucination he saw, but the man in a brightly-colored Hawaiian shirt was definitely the most prominent, and always seemed to appear at the most inconvenient times. The man smiled, showing off startling white teeth. "Damn, Lee, never saw you like this before! Lookin' good." Lee growled as he jumped up into the back of the truck and unlatched the toolbox. Silence, other than a raspy breathing, could be heard. "Hey, you! Go open the door! Got a bit of a handful here and I'm not letting you slack about!" Maurice was no help. He wasn't a spirit, after all. He simply didn't exist to anyone but Lee. |
Antony fumbled with the belt, finally finding the button to release it. He smiled at it, but had no time to marvel at it, as Lee called for his help. He climbed out of the large vehicle, stooping slightly as he crept almost silently out of the garage and towards the house. Only the sound of his long nails clicking on the concrete betrayed his swift movement. He glanced over at Lee holding Father and grinned widely. So this man was going to hurt Father. Antony wondered if he would be allowed to watch. He had always enjoyed hurting the small animals that found their way into the house. Slowly standing on mice was his favourite past time while waiting for Jerry to come home.
He found a door and opened it easily. Lee must have left it unlocked or had unlocked it before. He stepped to a side to let the man drag Father inside. He didn't want to go in just yet, he was too curious about the outside world. He went on all fours and crawled onto the lawn, feeling the dried grass on his bare feet and hands. It startled him, but fascinated him all the same. He sat down, his long hair falling about him as he stroked the ground. "Tickles," he muttered to himself. Now what? Going to be a slave to that man? Let him hurt Jerry? We don't get to help? No fair, Dan spoke, sounding agitated like he usually did. He had been the one that was planning the death of Jerry. Now this man had come in from nowhere. |
Maurice stood at the open garage door as Lee pulled Jerry up and onto the bed. "You're seein' this, yeah?" He called to Lee. As was with every hallucination, it only knew as much as the person seeing or hearing it. Even if the person didn't really recall knowing a certain thing. He slammed the toolbox. "Hell yes I see it!" Lee snapped, and the hallucination raised his hands defensively. Lee hopped out and stepped outside. It was a good thing not many people lived out here, and no one was outside. "You! Get your ass back in here, you're not in the shape to be wandering out there!" With a huff, he went outside and pushed Antony back into the garage, then made sure to close the door. "You can go outside, sure. Not right now, though. Come on, get inside and sit. When I come back upstairs, we'll sort some things out." He spoke evenly. Neither angry nor concerned, Lee hefted Jerry over his shoulder and stalked to the door that had been opened. It went into the kitchen, which now was relatively large, and could fit a more rectangular table. Now the floors from there to the living room and the adjoining stairwell all had relatively bright hardwood flooring. Maurice came in right afterward and went into the living room through the archway to the right. Lee clenched his teeth in hope that he would vanish after that. "You coming, eh?" He called over his shoulder, stepping into the room. |
Frowning at being pushed about, he followed Lee inside the house, sadly glancing out the window. He couldn't understand why the man had panicked. He was just enjoying the grass. "This one is a grade-A dumbass," Dan growled. Antony giggled and crawled into the living area. This house was larger than the one he had lived in for years, cleaner too. His nails clacked loudly over the hard wood floors. He was fascinated by the sound and tapped loudly with his nails.
