Ian dragged his body to his cabin, his thoughts running in various directions. He slumped on his chair as soon as he entered inside and everything that happened to him in the past flashed before his eyes. He remembered the day first met his mentor.
It was more than fifteen years ago. Ian was in an isolated warehouse. He did not know how he got there or who brought him there. The last thing he remembered was sleeping on his bed in his house. But when he opened his eyes he found himself in a warehouse with many kids of his age around him. They looked scared and many were even crying. He had no idea where he was but he was sure he was in danger. Ian was a lot more observant than the kids of his age. So, he could see wherever he was, was not at all a good place.
Ian was not the one to panic. But at that moment he could help but feel scared, terrified even. He had to save himself before it became too late. Just from the looks of the kids, he was sure that this place was nothing but a nightmare. He could see wounds on their hands and feet as though they had been whipped. He scooted close to the nearest boy who was staring at the wall silently.
"Hey, what place is this?" He whispered softly, yet the boy was startled hearing him speak. He looked younger than Ian maybe six or seven while Ian was eight at that time.
"You must be new here." The boy said giving him a thorough look. "When did you come here?"
"I have no idea. What place is this?" Ian answered honestly.
"Have you heard of child kidnappers?"
Ian nodded. He had heard about it from his father. Recently, there had been a surge in the number of children getting kidnapped. The next moment his body stiffened.
"You guessed it right. You have been kidnapped."
"Why?" Ian forced the word out. How did his life end up here? Who was responsible for it? His mind was filled with all possible questions but with no answers.
"I have no idea either. I got here two weeks ago."
"Have you not tried escaping?" Ian looked at him hopefully. If there was a possibility for him to escape this hell hole, he wouldn't even think twice to do so.
"It's a waste to even try. Those who try to escape are placed it another room and from what I have heard, it is worse than this place. People who go there never return. You see that boy over there." Ian followed his eyes to see an older boy sitting at the corner with his head leaning against the wall.
Ian's eyes widened in horror. The boy looked miserable. There was dried blood on his forehead, his cheeks had handprints as though he had been slapped many times. His eyes looked hollow, he looked as good as dead. If not were the fact that his chest was moving up and down as he breathed, Ian would have assumed him to be dead. He looked nothing less than a corpse.
"He is the only one who came back from there. Since the day he returned, he has not spoken a word. His entire body was covered with whip lashes and he was bleeding in many places. But they did not even give him any medicine or treat his wound."
Ian's gaze was fixed the boy for a long time as he listened to the boy beside him. The door to the warehouse opened and three burly looking men walked in. They were carrying packages of food in their hands and without another word, they threw it in front of the group of kids.
Ian and the boy had stopped talking seeing them enter. Seeing their physical appearance, Ian was sure that he could never outrun even if he wanted to. They looked strong and he would die with just a punch from them. He saw them throw something and they immediately left the room after locking it.
"That's food. Eat as much as you can right now because you won't be getting anything until dinner." The warned him and dashed to pick up one of the packages. Ian too followed suit. He was quite hungry since the time he had woken up and was not sure he could handle it until dinner.
"What about lunch?"
"Never had it since the time I came here." The boy answered as he gobbled his first sandwich as fast as he could. He then opened the second one. Ian opened the first sandwich and looked around the room to see all the kids were eating hungrily. It looked like they had been starved for a long time. His eyes fell on the boy at the corner. He was the only one sitting still, he had not moved from his place even at the sight of food.
"Isn't he going to eat?"
"He hasn't touched food for two days."
"Didn't anybody go talk to him?"
"It's useless. He never speaks." By then, the boy had finished his three sandwiches."Aren't you going to eat it?" He pointed at the two sandwiches in Ian's hands as he rubbed his hands to remove the crumbs.
Ian took a bite and glanced at the boy in the corner once again. "Will they allow us to leave this room? I mean, have you ever left this room?"
"Yes, every alternate day they take us somewhere and make us work. That is the only time we are allowed to leave this place."
Ian looked at him perplexed. "What kind of work?"
"Every week it's different. Some days we are asked to pack boxes, some days its' to clean factories. It varies each time."
Ian finished his first sandwich and opened the next one. His eyes darted to the silent boy once again and he couldn't stop himself. He got up the next moment and went to him.
"Where are you going? He is not going to respond." Ian did not heed the boy's words. He went and sat beside the lonely boy.
"Hey. I brought you a sandwich. I am sure you are hungry. Eat it." He placed the sandwich on the boy's lap and waited for him to pick to up. The boy for a moment was stunned, he stared at Ian and then at the sandwich. And then, he went back to staring at the wall. He did not give any other response, not even a reaction. Ian waited for a long time, but when he noticed that the boy was not going to eat. He gave up and went back to his seat.
"I told you. He is not going to eat."
"There's is nothing wrong in trying. By the way, I am Sebastian. What is your name?"
"I am Ronnie."
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