Hi Guys.

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in absolutely ages. It's unexcusable, and I've been very lazy. This year though, I am properly busy. The only time I will have to write will be in the holidays. As it's Christmas, I have three weeks to produce another chapter. I really need to put time aside for my writing.

This chapter is dedicated to Kaira-hime Kotobuki, for favouriting this story a few weeks ago.

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS DISTURBING. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT SCHIZOPHRENIA, BLOOD AND CHILD ABUSE, PLEASE CLICK THE BACK BUTTON.

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Chapter Seven: Blood and Glass

Will hadn’t been able to get to sleep that night at all so far. He’d lain shuddering underneath his blankets in the middle of his bed.

The Nurse had given them two sleeping pills, but Will had dropped his in the bin in her office as soon as she’d turned round. Seth only took one. He’d liked to be in control of how long he slept, an idea stemming from childhood experience.

The voices were speaking to Will. There was Crassus’ voice, cold and taunting, and a few more of his former tormentors. There were a few soothing voices, from the kids and women from his childhood, but they didn’t interrupt much.

‘You’re a pathetic weakling. Shame…The soft life has made you accustomed. But don’t worry, you’ll be back to working life soon enough.’

‘I could be in your bedroom now, seeing as getting into your head is très facile,’ came another voice. Will’s eyes rolled into the back of his head in pure, sheer terror. This one was the Dauphin, a French man who often came to visit Crassus’ lair. His methods were just as brutal (if not more than) Crassus’.

‘Plus you’re sharing a dorm with that pretty twin. It’s such a shame they’re not with each other anymore, they were so good together. Oh well, that’ll change soon enough…’

‘I can’t believe you don’t remember them. Poor sweetheart.’ Crassus laughed. ‘I can’t wait to have you back in my bed, back between my legs as I straddle you and – ‘

Will couldn’t bear it any longer. He fell out of bed, cursing, then rushed to the window and opened it, gasping in great lungfulls of the clear night air.

‘SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!’ he shouted in his mind. ‘GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!’ He sank to the floor, trembling, and began to rock on his heels, eyes squeezed tight shut. The idea of being back with Crassus was enough to make him hurl, which he promptly did; all over the floor.

‘Awww. Little Willie can’t keep his body fluids to himself can he?’ Crassus crooned in his head.

Will abruptly stood up and knocked all the objects off the top of his bedside table, pills and all. He hated that nickname, hated it, hated it. Plus it was so obviously a sexual reference. It also came with a memory Will was not willing to re-live.

He went into the bathroom to get some loo paper and Dettol spray to try to clean up the sick, hoping that he wouldn’t wake Seth. He stopped infront of the mirror and took a few more deep breaths. Will turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face. He straightened up and looked in the mirror, the voices dying to a soft murmur. His reflection looked awful, great back smudges under his eyes, his eyelids twitching with tiredness. The teenager was naturally an uneasy sleeper.

Something crashed in the dorm room next to his and Seth’s, causing Will to jump. He swayed slightly, clutching the basin. Christ, he really needed to sleep. The sleeping pills were a bad idea though. Will liked to be alert at all times, even when asleep.

Crassus hummed at the back of his mind. Will growled and shook his head fiercely. They just wouldn’t shut up. The only time when they ceased was when he was with Seth. Seth…

Crassus cackled madly.

‘You two always look so good together. I’m watching some old video’s of you two with Niki right now.’

Will brought his fist back and smashed it hard into the mirror, the image of Crassus holding him shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.

The boy crouched among the shards, cradling his bloodied fist close to his chest. His left hand scrabbled among the broken glass for a piece that was long enough and sharp enough. He wanted Crassus cut out of him. He took off his top and searched for one of the many marks/words Crassus had carved into his arms and torso. The main mark was on his arm, just above his elbow. It was a cross with a C on it, Crassus’ sign of ownership. It almost went right down to the bone. Will knew this because he had tried to cut it out before, and hadn’t succeeded.

He dug the shard into his skin, using it as leverage to wriggle the scar up and break the skin, his body shuddering with sobs. The shard was cutting into his hand, making it slippery with blood. Will had a good dig, cutting the mark and his skin into pieces, then started on one of the words on the inside of his thigh. He would work his way over his body, then he’d be free of his tormentor.

*****

Seth reached a weary hand out to press the illuminator on his alarm clock. It read 3.37am. The white-blonde sighed. Maybe he should have taken the second sleeping pill after all. He rubbed his eyes, his vision slightly blurry. He needed time to think over the previous days events though.

Seth had remembered everything when he had seen Niki. How had he forgotten about Will? His best friend, carer and older brother. He wondered vaguely if Will had remembered as well. Probably not. He swung his legs out of bed to shut the window as it was creating a cold draught, but then stepped back quickly as he smelt the vomit. The older twin caught sight of Will’s mussed covers and empty bed. He strode over to the bathroom.

‘Will? You alive in there?’ He asked jokingly, twisting the knob. It wasn’t locked, and Seth knew it was naturally stiff. There was no reply. He wriggled it again, starting to worry.

‘Will!’ He hammered on the door. ‘Open this door for me now! Open it!’ Again no reply. The white-blonde slammed the palm of his hand into the emergency alarm for his room. Seth hoped they’d come quickly. Lord knows what Will had done.

The boy slammed his shoulder against the door, pounding on it and shouting. He wriggled it one last time and the door swung open. Seth screamed.

He fell to his knees in the glass shards and blood beside Will, his hands over his mouth, keening, not knowing what to do. There was too much blood. It was everywhere, everywhere, everywhere…

It was one of the substances that made Seth feel faint, but he couldn’t leave his beloved brother’s side.