He stood on his feet with his usual stoop, searching the room with an infant's curiosity. It had been a long time since he had been in a place like this. He wondered if his house had been like this, but anything beyond his kidnapping was just a blur. He found a TV, movies, books, chairs... It was overloading his curiosity. He sat on one of the couches, his nails snagging on the material. "Smells nice," he commented. He wasn't really one for full sentences. He could speak normally, having taught himself how to read and do many other things. He just was so used to speaking like a child and didn't really feel like expending energy on Lee. "Neat freak. A refreshing change. We could fuck around with this guy much easier," Dan commented. Antony frowned. He wasn't quite sure about the man yet. He had saved him from his tormentor. Perhaps they should just wait and see what he was like before plotting against him. |
He tossed Jerry onto the kitchen table for a moment and turned back to the door, making sure to padlock it as he did every time he entered the house. All the doors had padlocks on them, and all the windows were shatterproof. These particular windows were widely-used around the southern U.S. when small, scattered suburbs were outside an especially large city. Going into the living room, dragging Jerry behind him, he found Antony sitting on the couch. The long nails and unmanageable, filthy hair didn't look comfortable at all. “Stick around, you. I'll be back up in a second.” He studied the kid hard for a moment, then hefted Jerry up again and went left, down a small hall that contained the first floor bathroom, the door to the basement, and the stairs leading up to a second floor. He unlatched the basement door and grabbed Jerry like a sack, putting him down first before following on. A sharp turn left led to the largest room of the basement. It was white-tiled all over the place, even the ceiling. He'd modified it that way by going to various hardware stores so buying in bulk didn't raise suspicion. Now, however, the same chains from his old home were attached to a reinforced rebar that was attached to the corner of the left half of the room, and to the right, a table that was obviously used for restraining, including wrist and ankle cuffs made of thick steel, all of which he'd found at the dump. A virtual buffet of useful items no one would really think about. He brought Jerry up and unlatched the cuffs, placing his wrists and ankles where they were to go and tightening them. Jerry was relatively small. He wouldn't wake up for a long time. |
Antony waited patiently for the man to return. The house was a lot larger to what he was used to, so he didn't want to get lost. He hoped that Lee wouldn't kill Father right away and enjoyed torturing, just like he had done to all the stray cats and rodents that had found their ways into the house. Father had scolded him and punished him, as if afraid that one day Antony would do the same to him.
"Would have," he muttered to himself, crouched over on the couch and staring into nothingness. He thought deeply about every plan, every malicious thought he had towards the man that tore him away from his mother and father. "Broke you, shamed you, made you what you are now," Dan echoed in his mind. He hated it when his friend said mean things towards him. He hated it more when Dan reminded him of those shameful nights of pleading and hurting. He shook his head, his long, tangled hair repeating the movement. |
Rechecking the braces, Lee was convinced they wouldn't break or bend any time soon. Raising a lever under the table, he lowered it a bit, until it was to his waist level. Others might consider that a little high, but it was a perfect position for Lee. Easy to look over his newest target and see each cut before it was placed so he didn't accidentally nick an important artery. He turned to go back upstairs, but gasped again at Maurice. "Damn you." He growled. "Go away!" The hallucination laughed, but didn't follow as Lee went back upstairs and latched the door again. When he went back into the living room, he found Antony where he'd left the kid. He looked somewhat like a feral child, the kind everyone seemed to be so intent on finding someday to study. And people thought Lee was crazy! He stepped up to the other end of the couch and crossed his arms. "Okay. So... What should I do with you?" He sighed. "Looks like I just pulled you out of a hole in the ground---you need a bath, that's for sure. Come on!" He gestured for Antony to follow, and turned. "Your nails need a desperate cut, too, and your hair... God, Jerry's not going to be killed for a nice long time." he muttered the last bit to himself, biting his lips so they wouldn't curl into a smile. It was hard not to get lost in his 'work' sometimes. |
Antony followed the man, his nails clacking over the wooden floors. He enjoyed that sound and purposely tapped his hands on the surface. He tried to remember the last time he had a bath. Father liked to just hose him down after their sordid days together. He wasn't the kindest man towards him. That was why Antony was happy that Lee was going to kill him. He still hoped that he could watch it happen. "Like my nails long. Clack, clack, clack," he sung, tapping his nails on the floor again. As they came to the bathroom, Antony froze in the doorway and tilted his head.
