Once Upon a time, there lived a boy named Anthony, a boy that was born to parents that lived amongst backward-back-wood-broke-men, a kind of neighborhood that you don't leave your doors open, at a very young age, he showed signs of high intelligence, but one day changed his whole life. He and his parents were going out on a fun outing but on their way, a drunk driver crashed into them and it was fatal. Fire everywhere, sirens flaring, his parent's blood spilled everywhere and in the arms of his parent's was a two year old crying Anthony Altruist; even in death his parents protected him.
Unknown to anyone, a very suspicious person emerged from the shadows and carried him away from the scene. That man named Sebastian Alstone nurtured him until he was able to walk, speak and do other things but he had a very weak body, so until the age of Eight, Sebastian started feed him unknown pills, even forcefully feeding him if he refused to take it. Not long after, he started maltreating him; bullying him, hitting him and working him to the bone like a slave, despite his intelligence, his weak body made it difficult to do much about it. Sebastian often sold him off as a sex worker, the people that he was sold off to emotionally scarred him, sexually abused him, physically abused him and psychologically traumatize him. He endure it day in and day out while consuming the unknown drugs until the effects started to manifest and soon enough, he lost feeling in his legs; he was wheelchair bound but the severe child abuse still continued while he was only at the tender age of twelve years old.
Years later, Sebastian had to go out so it made a great opportunity to escape. He struggled but with his high intelligence, he managed to escape and rushed towards the police station, while begging everyone on the way to help but no one batted an eye to him, they all ignored him thinking he was just a crazy old man, he was confused why they all ignored him until he saw his reflection in a window of a store; he was shocked. He was only fifteen but he was already courting a full grown white beard, white hair and he his cheeks were rounded. He screamed and fainted out of fear and shock, he couldn't recognize himself anymore.
"I am only fifteen" he said, "How did my life turn to this?" he thought.
He fell out of his wheelchair and fainted, no one helped until he woke up; back to the place he tried to escape, his arms, legs and hands tied to a chair with more bruises and marks than usual. Sebastian walked out of the shadows menacingly. He leaned over Anthony with a wicked smile. Then another figure came out of the shadows with scars all over his face, a finger missing and a rusty, bloody pair of scissors in his hands. Anthony cried silent tear as the man approached him. Sebastian with a crooked grin slapped Anthony across the face and cursed him, swore at him, the kind of swears that are never to be said around anyone his age. Then he spoke
"Now you won't be able to go round snitching anymore but if you try this stunt again, I'll take out all your teeth, one by one, slowly and painfully until you feel like dying. Remember you pathetic piece of garbage, I own you, you are nothing without me and never will be."
After that he gave the man the signal and the man slowly and painfully cut out his tongue and threw it on the floor while they both laughed. Their sickening laugh echoed in that dark and empty basement. Anthony's mouth was a bloody mess, the absence of his tongue felt so unnatural and painful; he covered his mouth and tried to talk but only babbling nonsense came out of his mouth. They untied him and he fell on the floor, the man and Sebastian came together and started beating him until he was coughing up blood, body shaking and trembling. He was on the point of death. They threw him back into his dark and empty room; bleeding, bruised, battered, he couldn't take it anymore and was thinking about ending his life.
Ever since that day, Anthony had lost all hope in escaping. Sebastian started taking him out more often knowing well, Anthony couldn't talk or walk anymore. Sebastian paraded him around the people, putting him on display and claiming the people's sympathy by lying about how he took Anthony in with the goodness of his heart.
"I found poor little Anthony in the corpse of his parents, crying desperately so I took him in and have been taking care of him ever since but he came down with a severe sickness and mental issue that he started harming himself but I never turned him away because I loved him with all my heart"
Those were the sickening lies of the man crying wolf when in fact he was the wolf just wearing the sheep's clothing. He successfully claimed the public's sympathy, some even donating money to him meanwhile, nobody even bothered to ask poor Anthony if all those things were true.
"what a sad life I've lived" he thought to himself.
