The Silence That Surrounds: Screams of the Damned

Sophia’s POV:

Louis hummed a soft and distracting tune as he helped me from my nightwear. Zayn followed it up by turning on the nozzle to the shower, each seeming in their own thoughts.

I cringed when Louis knelt down gently unwrapped the splints from my broken fingers, allowing me to see the bruised and unnaturally bent angle they were in.

He took my hand wordlessly and turned it back and forth, his bloodshot eyes focused intently on my fingers. It was apparent that he had been smoking. Come to think of it, Zayn’s eyes were just as red. Great, two stoned idiots and a naked beat up girl in the shower, how well is this going to end?

I took my hand away and curled into myself further while the warm water splashed over my sore joints, instantly beginning to loosen them.

I closed my eyes and leant my head against the shower wall as they wordlessly got to work. Louis still humming.

Zayn reached and uncapped the new bottle of citrus wash, pouring it over my chest.

I cried out at the sudden sting.

“This is bullshit.” Zayn muttered, ignoring my cry and dropping on his knees to the side of me beside Louis, beginning to wash the wounds. I quickly went to grab the purple cloth with my good hand but Zayn was quick to intercept, a warning look in his eyes that clearly meant he wasn’t in the mood for nonsense.

“This needs to be done thoroughly; otherwise it will get infected but you know what? Why don’t we just let you do it, that way if it does get infected, you can be with your stupid bloody brother and this whole fucking mess can just be done.” Zayn snapped harshly, his words hurtful. He had no idea how much I wish Dylan was with me right now…or I with him.

“Zayn? Why don’t you go take a breather tonight, yeah? We’ll be fine here with ourselves, I’ll get her cleaned up and bandaged so it’s truly no problem. You need time alone and I will let the others know to respect that. Okay? But don’t start taking it out on Sophia. What happened to Perrie was unfortunate a -”

Zayn held his finger up, his mouth tightlipped.

“Don’t start to think that telling me how unfortunate something is, is even remotely acceptable. Her parents paid, she should have fucking gone HOME!” Zayn’s voice boomed, making me flinch. Louis however, remained calm.

“I agree and that is something to inquire Harry about when he’s not drugged off his arse. Now, Sophia didn’t deserve that snide remark. Her brother just died and I thought you would be the one who would be the most understanding to her situation after she was tortured and beaten within an inch of her life. I was wrong, so, I would appreciate it if you would leave so I may finish the task that was requested of me.”

Zayn rolled his eyes and threw the showerhead away from us before standing up to exit.

“Send Niall in here, he can assist me. He’ll be less of a bitch to work with than you will right now. Like I said, Zayn, I understand your plight but don’t think you’re the only person around here who has loved someone. This is the way life is, like it always has been. We love them and we lose them, you know we can’t have attachments. Perrie might not be lost but for her sake and yours I pray to God or whatever exists out there that she was because I would not wish her fate on my worst enemy.” Louis finished, grabbing up the cloth and gently working it around the torn flesh on my stomach.

“God, huh Lou? Funny coming from you but I’m curious, how long have you known about Perrie and the playhouse? The altercations and what – what Dr. Sadistic did to her, why he would do it? Huh? How long?” Zayn demanded, folding his arms across his chest, the tension in the air rising.

“Since Jones betrayed Harry. Harry told me the first night because he was conflicted if he should tell you. Liam decided against it because it was better you thought that you saved Perrie from here then for you to carry the burden of knowing you failed. You know that no one comes out of this alive; this is a place where people come to suffer – where they come to die. Perrie was no exception to the rule, just a nice little distraction. Like Caroline, she was no different. Dr. S did it for the profit. If he couldn’t sell her, he’d simply hang her on a wall through the metal rods that replaced her arms and let the paying customers play for a surcharge. Don’t be stupid, Zayn. Sadistic did it for the money, nothing more than to increase the profit marginal.” Louis snapped, gently putting the washcloth in my hand, sensing Zayn’s movements even before he made them.

