The Silence That Surrounds: Screams of the Damned

Narrator’s POV:

It was hours later when Liam and Zayn came back through the door, their hands full of grocery bags, food bags, and shopping bags. It looked like they bought out six stores just by the many litter of bags they both carried on each arm. Which, a simple scientific fact is, men would rather break both their arms than make two trips – which is why they sent Niall out to get the rest.

“Niall? Would you mind? There’s still about fifteen or twenty bags out there and Zayn’s going to need help carrying the new TV/DVD in.” Liam requested of the Irishman.

Sophia was still sitting at the table, her hand on her forehead. All she wanted to do was lie down but she would be damned if she was going back with Harry, she was already going to have nightmares, no use looking at the person who will undoubtedly cause them.

“Hey angel, you feeling any better?” Liam asked kindly but all she did was groan.

“Little bit of drama while you guys were gone. Harry’s psychosis came out to play and evidently it decided to play with Sophie. I took her out here to calm down.” Louis replied before Sophia could say anything.

Liam dumped the bags on the floor carelessly in the kitchen and walking over to Sophia, grabbing a chair to sit down so he could meet her eye.

The broken girl didn’t bother and kept her forehead in her hand. She was well and truly knackered. All she wanted to do was sleep but she’d stay up a hundred nights if it meant they didn’t make her go back in that room.

“Angel?” Zayn called, also dropping the bags next to Liam’s pile and walking next to his fellow gang member.

“I am not going back in that room.” She seethed through gritted teeth after a minute of silence, taking her hand from her face with a look of challenge etched across her too fast aging features.

“What happened, sweetheart?” Zayn asked patiently, kneeling down to her eye level.

“Harry and morphine do not mix, mate.” Louis butted in, receiving a look of agitation from Liam.

“Harry’s psychosis likes morphine then?” Liam nodded in understanding, realizing Sophia wasn’t up to answering before standing and going back to check on their temperamental patient.

“He told me my monster will come out to play, said when she’s let loose she won’t want to ever stop –said we’ll never escape from here even after death.” Sophia mumbled, her beautiful broken blues going to Zayn’s worn honeydew brown ones.

“That’s not true. When you’re dead you’re free to go wherever you want. Your choice if you want to stick around. At least, that’s what I believe. As for your monster, you are either born with one or you’re not and flower? I don’t think you’ve got it in you.” Zayn smiled, his hand gently finding a stray piece of hair and tucking it back behind her ear.

“Monsters are created not born, you don’t need to be born with one, mate. Take it from Harry. We all start off innocent and what happens from there...well –who’s to say? Some people tend to have the devil standing over their prams from the womb. Those who are tainted are strictly here to keep a balance. Dog eat dog, cat kill cat. I mean look at us? Once innocent, now all tainted with blood on our hands. There is no salvation in this underground and we can’t pretend there ever will be because the blood we spilled can’t be washed off. Sophia witnessed that fist hand.” Louis points out, making Zayn look up and glare.

“You know something? I think I liked you better when you were drugged off your arse, Lou. I was trying to make her feel better, not scare her.” Zayn defended, realizing Niall left to get the groceries, opting out of the ridiculousness of the conversation.

“Yeah? Well, I think I liked being drugged off my arse too, at least I wouldn’t have to sit here listening to you give her false hope. Jesus, Zayn, It’s not a joke, she killed two people, her hands aren’t that clean either.” Louis pointed out.

Sophia shook her head.

“I’m not naïve to believe in hope, Louis. I have seen far more despair here and little happiness. My brother and Christian –they were of limited faith too. I would be a fool to think there lies anything but negative prospects now or in the future.” Sophia murmured, the anger draining from her. It left the girl tired and weary.

“The future is uncertain princess but if you want to survive it you too will need to change. Not like us, no, you will become much stronger. I have intuition, right now you are hurt, you are mourning and your feelings are haywire. There’s nothing more to be done but heal. You are going to be sore for a bit but guaranteed good as new.” Louis assured, standing up to start rummaging through the bags – finding the one with about thirty different Chap Stick tubes and two different moisturizers in gallon type bottles with pumps. One was for burns, the other was for dry skin.

At the sight of the two he took the few bags that contained the items and walked toward the hall to his room.

“That second moisturizer wasn’t yours!” Zayn called but only received an equal call back in the same tone.

“It is now! I found it, I keep it!” Louis returned with a sarcastic snark.

