Caleb sat with his back to the cold hard bedpost, his knees pulled up to his chest and his head buried in his arms. Tears streamed down his face as he tried to understand his situation. Images of his family kept invading his mind, making his heart only ache more. 

Minutes felt like hours as he silently cried his heart out, waiting in that room. He wished there was a window-- he wished he could see the outside world to calm himself down--

He heard footsteps thudding down the hallway in his direction. His heart raced with fear and adrenaline. 

The door swung open with a loud creak, but Caleb didn't move from his place behind the side of the bed. He heard two sets of footsteps walk into the room, slowly, as if they were stalking prey. The footsteps got closer and closer-- until they stopped beside him. He froze, almost unable to breathe. 

"Look who's still here," Griffin's voice said from beside him, taunting and filled with amusement.

Caleb turned to glare at him, and when he locked eyes with the man, all he could see was cold.

Oliver stepped out from behind Griffin, crouching down and tilting his head to the side, examining Caleb's puffy eyes and red nose. "You've been crying. . . are you okay?"

"I want to go home," Caleb pleaded, his voice raw and hoarse. "I want to talk to my parents. Let me talk to them-- please--"

Griffin chuckled from where he stood over Oliver. "Oh, Caleb. You don't understand, do you? You will have no further contact with your family. They will think you've gone missing, or ran away, and eventually they'll stop looking for you."

Caleb tried to lunge at them, but Griffin snatched up the chain and wrapped it around the bedpost, yanking Caleb back down. He clutched his wrist to his chest, ignoring the sharp pain. "Why are you doing this to me?" he shouted, his frustration spilling over. "What do you get from keeping me here?"

Oliver gave him a small smile, reaching out, then frowned when Caleb jerked away from the touch. "We get to have you all to ourselves, Sugar. You belong to us now." The intensity of his gaze made Caleb shiver.

"That's insane!" Caleb stood, the chains rattling slightly. Griffin pulled it again, forcing Caleb's hand to the bedpost. "I don't belong to anyone. You can't keep me here-- this is a crime--" Caleb could hear the desperation leaking into his own voice and tried to push it back. If the twins knew he was cracking so soon, it would only encourage them more.

Oliver stood too, inching back to Griffin's side. "Caleb, 'crime' isn't really a concern, Sugar. We've done so much work to make this happen, why would we send you back?"

Caleb seethed, eyes darting back and forth between the twins. "You're sick-- just let me go, you monsters. You're making a huge mistake."

"But we like making mistakes," Griffin replied with a smirk. "Mistakes make things more. . . interesting."

Caleb took a deep breath, his fists balled so tight his knuckles ached. He tried to suppress the panic building in his chest. "If you let me go, maybe we can start over." he pleaded. "We can be friends. Just tell me what you want-- I'll do anything if you let me go."

The twins exchanged glances, and Caleb saw a flicker of something in their eyes. "You think this is a game?" Griffin asked coldly, squashing any hope Caleb had that they would agree. "You think we're just going to let you walk out?"

Caleb's heart sank. Of course they'd seen through his pleading. "Please," he whispered, his voice barely a plea. "Just think about this. You can't keep me here forever."

Oliver stepped closer, again reaching out. Caleb held absolutely still this time, letting the large hand cup his cheek. Oliver's expression softened a little. "No matter how much you whine and beg, Sugar, you're not going anywhere. You're ours now."

"No!" Caleb shouted, shoving out of reach of Oliver. His wrist flooded with pain again but he barely felt it as he planted his feet. "You can't have me."

The twins' expression turned cold again, angry at Caleb's childish outburst. "You should watch your tone," Griffin warned. "From now on, you will be punished for your misbehavior. I suggest you check yourself."

Caleb felt despair wash over him again. The weight of the situation was overwhelming, and he sank back to the floor, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Think about this, Caleb," Oliver said gently. "You can have everything with us. No more worries. Just accept your situation and behave."

"I won't." Caleb replied, his voice gaining stability as spiteful resolve set in. "I refuse to accept this. I won't just sit here and go along with your twisted game."

Griffin scoffed. "You should learn your place, Caleb. You will regret being defiant, and there will be consequences if you don't cooperate."

Griffin stepped forward and grabbed the chain, uncoiling it form the bedpost and yanking Caleb towards him in one swift motion. He grabbed Caleb and trapped him in a bear hug, and the moment Caleb opened his mouth to scream at him, Oliver was there. He flicked a small white tablet into the boy's mouth, clapping a hand over his face to keep his lips shut. 

Oliver watched the fire in Caleb's eyes slowly die out as the tablet melted on his tongue, the sedative leaking into his body and slowly dragging him down into sleep. Caleb's eyes fluttered shut, and his body slumped in Griffin's arms. 

The twins glanced at each other. They needed to prepare for what came next.

                Part 15 Coming Soon