“Look out.” I warned before Louis jumped into a standing position, stepping back from the shower and then forward to meet his fellow pissed off gang member. In the blink of an eye he swooped his leg underneath the back of Zayn’s heel, making him lose his balance, crashing ass first to the hard tiled floor.

“Zayn, I’m highly trained in self-defense. I outrank Harry in that aspect and I’m pretty sure I can beat up your grandmother blindfolded with both hands tied behind my back. Do you really think picking a quarrel with me is the best idea for you right now? I mean, I’m happy to oblige but my face hurts, I’m sore from my own little torture session with Lord Damien, king of the arseholes and all I want to do is sit down with my pipe and smoke my brain numb. Since that isn’t about to happen can you leave me to my task or shall I get Liam in here to sedate you too?” Louis cocked an eyebrow, holding his hand down for Zayn to take.

Zayn looked up with such hatred in his intense honey dews, they looked absolutely tortured and his helplessness shone in them like a star up in the night sky.

Louis stepped back easily when Zayn tried to repeat the same defense move on him, shaking his head.

“Zayn, mate? Please don’t start something that won’t end in your favor. I don’t want to wipe the floor up with you but I will. So, either take my hand or –“

Zayn was up on his feet in a blink of an eye and coming toward Louis with his hands balled into fists, making Louis swing his body around so he didn’t corner himself into the shower. Instead, he maneuvered back towards the door before turning and running out of it with Zayn hot on his heels. Yelling and loud cursing could be heard with the slam of the front door.

I sat there a few tense moments, gently grasping the abandoned showerhead and continuing the task of showering. Whatever the drama was, I wasn’t getting involved.

I flinched when my two broken fingers came into contact with the wash cloth. I wasn’t doing them any favors but I’m not in the mood to care. I was simply tired of caring and decided to let things fall as they would.

There was a knock at the door that made me turn my head.

“What’s going on?” I asked Niall as he entered, wordlessly approaching the shower and grabbing the hose from my hand, his other grabbing the washcloth.

“They’re outside working out a few issues and you shouldn’t be over exerting yourself if you want to heal up quicker.” Niall explained, taking over the task Louis and Zayn started to. To be honest, I just didn’t have the energy in me to argue.

“By working out, you mean beating one another senseless?” I asked quietly, meeting Niall’s gaze.

Niall shrugged.

“More like Zayn getting his ass kicked but who’s to say, right? Anyhow, let me finish with this and we’ll get you back into bed. Liam is currently trying to attach the TV to the wall but it’s turning into knowing rocket science. I tried to help but almost dropped the TV on his foot. Harry’s asleep so we thought it would be a nice surprise for when he woke up.” Niall smiled but I didn’t return it. I just shook my head with a sigh.

Niall seemed awkward in his element for once. I don’t think it was exactly this situation but the past few days have been hard for everyone. When looking at it from that point of view, it made the situation seem a lot more hopeless.

“Who’s Perrie? Zayn and Louis were arguing over her and the playhouse. What’s the playhouse?” I asked, making Niall visibly flinch.

“A place scarier than hell itself. The Playhouse is hell put into the most horrific nightmare you have ever had and multiplied by a million. As for Perrie? She was –“He paused to consider his words but ended up just shaking his head. “She was just a hostage Zayn took a protectiveness to. He tried to save her, using Jones as a mediator after her parents paid to get her home but Jones betrayed Harry and he paid the price for it. You needn’t concern yourself anymore with her or the playhouse. If luck has it, you will never have to see the inside of that place.”

I frowned, wondering how he could answer a question without actually answering it. My brain however, wasn’t in the mood to dwell on it so I just nodded and sat back to leave him to the task. I’ve been around these men so long, their touching and invasive intrusions have become just another routine to me. Honestly? I could probably walk around them naked and no one would bat an eye.

“Are we allowed relationships? Not with hostages but…with others?” I asked as he was washing the conditioner out of my hair, the water warm anymore. Time was passing by endlessly, more slower than usual but I had to admit, there wasn’t much else happening. So what was the point of even trying?