Zayn shook his head.

“Just put the other one on your skin for the burns! You don’t want your face to scar, do you, pretty boy?”

“No mum, I won’t forget. That would be terrible, wouldn’t it? Then I’d actually have to give that title to someone less deserving, wouldn’t I, Zayn?” Louis combated with a snicker.

Zayn’s left lip twitched but he said nothing back. Instead he focused on Sophia. She looked like she was about to drop from exhaustion.

“Come on doll, what’s say we catch a quick rest before supper, yeah? We brought home a banquet but we need to heat it up again and we figure we’d get Harry showered before we eat and you after. That and we got a TV for in his –“Zayn started but Sophia interrupted.

“Can’t I just sleep in your room, please? I don’t want to deal with Harry right now. You don’t know how scary he is. You don’t –“Zayn shushed her before nodding.

“Alright, you can sleep in my room until after supper. By then, Harry should be his normal, pain in the arse self and have already gotten his shower. I don’t believe you need to be emotionally scarred any more than you already are so perhaps my room is the better option.” Zayn agreed, lifting Sophia off the chair and gently walking her into his room.

Sophia looked around at the bland carpet, the same color as Harry’s, a desk in the far corner with books set neatly from one bookend to another across it, notebooks and art pads stacked in the dead center with a plant off to the far right. Blue curtains, white walls and a neatly made bed with a heavy red comforter and matching sheets.

Sophia’s back hit the bed, sinking into the warmth of its mattress. It wasn’t as soft as Harry’s but it felt good on her beaten and bruised body.

As soon as she was set down, Liam walked in with a look that was clearly passed annoyed.

“I had to sedate Harry…with truth serum so he could still be conscious to let us know if there’s anything wrong. Do you mind getting Niall and help me get his tall arse to the shower? Those wounds are going to get infected if they aren’t properly washed soon.” Liam explained, making Zayn chuckle a bit.

“Oh this is going to be a riot but hey, at least we know he’ll tell us the truth. Why in the bloody hell did you dope him with truth serum? Complete sedation would have been so much easier.”

Liam shrugged.

“Dead weight VS helping Harry to the shower and letting him hang onto us? Besides, there’s a few things I been meaning to ask him and when I went in to check on him, his psychosis was being completely irrational. Most irrational I’ve ever seen him. With the serum in his system he should mellow out some, you know how happy he gets on the stuff.” Liam snorted.

“You’ve injected him with the stuff before?” Zayn questions, earning a small shoulder lift from Liam.

“Damien ordered it done, I obliged under his specific orders. Had I not, Harry would have been killed and I would have been tortured. It was safer for the both of us. Besides, all Harry did was sing and whistle the whole time. Never seen him happier –except when Damien got pissed and whipped him unconscious. He doesn’t remember it and I am not accommodating to his memories of that particular day.” Liam responded, coming over to sit at the edge of the bed.

“I don’t remember any of this.” Zayn frowned, glancing out into the hall, then giving his attention back to Liam.

“You wouldn’t, mate. Harry and I spent a few days at Damien’s cabin, he was trying to find a mole who infiltrated our group. Evidently they were sent from another gang to use whatever information they could to send back so they could stage a coop. A takeover, run Damien from London. Harry and I were both injected with it. Made me feel weird but Harry? That was his happy pill. Anyhow, he seems a lot calmer so I don’t think giving him a shower will be all that difficult.” Liam shrugged.

“Did Damien ever find the mole?” Sophia asked quietly, earning her a stare from Zayn and Liam.

Her eyes were closed and her body, normally tensed was deadweight on the mattress.

“No. No he didn’t and I think Harry knew something Damien did not.” Liam replied, motioning for Zayn to follow.

Zayn nodded and left to help Niall with the TV – which, when Harry notices nearly eight thousand pounds missing, he might not be too happy.

With that Zayn went to help Niall with the rest and when that was done they were in the back with Liam, Harry sitting haphazardly over the side of the bed, his chest bare in view and the last of the wrapping gently taken from his waist.

“He calm?” Niall asked cautiously, stepping inside the room.

“Other than threatening to kill me with a plastic spoon – yep.” Liam hummed, unworried of Harry’s threat.

“I hate you.” Harry muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I know but that’s alright, you’re supposed to.” Liam replied carelessly, tossing the used bandages onto the floor.