It was clean, like the rest of the house, and very white. The light coming in from the large window made the room seem brighter and it hurt his eyes. He felt them run again as he watched the man pour the water into the bath. He crawled over to it, to see the bath fill with warm water. He scratched the porcelain tub, enjoying the screeching noise that it made. "Father's tub was metal. I was never allowed in it though," he spoke, his childish tone leaving his voice. "I wonder why he is being so kind to you?" Dan sniggered. "Shush, you. This is better than being tied to a bed," he growled at his friend. Dan laughed. "You have me there." |
Lee moved a little to the side as Antony crawled beside him, dropping a cup of gentle disinfectant into the water as well. By the look of it, the kid didn't get much clean water around his dirty skin. "Well you can't keep your nails that long." Lee muttered. "Now you have to keep them short. But I won't cut them too short, you'll still be able to tap. And I've got to cut that hair too. It's too long, and I don't think it'll be untangled that easily. Or at all." He squinted at the dirt in the mess of hair. Turning the water off, he looked to the teen. "Okay you. Get in, get clean. use the bottles of soap, shampoo, conditioner, however you want. Don't make a mess or you'll clean it up. You'll have to settle for some of my own clothes for the time being, I'll bring some in." When he left, he closed the door. Obviously the kid was hearing something he didn't hear. Just like Lee saw things no one else did. They must share a mental disorder. There was something they had in common, he thought with a huff as he climbed the stairs to the upstairs. The hall to the right up here was wide and airy, but dark in color and lighting, and in a small alcove a chair sat before a window. A few doors lined the right, and one was to the left. He went to the one on the right wall, the first of all three. In his room, which was decorated sparingly, but just as darkly, he went to his closet and pulled some clean clothes off the hangers. They looked to be well over fifteen inches too long, and even that was being generous. More often than not he cursed his height, and this was one of those times. Sitting on the bed, he pulled a metal case from under it and opened it. He'd really have to go to work hemming these clothes to look more professional than shoddy. But he'd done it before. |
Antony carefully peeled off his clothes, making sure that his nails didn't get caught in the material. Once he was naked, he slipped into the hot water, sighing as he felt it on his dry skin. "Ah, this is nice," he whispered, lying down and sinking down, so that just his the top part of his face was visible. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth enveloping him like a blanket. He felt the water caress his scars and sores, the smelly stuff Lee had added must be something to help with the infection.
Antony relaxed in the bath for a long time, before Dan told him to clean himself. "You'll turn into a prune if you don't hurry." Antony chuckled and stuck his tongue out at his friend before reaching for the liquid soap and shampoo. He washed his body, watching the water turn murky and dark. He felt sick that that was how much dirt was on him. He kept scratching himself by accident and by the end of it, he probably had more cuts than what he started of with. With the shampoo he tried to wash his hair, but as it got near the end it was nearly impossible to clean. He decided to just leave it, as most of the dirt and dead things were removed. "You'll look all spiffy with a new haircut," Dan said sarcastically. "And you are just jealous," Antony retorted with a smirk. |
The needle didn't pierce his skin even as he jammed it through the tougher fabric of his jeans. His tough skin wouldn't allow it unless he actually tried to draw blood. But his hemming was a little more than acceptable. When he held the pants out, he found they looked to be the right length for Antony. He'd only seen the teenager stand relatively straight once, but it was enough for him to compare. When he inspected them from a distance, they looked like normal pants rather than something that had been quickly cut and re-sewn. The shirt had to be left the way it was---Lee couldn't see much more than a rather oversized short-sleeved thing anyway---many people wore shirts that were too large for them. Grabbing it and some others, he went back downstairs and to the bathroom door. Before he opened it, he patted the wood in arrival. "Here." He tossed them onto the sink when he opened the door a bit. "Pull the plug when you're done, then get dressed---I'll take care of your hair and nails." And the wounds. The ones on his ankles didn't look nearly as bad as those on his wrists. The disinfectant in the water probably didn't do too much for them, especially if the dirt all over him was anything to go by. At least he was clean now, though. Closing the door again, he went back to the living room and sat down on the couch. What a day. He figured the kid had been killed. It was evident that Jerry had taken up a filthy lifestyle away from home, but Lee had figured that was all. Now it was just like before... He rolled his eyes. |
Antony climbed out of the tub, pulling the plug out and watching the water form a small whirlpool and drain down into the pipes below. The sucking sound it made made him shudder with enjoyment. It was a funny noise. He found the clothes that Lee had thrown in and put them on, his nails snagging in the material and cracking. He winced at the pain but did nothing more about it. "Oh look, you broke a nail," Dan commented and Anotny rolled his eyes. He tried to stand straight, but found it too hard to do so. He walked with his usual stoop, coming into the living area and sitting on his hunches like a cat in front of the man.