Niall didn’t answer right away, his eyes remaining focused on his task but when he did, it was carefully constructed.

“We’re allowed to have relationships just –not with attachments. A trip to the brothel, a prostitute for a one night bed party but no more than that. We have to remain focused on our jobs and a relationship would distract us from it. Most of us have fallen in love with other. Unfortunately it just never ended well. So, if you’re looking for a relationship with strings attached, I suggest not bothering. It will only leave them into danger and you in trouble,” He went quiet for a moment, his mind struggling to finish its thoughts. “Most of us have fallen for hostages and it only left us heartbroken when they leave. I just pray you never have to feel that heartache. It’s the worst thing in the world, wanting to help but not being able to and it’s even worse when you are forced to watch them slip away before your eyes. Zayn never had to see that with Perrie but it doesn’t mean he didn’t care any less. Perrie was his first true love as Caroline was mine. I even have a memorial set up for her in the back, I go there and talk to her sometimes.”

“What about Louis and Harry? Liam too, what of him?” I asked with curiosity.

Niall’s lip twitched.

“Louis – he has. Not with a hostage but with a young girl. He had dated her for a few years before it became too dangerous. When Harry picked up on his suspicion and warned Louis what would become of her, Louis ended it. Her name was Eleanor and I think from that point Lou just sort of stopped giving a damn.” Niall shrugged.

“Harry?” I prompted, making him sigh.

“Harry, as far as I am aware, has never fallen for anyone. I have my suspicions as of late but…well, you know what they about assumptions. They make an ass out of both me and you. So, I’m going to leave mine unsaid; though, between the two of us? I think he fancies you. Before your execution, he was trying to reach Damien. I’ve never seen him more determined to spare a hostage and though his thoughts are wayward and haphazard half the time, he brings out his demon when it needs to be brought out. To be quite honest? I’ve seen the absolute best in him since your presence at the cabin. Despite all the tragedy and hopelessness, you have been his pillar.” Niall finished, taking my soaked hair in his hands and squeezing out the excess water.

“Liam? Is there ever –“I was cut off with a soft clear of a throat.

I looked toward the door, Liam was leaning easily on the base frame.

“My love was left behind when I was kidnapped, Angel. I loved her, though – I suppose all teenagers can say they have loved but I still think about her. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about my parents or Sophia; that was her name.” He smiled slightly at the thought.

I frowned a little deeper.

“When you were…taken hostage, was it…” I struggled for the right wording but Niall seemed to sense what I was trying to ask and shook his head.

“No, each of us were picked up months apart. We were each kept in the basement. I was chained on the bed, the same one you were raped –“He shut his mouth and I closed my eyes, nodding, showing I understood.

He nodded himself, thinking better than to continue the subject.

“Anyhow, Zayn is the one who I felt sorry for. When he came a few months after my abduction, which, I was still staying in the basement. He was brought in, hands zip tied behind him, blindfolded, gagged and feet tied together. Man, Harry and Louis had one hell of a time carrying him because he was squirming.” Niall shook his head.

Liam chuckled.

“This was before me, yeah?”

Niall nodded.

“Yeah, I was laying on the bed when they brought him down. If they hadn’t of gagged him, he’d of woken the dead. The lad was absolutely panicked but under Damien’s order, he was put in this large dog cage we had. As a small mercy, Harry was kind enough to remove his gag and blindfold. I’ll never forget what he said to them. I’m not repeating it but let’s just say it would make a nun cover her virgin ears and a sailor blush. I sat up on the bed as Louis latched and locked the cage door with 10 padlocks before forcing Zayn onto his side, the cage was large enough for him to lay down almost fully stretched. Since Zayn’s hands were still zip tied behind him, Louis was able to reach through and force his wrists against the bars, locking a spare zip tie to the bar. After that, since it was well after two AM, they chained me down to the headboard and left. I was free from the chains on my wrists during the days but tied down fully at night. My feet were locked to the bed twenty-four/seven.” Niall recalled, reaching to shut off the water, the cold air washing over me, replacing the warmth of the water.

Liam walked over to the sink and grabbed the clean towel, making his way over to me.