“Wasn’t that stuff supposed to make him calm?” Zayn asked with a cocked eye brow. “Thought you said last time you gave it to him it made him happy?”

Liam motioned them over to help him get Harry from the bed, his boxers still on.

“Wait thirty seconds, he’s like a bloody mood ring right now.” Liam explained, gripping him under the arm as Zayn took his other one, Niall was in the front to help steady if needed.

They pulled him up into a standing position, helping him walk carefully towards the bathroom.

“What about his boxers?” Niall asked absently, which made Harry turn a glare up at him but he was far too concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

“They can stay on for now, I tried already and he slapped my hand away. I’m picking my battles and that one is minuscule. If he wants to stay in soaked clothing, I’m certainly not going to stand in his way. Besides, as long as we get the wounds washed and properly cleaned out, we should be able to get away with – “Harry interrupted Liam with a soft laugh, shaking his head.

“You think you’re in charge and can do whatever you want but you can’t.” He said, making Liam go silent.

“H? No one is trying to act in charge, I promise. Come on, let’s get this over with.” Zayn replied as they walked into the bathroom and deposited Harry onto the floor of the shower gently.

Liam wasted no time in grabbing the shower head and adjusting the water to slightly hot temperatures, while Zayn grabbed the lemon scented soap. Niall just waited outside the stall to see if they would need him to fetch something.

“Niall? Set out the new bandages, make sure they’re at the ready for when we need them.” Liam instructed, kneeling down to Harry’s level and helping Zayn to position Harry away from the tile wall to get to his back.

Harry groaned but assisted with the move, letting the other two take care of the strenuous activities, instead, he indulged his mind in something that seemed more important.

“Liam? The playhouse, playhouse where we went those few days with Damien, remember?” Harry murmured, making Liam tense.

“Yeah, I remember but this isn’t the sort of conversation entirely appropriate for the time, yeah? Let’s talk about something else.” Liam suggested, a wash rag already in his hand from where he had laid it before.

“No, I want to talk. I know who the mole was, didn’t tell Damien because he’s a prick but I know who it was.” Harry insisted but was shushed gently by Liam when he was getting over excited.

“Harry, that hardly matters now, right? You said the mole died out in field delivering a transport.” Liam paused but Zayn simply took the cloth from him and continued on with the task silently.

“No, no, no. Liam –“Harry laughed with eyes sparkling jade in bliss. “I killed the fucker.” Silence filled the air and Zayn paused to listen.

“If you remember my father and the beating I got, he sent me out with Jones the next day. Jones was the mole, I killed him because of what he did to Perrie.” Harry shrugged and Zayn’s eyes furrowed.

“Perrie? You said her ransom was paid and that she was returned to her family?” Zayn questioned looking at Liam. “Liam? Explain.” Zayn demanded, throwing the cloth down.

Harry interrupted before Liam could answer.

“She’s still alive, Z. Though, the fate Damien gave her she probably wishes she wasn’t at the moment and I promised Liam I wouldn’t say anything but you know something? It’s been bothering me for a few years and right now, I feel incredible and couldn’t give a fuck.” Harry dismissed with a laugh.

Zayn growled, his eyes a blaze.

Liam groaned.

“Thanks Harry. Okay, Zayn? You need to calm down and promise not to over re-“Liam held his hand up, his knees getting soaked at the running water that cascaded from Harry as he continued to wash.

“Liam? Where is she? Her parents paid, she should have gone home!” Zayn struggled to keep calm, his honeysuckle browns lit with a slowly burning rage.

Liam shifted but sighed.

“The last I saw? She was still at the playhouse. She’s been there a few years, four years now? Dr. Sadistic did some – altercations and…”

“DR. SADISTIC!? WHAT THE FUCK, LIAM! He – he…he’s a…a…a BLOODY FUCKING MONSTER!” Zayn struggled for the right words, swallowing while a chilled icy fear consumed him. His voice booming around the bathroom walls.

“Dr. Sadistic is the best surgeon we have and under the circumstances he’s a dog that is Damien’s and only his to command,” Liam sighed, not wanting to have this conversation. “Zayn, I was trained under him for medical and though he is as you say, a monster, he is the best we have or will have.”

“You…you’re defending him? Liam, what the fuck did he do to Perrie?! WHERE IS SHE!?” Zayn yelled, making Louis come walking in.

“Alright, what’s the problem in here, lads? You lot having a lover’s quarrel or something?” Louis asked, guiding Zayn away from the shower, seeing Harry smirking slightly, though looking slightly relieved at the same time.

