A/N: I only need 6 more questions, mon amis. Merci.
⚠️ TW: mentions of assault, cutting ⚠️
Alex's POV - Saturday, March 6, 2021, 2:19 pm
John was at work, and I was watching TV with Philip. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. I set Philip down, then walked over and opened it.
"Hell-"
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?????'s POV - Saturday, March 6, 2021, 2:20 pm
I whacked Alexander upside the head with my bat, and he fell to the ground, limp. I then reached into my pocket with gloves hands and pulled out a piece of scrap paper with a note on it, setting it on a shelf near the door. I then picked up Alexander's limp body and carried him to my truck, then sped away down the streets of New York.
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John's POV - Saturday, March 6, 2021, 2:24 pm
I was busy fixing a broken exhaust pipe on a customer's truck when I heard my phone begin to ring. I slid out from under the e truck, then whipped my hands off and grabbed the phone, pressing Accept and holding it up next to my ear.
"Hello?"
"John, we can't find Alex." It was Henry.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, Martha and I heard crying, so we went out to investigate and found Phil sitting on the couch by himself, and Alex isn't anywhere in the apartment."
"Do you know our address?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Call 911. I'll be there soon." I hung up, then walked into my boss's office.
"Hey, um, my brother just called. My boyfriend's gone missing. Is there any way I can take the rest of the day off?"
My boss, Tony, looked up in alarm. "Yeah, yeah, take the day. Lemme know when ya find him."
"Will do."
I ran outside and hailed a cab, giving the cabbie my address. When I arrived, there were already a few cop cars outside. I raced up to Henry, who was struggling to answer questions while Martha stood nearby, holding Philip. Henry looked relieved when he saw me.
"Um, this is my brother, John. He could probably answer your questions."
The officer frowned at me. "You're John Laurens, yes?"
"Yes, sir," I said, my voice shaking slightly.
"All right, well, it appears as though your boyfriend has been kidnapped."
"Kidnapped?"
"Yes. His phone and keys were still in the apartment, and we found a few drops of blood by the front door. We also found a note, which we're planning to run a few tests on."
"Okay. Is there anything we can do?"
"Just let us know if you have any contact from him or the kidnapper. Make sure you take down an exact transcript of the conversation, as well as the number used. And take care. For all we know, he wasn't the intended target." The officer glanced at Martha and Philip. "Anyone who doesn't live in the household should go back to their place of residence. Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to re-enter the apartment, as it is a crime scene. Is there anywhere else you could stay in the meantime?"
I nodded. "I can probably stay with my siblings."
The officer sighed. "All right, your brother gave us a description of the missing person, but didn't have very much information or a recent photo. Think you can help us flesh this out?"
"Yeah, sure. What do you have?"
"Shoulder-length black hair, goatee, short, thin, looks tired."
"That's all accurate." I took in a shaky breath. "His name is Alexander James Hamilton, age nineteen. He has dark brown eyes, and is of Puerto Rican descent. He originally emigrated here from Nevis when he was sixteen. The only living relatives that I know of is his brother, James Hamilton, Jr., who lives in Sacramento, California. Is there anything else you need to know?"
"We need a recent photo of him."
"The most recent one I have printed is..." I thought for a moment. "Oh! I think there's one in my wallet from mid-February." I pulled out the wallet and, sure enough, there was the picture of Alex and I that James had taken on Valentine's Day. I handed it to the officer, who squinted at it.
"Thanks." He looked up at me. "Take care, kid. We'll let you know when we find something."
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John's POV - Monday, March 8, 2021, 11:31 am
My friends were gathered around me, offering their condolences.
"I can't believe it," Maria said, her eyes wide. "He was just... taken?"
"Yeah," I replied. "They don't really know where he went. All they know is that he's been kidnapped."
Theo looked at me, her mouth set in a hard line. "I'm interning with the police station next week. I'll do anything in my power to find him, I swear."
Just then, I had an idea. I looked at Thomas.
"Thomas, do you still live three doors down from that Casey guy?"
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Alex's POV - Friday, March 12, 2021, 6:17 pm
I listened with bated breath as the man walked through the house, seemingly on some sort of phone call.
"Yeah, I can... Not now, I'm busy... I'll call you later, okay?"
I heard his footsteps approaching and the door opened. My blindfold prevented me from knowing he was approaching until he slapped me across the face.
"Hello, Alexander. Ready to talk yet?"
I stayed silent, something I sucked at doing. I hadn't said a word in the past week. I simply glared up at where I assumed his face to be.
"No? Well then, let's see if we can make you talk."