He tapped the floor, staring out of the window at the blue sky outside. He realised that he was the happiest he had been in years. He felt clean and warm in his new clothes. He hummed a small tune as his gaze fell from the window and onto Lee. He had done away with his disguise now. He looked almost like Antony, which made him smile. Except Lee was well groomed and his skin was slightly more tanned. "Cut, cut, cut," Antony sung, not caring if he was annoying the man or not. |
With another sigh, Lee stood. "Get over here." He put a hand up to his head as he brought Antony to the couch, setting him there. Another bobby pin---he thought he'd gotten them all out. "I'm pretty sure these things multiply when I put them in." He growled as he went to the kitchen, retrieving a kit of scissors, clippers, and a first aid kit. This kit was a black bag with a red cross on both sides that zipped at the top. Going back to the living room, he set them on the floor and went behind Antony. "Keep still. There's a lot of knotted hair, I don't think I'll be able to save too much." Grabbing a pair of small scissors, he gathered up the nest of damp hair and started in on it. He'd have to cut it at least to the shoulder-blades, but with care it'd be able to grow out again. "Okay," Lee muttered, keeping his hand twisted around the matted hair. "Now, how about what to do with you? I can't take you to the police, they're not looking for you anymore. You're not of sound mind enough to go out on your own---I guess you've never left the house after you were taken. You got an idea?" Slicing it off in whole, he set the dead hair on the table and started a slight trim that would make it even. "Probably stick around here. But I'm sure as hell not keen on it." He put one of his hands up, brushing his hair back in thought. Damn it! He didn't want this to happen again, but it seemed unavoidable. Unless he just put Antony to sleep and dropped him off in an alley somewhere... But that was too far out of the question. |
Antony thought on it, ignoring Dan's suggestions. He guessed that he would have to live here, seeing he had no idea where else he could go. Unless Lee was keen in dropping him off at a hospital, seeing he "wasn't of sound mind". He didn't want that, however. Father had told him all about doctors and what they did to people like Antony. It was this fear that stopped him from calling 911. As for his parents, he didn't care. He couldn't even remember what they looked like. In his mind, he was an orphan.
He watched all his hair fall off in amazement. His head felt lighter and he knew that he would be able to move easier without getting caught up in his hair. "Thank you," he said, dropping his childish voice. He sounded like any other normal teenager now, his voice a bit quiet and husky. "As for our problem, seeing I have nowhere to go... I guess I would have to stay here." He sighed, tapping his fingers on the wooden surface as Lee trimmed the remaining hair. "I can help you. I don't mind. I have been through a lot while living with Fath... With Jerry. I would like to watch you kill him. Help you." He tilted his head once Lee finished and looked up with a grin. "Or you could just get rid of me. Lock me away. Have the doctors probe my brain. You don't really care about me. Why not kill me? Just dump me in some alley somewhere. Though if you do, I'll probably start killing people. I used to kill cats all the time, always wanted to do it to Jerry. Just I didn't know what I would do after I did so." |
Lee rolled his eyes and dusted his hands free of stray hair. "Why not just kill you?" He repeated, going around and sitting across from Antony, pulling a pair of wide-mouth clippers from the case he'd taken the scissors from. "I don't kill the victims of the abuse, the kidnapping, the harm. I prefer taking out my rage on people who deserve it." Turning Antony's hand, he inspected the broken nail. Better to get them now while they were softer and easier to cut through. He started on that one, trimming it down so the crack wouldn't cause pain in the finger. "And I'd not bother dumping you in an alley. If I did, and you managed to kill someone, they'd just put you where I figured you'd be put: In a mental hospital. Give you a nice little padded room, isolation, because they wouldn't imprison you---you're legitimately crazy, so they'd have little cause for trial." As he cut through the claw-like nails, Lee put them with the nest of old hair on the table. Maurice was sitting on the floor in front of it. "Aww, Daddy loves his little boy." Lee ignored him, squaring his jaw. "Anyway. For now you won't partake in what I do. I've got a very specific system that's not allowed me to be linked to any of my killings and I'm not keen on breaking that any time soon... But, I'll let you stick around. If you can keep a secret, and learn quickly." He went back and brought up Antont's feet, starting on them. "I don't need a slacker around here, yeah? I also don't need someone that can't keep a secret, or get too impatient or carried away." He glanced up. "You can handle it? I'm pretty sure you'll need to learn what you were never taught specifically while you were being held." How long had it been again? Lee didn't care to recall; it was long enough. |
Antony listened carefully, with his head tilted and a wide smile on his face. He didn't blink often and it would disturb most people. He flinched slightly when he felt the clippers cut through his nails, but it didn't hurt so he relaxed again. "Keep a secret..." he muttered. "Who would we tell? Not like anyone would listen to someone like you anyway," Dan laughed, Antony chuckling as well. "No one would believe me if I told. As I said, I have no where to go. And I don't particularly want to get locked up in isolation for the rest of my life," he said, focusing on the nail clippers cutting through his nails. The man had made sure he still had longish nails, so he could still tap. Antony was grateful for that.