“Perrie is a doll, Z. I killed Jones because he promised she’d be released. Instead, he went back on his word and gave her to Dr. S without anyone’s knowledge. We only knew after the fact, don’t blame Liam. When we went to the Playhouse, she was already there and Damien had given orders to Dr. Sadistic to finish with the job he was performing. By the time Damien found out himself, Perrie’s vocal cords were already removed and her arms too. He was just in the process of implanting the metal rods –“Harry was cut off with Liam’s hand going over his mouth.

“Harry – you…” Liam was speechless, regretful now that he doped him up on truth serum. Too bad they didn’t make a lying serum. He’d of gladly doped him up with that.

Zayn’s breathing was ragged, his mind struggling to process what he was told.

“H-he let her suffer? He’s still keeping her?! What purpose does she fucking serve with her arms missing?! Unable to speak!? WHAT THE –“Louis put his arm over Zayn’s tense shoulders, trying to calm him from going over the edge and it was in no way working.

Liam pulled his hand quickly from Harry’s mouth when teeth grazed his skin.

“Bloody fuck, Harry. Don’t bite me.” Liam growled, making Harry snort.

“Don’t put your hand over my mouth then. It’s not just her arms, mate. It’s what Dr. S deals in. He’s a businessman of sorts. His age target is usually three to fourteen, Perrie was a bit older but good for the customers who were looking for barely legal dolls. He receives them from black market sellers everywhere on the planet. British, American, Brazilian – anyone of any nationality and however means the traffickers can get the products to him. He gives them ten grand but after his modifications, he charges thirty thousand pounds all the way to two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, depending what you’re shopping for. He removes their vocals so they can’t scream, removes their teeth so they cannot bite and their arms and legs so they cannot run. Metal rods with hook loops are implanted where their limbs were, mostly for convenience of being hung up if one desires to fuck them against the wall.” Harry responded, his voice so dead and monotone that they could hardly believe it themselves.

“A-and you’re telling me she’s still there?” Zayn’s swallowed, tears now pricking at the corner of his eyes, his heart breaking all over again.

“The last I saw the inside of the playhouse was four years ago. She was then, I don’t know about now. I couldn’t get near her because Dr. S was particularly proud of the work he did on her and he made sure no one got near her. Otherwise, I would have helped Perrie. I am many things but I am not that sick.” Harry muttered, going quiet with a small exhale of quiet, wispy air escaping his mouth.

“I want to go there, take me there right now!” Zayn yelled, making Louis shush him.

“Mate, no one is going anywhere and it isn’t a place anyone willingly goes. You can’t help her and it is highly doubtful that she is even still alive. That was four years ago. Dr. Sadistic never keeps victims alive that long. Six months for the boys, nine months at most to sell to a seller and the girls only a year,” Louis looked Zayn carefully in the eyes while explaining, trying to keep the words right so Zayn could understand the dynamics of the situation.

“If they don’t sell, they are prostituted or rented out for a premium. It’s highly doubtful that he would keep Perrie alive this long. I’m sorry, Zayn. Truly, I am but we can’t do anything and we are not taking a school fieldtrip to the doctors to cause a disturbance that we would have to explain to Damien. Zayn going bananas because his ex-girlfriend might be there would get our arses kicked but not before he tortures us some more. We want to stay in Damien’s good graces until Harry comes to his senses and kills the fucker. Disturbing his surgeon and taking away potential business is not a good way to stay on Santa’s nice list. We remain here, we do what were told. End of discussion.”

Louis’s eyes were a hard blue but he wasn’t trying to be cruel. He just learned early on that relationships with hostages or in general did not work out.

“So, I should just forget what I’ve been told? That my girlfriend could be suffering and –“Louis squeezed Zayn’s shoulder to silence his rant.

“Come on, let’s you and I go have a talk and smoke. I’ll get Niall in here to take over. Okay?”

Zayn nodded and let Louis lead him out, turning back to Harry and Liam, both simply watching. Harry looked drugged out of his mind with how his eyes dilated.

“We’ll be back. Try to get H with it, yeah? Because the last think he needs to be doing is squawking secrets and upsetting the hornet’s nest around here. Get it corrected, Liam and don’t give him anything more than oxycodone or codeine. No more drugging around here.” Louis ordered with finality, moving to the side to let Niall pass to get into the bathroom.