“Did you get the TV set up on the wall? Should have been easier with the wall connector.” Niall asked, making his way from the shower to let Liam kneel down and place the towel on my chest, wrapping it around my thinning body, tying it securely.

“Yeah, I think so. Read the directions and it said the TV was securely in place when I heard a click, I heard a few of them and the structure went on the wall without a hassle so I th –“

Louis appeared in the door, heaving for breath.

“When one of you gets a second, will you untie Zayn from the tree? He’s kinda hanging around until he calms down. I didn’t want to beat him senseless, lad has already gone through tramatic bullshit today, though, he’s swinging back and forth so there may be some difficulty cutting him down – don’t ask how I got him up there. I will only say that it involved trickery that would make Loki beam with proudness. Just – give him some time to cool off and then cut him down. Violence wasn’t the answer in this case so I –“

Liam cut him off.

“So you decided to tie him to a tree and let him swing?” Liam asked, bemused to say the least. This day needed to end – no, this entire month needed to end.

“Sorta, I may or may not have played a part in swinging him and now he’s just sort of –“

Liam held his hand up.

“Alright, I’ll take care of it. I need to get Sophia bandaged and settled for the night and she still needs fed.” Liam said, grasping me behind my legs and balancing my back before picking me up bridal style.

Louis smiled and came forward, gently taking me from Liam.

“I’ll take care of h –“

Suddenly a huge CRASH erupted all our eardrums making us jump, followed Harry’s loud exclamation.

“WHAT THE FUCK!? LIAM!? ZAYN?!” A pause. “LOUIS!? GET THE FUCK IN HERE– THE CARPET IS ON FIRE! HELP! THE CARPET! SOMEONE GET THE BLOODY FIRE EXTINGHUISHER!”

Louis chuckled.

“Hope you bought an insurance replacement for that Telly.” Louis said, continuing with me toward the bedroom while Niall ran to what I assumed was to grab the fire extinguisher. I don’t know how they all remained so calm, did these things happen on a daily basis?

Liam turned to go toward where the front door was, I assumed to check on Zayn and I was simply a spectator to an act comparable to a skit that would only happen to the three stooges. Only instead of three stooges, we have the three idiots…but at least I can say I live in a cabin where there was never dull moment. Which was also not always a good thing. I don’t remember this cabin being so lose, something needs to give around here. Harry needs to hurry and get better so he can get order back into this place of nightmares because I don’t know how much more I will be able to take. I just want to be left alone and let the world around me disappear.

*

NARRATOR’S POV:

Liam ignored Harry’s panicked yells and continued out the door; with Niall and Louis he was sure one of them knew how to work the fire extinguisher. As he went out the door, he stopped, mouth agape.

Up in a high tree branch was a strand of rope, a rope that was attached to an upside swinging Zayn.

Zayn’s body was swinging upside down, back and forth with arms flailing and struggling to pull his body upright to untie the rope but he couldn’t reach his feet and it only assisted velocity to keep him moving freely the more he kept struggling.

Liam approached the tree where Zayn was swearing obscenities and promising Louis a slow death.

“How did you get up there?” Liam asked, wondering how the fuck he was supposed to get him down.

“Louis tricked me! Get me down!” Zayn demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and allowed himself just to swing.

“Not until you calm down, mate. I’m going to need Niall and Louis’s help because there’s no way I can get you down, you’re too high up for me to safely get you on my own.” Liam explained calmly, making Zayn flustered.

“Just climb up the tree and give me a hand up to the tree branch I’m tied to! Please! The blood is rushing to my head!” Zayn pleaded, making Liam shake his head.

“I can’t climb trees, heights make me dizzy,” Liam counteracted, walking around to a different angle before adding. “Besides, the tree branch you’re on won’t hold the both of us. It’ll snap. I’m surprised it’s even holding you up, mate.” Making Zayn growl.

“Fuck you, what good are you?! GET ME DOWN! NOW! LOUIS! YOU BETTER FUCKING BE GONE BY THE TIME I’M FREE!” Zayn screamed, his voice echoing through the trees and scaring the birds from their hiding places in the hidden branches, scattering over the darkening sky.