Months flew by in a blur, he has been humiliated by Sebastian prancing him around like a charity case for some fast cash. Absolutely disgusting! The next day, Sebastian had a friend he wanted to go and meet which was surprising considering his cruel personality. He took Anthony with him to meet his friend in the far outskirts of town.The friend he drove so far to meet was a kind college professor with a charming smile and gentle voice, the total opposite of the man that destroyed his life. How could a well-off man like that be friends with such a devious human being? Maybe they were both alike and can hide their despicable nature behind a gentle exterior? He got to know his friend's name was Charles. He invited them into his home and the interior was breathtaking, nothing like the prison he had been locked in for most of his life. The three of sat down together and that was when he saw a new side to Sebastian. Sebastian smiled differently towards Charles, it was more…..genuine? Unlike the smile he gave to the people he deceived and the way he talked to Charles had more….affection? His whole personality changed while he was talking to Charles. Could their relationship really be that deep or is there more to this visit? After all, this was the first time he mentioned, visited or spoke to anyone with such kindness and affection before in his life so there had to be more to this visit. Anthony observed them discreetly; how they talked to each other, how physical they got with each other and realized that Charles was actually a very kind guy and Sebastian had feelings for him but it was one-sided. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, he thought that if he could somehow communicate with Charles without Sebastian knowing, he could possibly escape. But what if he wouldn't help him, he thought to himself but this was the only sliver of hope he could possibly get and he wouldn't let it slip away; he couldn't let it slip away. He waited for an opening where he could find a bit of time to talk to Charles privately. Conveniently, Sebastian had to get something from his car and that he would be right back. That would be his only chance so he used it once he left. Once Sebastian left, Anthony made his move, he managed to get his attention, but the only issue was communication. He looked around for any writing material he could find and started writing frantically, his handwriting wasn't good but he was desperate and managed to write in big, bold letters
"HELP!!!"
Charles was surprised but before he could say anything, Sebastian came in with a bouquet of red roses for him with a smile; a smile that disappeared briefly when he saw that Charles was talking to Anthony. Anthony quickly destroyed the note by swallowing it, revealing his lack of a tongue to Charles for a brief second. Sebastian gave the flowers to Charles with a smile but there was a small hint of anger in his eyes as he looked at poor Anthony. Anthony didn't say anything for the duration of the time he spent with Charles; dropping subtle hints for only Charles to notice.
Nightfall came and it was time to depart, as Sebastian was about to take him away, he glanced at Charles one last time and something in his glance made Charles feel…..off….
After that day, Charles visited my prison A.K.A Sebastian's house more often. Sebastian thought he came to meet him not knowing he was discreetly looking for Anthony.
One time when Charles came to visit, Sebastian had to go out for a few minutes and left him. Charles took it as an opportunity to look for me. He wasted no time to look for me but he couldn't find me until he heard a sound coming from the basement. He went down the stairs that was devoid of lighting. It was dark, smelly, dusty, bloodstains on the floor and walls. A chair with straps covered with blood and a drawer. He cautiously approached it; opened it to find a horrifying sight: rusty surgical tools and a bottle of illegal drugs, one of which was corticosteroids, a drug if taken in excess over time can cause inflammation to the facial features giving him a moon-like face, white hair on the body and numbness to the leg or total paralysis from the waist down. It was horrifying...then….a faint sound coming from the corner that was devoid from any light. It was hard to make out the image but it looked like
"Anthony?"
He approached him and truly, it was Anthony, chained down by his leg, bloody and bruised. He was horrified
"Anthony? Anthony! Wake up! Why are you down here? Did Sebastian do this to you? Never mind, let's get you out of here"
Anthony refused. He used his finger and wrote on the ground
"I have a plan. Will you help me escape?"
Charles replied
"YES! No child should be treated like this. He must pay for what he has done to you"
For the first time in his life, the little hope he had before grew brighter, he even manage to muster enough strength to let out a small smile but at that moment, the sound of Sebastian's car was heard and Charles rushed back upstairs, pretending not to know anything. For the next few days, he stopped coming over. Anthony thought Charles had wimped out and abandoned him just like his parents did in the accident fifteen years ago. The memories of that day still haunt him till date.That day, Charles came with an unusual frown on his face when he saw Sebastian. The next minute later, Police siren came blaring and soon, a whole squad surrounded his house. Sebastian got scared and started firing at them: before he knew it, guns were set ablaze. Anthony that was down in the basement was confused to what all that noise was upstairs until he saw Charles burst through the door with blood flowing down his face. He quickly broke the chain on Anthony's leg in one go and carried him out of that basement. Charles ran out of the house in the midst of the gun fight but not before Anthony caught a glimpse of the sight that would make his day for the rest of his life; the sight of the person that tormented him, abused him, traumatized him finally drop on the ground. At that moment, all the fear and chains that made it hard for him to live and breathe for all these years seem to soften. He was no longer afraid, tears streamed down his face but not of sadness and fears like he normally did before: for the first time he experienced tears of….joy. A smile bigger than his face broke out and he even laughed out loud as Charles carried him away from the house of fear and torment, the foundation of his pain and suffering. This man; his savior; Charles is taking him away from the place that had made him unable to live like a normal child. He was forever grateful to him. Once the gun fight was over and the household was arrested including Sebastian, Charles took him in to live with him in. He gave Anthony proper medical care even though the damage caused to his body were irreversible. The rest of his days were more enjoyable ever since his escape and lived happily ever after........Or so he thought...