Niall went in, walking to Liam’s side and kneeling down, taking the wash cloth and adding more soap onto it while Liam took to steading Harry. Harry simply shook his head.

“Better than expected. I feel better, that’s been bothering me for years, it’s better that he knows.” Harry said into the quietness of the room, the only thing to sound was the water cascading off him like a rainfall.

Liam moved the showerhead slightly, the water spraying into Harry’s mouth, making him choke and gag a little, a warning look etching in Liam’s eyes.

“Shut up Harry or Louis won’t be the only one needing that moisturizer.” He warned.

Niall chuckled but quieted when Harry turned a murderous glare his way but with the amount of drugs coursing in his system, it came out more as a haphazard stare.

“It just felt right, you have no idea the secrets I keep – everyone’s secrets. Things they don’t even know. Things they’ll never know. Like Niall, his parents are alive.” Harry smiled, chuckling.

Liam’s hand went over Harry’s mouth again, glancing at Niall who dropped the rag in shock.

“Niall, I’m running low on help, you’re staying here. He’s doped –ouch!” Liam groaned, removing his hand. Harry had managed to bite him good that time.

“Stop doing that, Liam. Besides, your parents tried to strike a deal with Damien. He didn’t kill them because they ran he killed them cause – “Harry was cut off.

“I don’t want to know, Harry. This life, with you, with the other boys – it’s my life now, one that’s easier to accept and it wouldn’t do to know what is and what isn’t, what might be and what might not be. I’m here till I die, H. I think it’s best to stay to the task. Stay with believing they only suffered a short time or only briefly. I can’t change what’s happened so I would rather not know all together,” Liam reasoned, glancing at Niall that was now white as a sheet. “Niall? Finish up and we’ll take him back to bed. Harry? You can’t lie in your bed with wet clothes, we need to get you into a pair of boxers, okay? Then we’ll warm up the food and you can eat. Sound good?”

Harry shrugged but held a small smile on his face, a little bit of relief coursing through him.

“Alright, wonderful. Can you help us stand you? Niall’s about to pass out, no thanks to you.” Liam shook his head, seeing Harry diligently trying to help the two of them in standing.

“A-are they well? Are they okay? My brother? What of him?” Niall asked, steadying Harry by wrapping his arm securely to his left shoulder while Liam helped lift with the right.

Harry turned to Niall, his eyes a light green, joyful – he was happy.

“Your brother is married and your parents are alive and well. I know nothing else. They still miss you though, if that’s what you want to hear.” Harry walked, unsteady on his feet but thankfully still had help from the strong blokes on either side of him to make sure he didn’t fall.

“I want to hear the truth, do they still?” Niall asked in hope but Harry faltered with a shrug.

“Who wouldn’t miss their child that went missing? Damien thinks they’re dead, I pulled strings. Pulled a source that was supposed to end their life. I saved them.” Harry shrugged, all three turning into his room.

Liam went and got a pair of Harry’s boxers while Niall continued to balance Harry but he couldn’t help the few tears that escaped.

“It’s true, right? You’re not lying?” Niall begged, hope lighting his pale blue eyes.

“I’m not that cruel.” Harry responded simply to his question, making Niall glance away.

“Yes, you are.”

But it was a silent reply that went deaf on everyone’s ears but Niall’s and even he still had doubts.

Notes

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys - so, this chapter might be a little concerning over the 'dolls' and Dr Sadistic whom, yes, will be one of my characters. The dolls is an actual thing offered in Europe. The sad truth and this unnerved me for days after I read it was, there is a surgeon, located in Europe who buys children for 5 to 10K from human traffickers. He puts them under anesthetic and removes their teeth so they can't bite, their vocals so they can't scream - their arms and feet so they can't run away or move. He then sells them 30K pounds to 250,000K Pounds. They're sold by preference and choice. This was a video I learned this off of and it exists on the dark web, which, if you don't know what you're doing there, it can and is very dangerous. I just read an article in Rolling Stones magazine on the dark web...not a place I recommend but after doing research through youtube videos and anti web sites on it, it's a very sick, twisted and dark place where human lives are profits and I urge people to stay away. What I described in my story the dr has not been found by police and still does this. It's a very dark world and I myself got my eyes opened a little bit more. I tend to add realism to my writing but I never imagined some of the stuff humans are capable of. In short, stay safe everyone and may health and love be with ya's.