“How did he trick you exactly?” Liam ignored his insulting question, turning towards the cabin. “And both Louis and Niall are busy putting out a fire in Harry’s room at the moment. Actually, I think Niall’s putting it out and Louis is –being Louis. I’ll get see if they have the situation under control. Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back.” Liam held a hand up to form a one, then he was sprinting back inside.

“Where the bloody fuck can I go? I’m tied to A BLOODY TREE!” Zayn growled, yelling the last part out, his voice once again echoing in the fast approaching night.

He growled and jerked his body violently like a wave, pausing when he heard a slow snap from the branch he was on.

“Oh fuck me.” Zayn groaned, stilling but it came too late as the rest of the branch snapped away and Zayn’s body plummeted down against the other branches, landing with a loud ‘ooofh’ at the bottom, the other branches breaking his fall thanks to the desperate grabbing of his hands trying to latch onto the other wood pieces to soften the blow of the ground. Luckily he only got a few scrapes and the wind knocked from his lungs.

“Well look who fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.” Louis snickered, coming forward to help Zayn sit up.

Zayn didn’t fight Louis’s help, he only sat up to continue to gasp for air.

“Y-you’re dead.” Zayn rasped but only sat at the bottom of the tree, eyes closed.

“That may be true, mate; but today is not that day. Come on, let’s go eat. I’m hungry and you look like shit.” Louis helped Zayn stand, helping him balance until he got his footing.

Zayn put his hand on his chest, taking a step forward but tripped to the ground again, forgetting his feet were still tied together.

Louis knelt down and undid the rope, helping him stand again, guiding him towards the cabin.

“To be fair, I did warn you that picking a fight with me wasn’t in your best interest.” Louis shrugged, making sure he was able to walk before relinquishing his hold on the poor Bradford boy.

“You don’t fight fair and you would have demanded answers if it was Eleanor. Wouldn’t you?” Zayn asked, clearing his raspy throat.

Louis’s eyes grew solemn, sad even at the mention of his old flame’s name.

“I would have, yeah, but to be fair, I had nothing to do with the decision and it wouldn’t have done any good telling you. Her fate was decided by Jones’s betrayal. Harry killed him. He killed him for you, for his part in what happened to Perrie. Now all we can do is pray that Sophia never has to know or see that place. All we can do is hope that Perrie’s fate was short lived. I’m truly sorry, mate. If it had been Eleanor, I would have made whoever was involved suffer a slow and painful death. It is too late for her but Sophia doesn’t need to know this side of our world, we need to shield her as much as possible because who is to say that Damien won’t decide to make her a sex doll? She has the body for it, she has the looks. She’s perfect and up until a few days ago, it didn’t occur to me what Damien could do if he so choose. We – need to train her, get her prepared because if Damien is really taking her, he frequents the Playhouse and I want her to have a fighting chance.” Louis pauses, his eyes closing in realization.

“She won’t be healed for at least a few weeks, what do we do until then?” Zayn asked, finally able to breathe with a little less difficulty.

Louis shrugged.

“We continue to help get Harry and Sophia stronger. When the time is right, Harry will start her training but only when he feels she’s ready – and when her broken fingers heal but the intense break Damien caused, it’s going to take about two months to completely heal up. Until then, we’ll work with what we have.”

Zayn nodded, his face now expressing the ever deepening depression he felt. Between Perrie and Sophia, it really brought a feeling of hopelessness but like always, he and the others found a way to press on, admittedly, if something happened to Sophia, it could unravel things to their core. However, the events that were about to take place would test their limits of survival and there wasn’t a damn thing they could do to stop it.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Action is about to start, Next chapter is the kidnapping and of course time skip to it as I know I can't linger onward on things too long. Not every chapter will be a comedy and it is about to turn serious again. I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know your thoughts. Take care everyone! Oh and if you want to be a part of the story, there are a few spots coming up that aren't filled yet.

Notes