What was the things he had to learn? He pondered on that for a long time. He would help the man, after all Lee did just save him from slavery, though it depended what was needed from him. "Though I would like to watch you at least... This man did take me from my loving family and turned me into this... Tied me up for days on end and starved me... Took away my innocence and forced me to live in filth... You can say that I am not allowed to at least see this man suffer after the years of torture he put me through." |
Lee didn't speak for a moment. He simply finished cutting the claw-like nails on Antony's feet and set the clippers aside. Then he looked up and smiled, perhaps, wider than Antony had been. "Do you really think I'd not let you get a few good whacks in? One for every year he kept you in that sty of a house. Ten, was it? I think that'll be good." He laughed darkly. Ten whacks for ten years. It still seemed too soft a punishment. But then again, Lee never thought it was enough. He pulled Antony's right hand forward to inspect the skin that had, over a long time, been continuously rubbed by rope. Pulling several different-strength disinfectant bottles from the first aid kit, he soaked a few rags in each one and rubbed the remaining dirt and bacteria from the injuries. "Not good." He muttered, patting the area dry before wrapping it. "I suppose if anyone asks, you were depressed and cut before I found out and that's what the bandages are for." He shook his head. "Public's so damn nosy nowadays, always have to think one step ahead of them." He followed suit with the other wrist, wrapping it after cleaning the injuries. "For now you won't be able to do much with the body once it's dead. But you can take over bone grinding if you're able." "He'd better be, eh?" Maurice asked from his seat on the floor. "Don't want another weakling." Lee gritted his teeth to bite back a response, finishing up the wrapping and standing. "There you go, all set. Now you look normal. And normal's a good thing..." He laughed a bit as he gathered everything up, going to put it away. No one ever suspected the normal of appearance. Oftentimes the truly insane hid behind a mask of ordinary. |
The rash on his wrists stung where the man had put the many strange smelling liquids on. He thought about telling Lee about his other sores, but decided against it. He didn't want to seem like a needy child. He was interested in what Lee did, however, and was glad that he was able to hurt Jerry as well.
He crouched on the floor, running his fingers through his shortened hair. It did feel a lot better now that it was shorter. He was glad that Lee didn't cut it back too much. |
Lee drew his hands through his hair as he returned, tying it back to stay out of his face, and looked at where Antony was. "You'll have to get out of that crouching habit, too." Lee said as he took up a plastic bag and lint roller, grabbing the cut hair and nails with two handfuls and tying it in the bag, then catching the small, needle-like remains of old hair with the sticky roller. "When you go outside you can't be acting like an animal, that's not really... right for an older teenager to be doing. And I'll be damned if I let someone start casting second glances at us." He shook his head hard. If someone started doing that... Well, he didn't want to think of it. Besides, he'd already come up with a plausible excuse for this kid. He'd just have to talk to Denver... "Anyway, you. Go upstairs, find a room you like and call it yours. Don't try opening any locked doors without asking me first." Lee went to throw everything away, then looked at the clock on the wall. Not quite seven. Jerry wouldn't be awake for a few more hours... |
Antony was accustomed to being ordered around, but it didn't mean that he liked it. He sighed heavily and scuttled towards the stairs, standing up straight with the help of the banister. He never liked standing upright, it hurt his curved spine too much. He supposed all those years of crouching had ruined his posture for good. He slowly made his way up the stairs, careful not to slip or miss a step. He hadn't been on stairs for a long time, so it was rather unnerving to walk up a flight.
He got up to the second level and stooped as he walked down the hall, trying every door and checking every room. He disliked all of them, as they were much too big and empty and made him feel uncomfortable. He tried one door, but it was locked. He peered through the crack, wondering what was inside. "Curiosity killed the cat," Dan reminded him, urging him to keep looking. Out of all the rooms that were unlocked, Antony fell for only one. But he was unsure if Lee would be happy, as it was a small utility closet that was currently empty. He could make a little bed inside and he would be happy with the small space. |
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