*****

It seemed ages before the medics came with their stretcher and oxygen masks. For Seth it felt like a slow motion movie. He was pushed out of the way, saw the medics cluster around Will and the blood and the remains of the mirror. They picked him up. The white-blonde remembered the noise of the shards falling off his brother, the blood dripping and spilling everywhere. He was placed on the stretcher.

Seth couldn’t breathe, the darkness of the room pulling him into unconsciousness.

*****

He was somewhere white, and he couldn’t breathe properly with a tube up his nose and a mask over his mouth. Seth gasped and writhed, seeing fuzzy shapes loom over him and gentle hands pry out the offending appliances. His vision wasn’t clear, and he didn’t like it, but he could see the shape of what he knew was the Nurse sitting next to him.

‘Sssh Seth, relax. You’re okay. The morphine still has to find its way out of your system, that’s all. You cut quite a major artery behind your knee, but you’ll be fine now.’

The white-blonde tried to yell, but couldn’t quite form the words nor the strength. He knew he was in the hospital wing, but where was Will? His throat was very dry. The Nurse offered him some cold flat coke. Seth downed it needily, then lay back on his pillows. He dropped the cup, the objects before him swimming in the horrible white room. He tried to blink them away but was unable too. The morphine claimed him once again, and he slept unnaturally.

*****

Niki lay beside him, tossing and turning restlessly. Seth held his twin in his arms, trembling, waiting for Will to come back from Crassus. Eventually the door opened and Will was pushed inside. It was slammed behind him.

Will came over to the mattress and knelt beside his twin brothers, showing Seth and Niki the brand on his arm, just above his elbow, burnt into the soft skin. Will’s lips were quivering and his eyes were full of tears, the tracks of which shone on his plump cheeks.

‘It hurts really bad. He put this big glowy orange thing on my skin.’ Will’s voice was wobbly, like when he was very sad. He screwed up his face. ‘He gave me a sweetie and said ‘it won’t hurt long.’ He was wrong. I fell over and everything went black. It pained so bad. I needed you there Twins!’ Will took a deep sobbing breath and began to whimper. His big brown eyes were darkened in pain and his curly hair was matted with sweat.

Niki inspected the mark. Seth kissed Will innocently, as five year olds do. Niki sat back, satisfied. He took a deep breath.

‘Maybe…maybe it will look very pwetty soon and, and, maybe it will feel nice later.’ He found a teddy and gave it to Will. Will stopped sobbing abruptly and nodded.

‘Yeah. Maybe it’ll feel nice later. He’ll never want to hurt us, I know.’ The door opened again and Crassus stepped in. He wound his way through the toys and sat down crossed legged by the triplets, sitting Will in his lap.

‘Of course I wouldn’t. Have I ever done that before my lovelies?’ They shook their heads, the twins clambering over to him. He produced some sweets and gave them to Will.

‘We want some sweeties!’ The twins said simultaneously, making Crassus smile.

‘When you’ve been very, very brave like my little puppy’s been here, then you’ll get some. You have to get my mark put on you first. It does hurt, but then it looks very pretty afterwards. And if you get lost, everybody will know you belong to me.’

He threaded his hands through the twin’s long hair and kissed them in turn. Will, being deprived of attention, lowered his hand from where it was resting on Crassus’ chest, knowing that it provoked a reaction. Crassus gasped and then took Will in his arms and kissed him silly. The chocolate eyed boy giggled happily, the pain forgotten.

*****

Seth woke. His vision was clear and his legs were fine. He got out of bed and stormed to the office.

‘WHERE’S WILL? WHERE IS HE? I WANT TO SEE HIM! NOW!’ he screamed at the Nurse. She looked up from her desk.

‘Seth, he’s in hospital. He lost a lot of blood but I’m sure he’ll be fine. I don’t think it would be wise to see him right now. Do you want a drink?’

‘NO I FUCKING WELL DON’T! I WANT TO SEE HIM NOW! TAKE ME TO HIM! WHICH HOSPITAL?!’

‘Seth, you need to rest. Petersham is a long way away. If you’re good you can see him tomorrow.’

‘Stop talking to me as though I’m a child. I’ve had quite a-fucking-nough of that in my life already. You’re a completely heartless bitch! Why can’t I see him today? Is he having a blood transfusion? Seth snapped.

‘Something like that. You wouldn’t understand. Very technical. Please sit down. I need to ask you about what happened in Queen’s Mall yesterday. I made some tea especially for you.’ Seth picked up the flower pot beside him and chucked it at her. It smashed the glass partition behind her.

‘Seth Cavallo, sit down now!’ The white-blonde sat, indigo eyes flashing. The Nurse turned round and inspected the damage. Seth quickly swapped the tea cups round. ‘Please drink, dear. It will do your throat good after all that yelling.’ She tutted, then sat down at her desk, watching him. He drank. ‘Good boy.’

She picked up her cup of tea, surveying him over the rim of her glasses. ‘You need you hair cut.’ She said. Seth just watched her drink the tea. He smiled as her eyes glazed over, then lent forward.

‘Don’t talk to me as if I have the mental age of a child. I haven’t had that since I was five. I’m going to see Will. Don’t send people after me.’ She slumped over the desk, her last vision being Seth’s cold indigo eyes.

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Again, sorry this is sooo late. And so short. I was gonna write more but decided it was better if I put something up for people.

Review if you've read it!

xxx Scribbles Go On Forever xxx