I heard the clinking of metal as he retrieved some sort of tool. I soon felt the cold, sharp blade of a knife pressed against my throat.
"C'mon, Alexander, talk! Talk to me!"
When I said nothing, he growled, pushing the knife harder against my skin. "I asked you one goddamn question. It's not that difficult to answer. Just tell me where they are, and I'll let you go."
I continued to sit in silence. The man eventually removed the knife, trading it for a different tool. I winced as I felt hot metal press against the crook of my arm.
"Where are they?!" he shouted. "Tell me where they are!"
I remained unresponsive, and the man howled with rage. "Goddammit, Alexander!" I heard the branding iron clatter to the floor. He began rifling through his things again. A few seconds later, I heard the decisive click of a gun being cocked. I didn't move.
"Tell me where they are."
I said nothing.
And the man pulled the trigger.
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John's POV - Friday, March 12, 2021, 7:09 pm
I was playing with Phil when I suddenly got the feeling that something was wrong. I looked up at Henry, who was sitting on the couch.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Something's wrong."
He looked at me. "What do you mean?"
"I feel like something happened to Alex just now. Something bad."
Henry sat up. "I don't know, John. It's possible. But what can we do? He's been missing for a week now, and no one has any clue where he is."
I sighed. "I know that. I'm just worried."
Henry came over and sat down next to me, adjusting his glasses. "I know, John. We all are."
Just then, Philip looked at me, his lip trembling. "Papa?"
"No," I said. "Papa's not here."
Philip began to cry, and I picked him up, cuddling him until he calmed down. He looked up at me. "Wan Papa."
"I know," I sighed. "I want Papa, too."
~~~~~~~~~~
Alex's POV - Saturday, March 13, 2021, 4:19 am
When I finally came to, I felt stiff. I tried to move my shoulder and nearly screamed from the pain. But it wasn't bleeding. My chest wasn't soaked in blood.
The man had bandaged it.
I frowned. Why would he do that? He hated me! Why would he-
Oh.
He needed me.
He needed me to tell him where they were.
But I wasn't gonna fucking tell him. He didn't deserve to know. If he wanted jack outta me, he was gonna need to start by telling me shit. Starting with his identity.
I shifted, trying to get comfortable. I soon fell asleep, whether from pain or exhaustion, I don't know.
~~~~~~~~~~
As the days became weeks, and the weeks months, John began to believe that he would never see Alex again. But he had a feeling. A feeling that Alex was out there, still desperately clinging to life.
But John's life wasn't all bad. He passed his freshman year of college, and Philip had begun to speak in short sentences. John eventually made enough money, between his job at the mechanic's and his friends's help, to buy an old truck. He would no longer have to take a taxi everywhere. Even so, he couldn't rid himself of the dark clouds that hovered over him
John soon became depressed. He barely slept or ate, and he cut again. And again, and again, and again. Soon, his arms where covered in pink scars, just like Alex's. His friends began to worry, begging him to come and hang out with them. But John refused. He couldn't bear to feel happy when Alex was being hurt, or afraid, or upset.
When August 16, the first day of school, rolled around, John's friends asked him what was going on, how he had been. They hadn't seen him in three months. He ignored them, instead heading straight for class. Herc decided to approach him.
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John's POV - Monday, August 16, 2021, 7:56 pm
"John?" It was Herc. He sat down next to me.
"John, talk to me, man."
"About what?" I said, not really in the mood for a conversation. Then again, I was never in the mood for a conversation.
"John, I know you're upset, but you gotta live your life."
I turned away from him, looking up at Mr. Garza as he began his lecture. Herc tapped me on the shoulder. When I ignored him, he gave up, sighing.
~~~~~~~~~~
Alex's POV - Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 3:10 am
I woke up to him slapping me across the face. I looked up at him, into his despicable hazel eyes.
"I'm letting you go. You're useless to me."
I was shocked. He was letting me go? He untied my bonds, then grabbed me by the shoulders. I looked up at his aging face.
"You say a word about this to anyone, I'll find you. I'll kill you. Understand?"
I nodded vigorously, and he led me through the house, shoving me out the front door. He closed it and locked it behind me. I looked around for some sign of where I was. I walked up the street, glancing at the street signs at the corners. I eventually found my way out of the neighborhood, then glanced up at a billboard, not recognizing any of my surroundings. Suddenly, I spotted a water tower. I squinted at it, trying to read what it said.
Athens, Texas.
I was a long, long way from home.
1762 words
Please don't kill me! I'm so sorry!!!!
I'll update again soon!