CHAPTER THIRTY-NINEMALAKAI **The sun on my skin wakes me up; I stretch and groan at the pain the movements cause. Now that the pleasure has passed, all that remains is this agonizing sensation, but knowing that I have earned Pierce's forgiveness brings a smile to my face.I look at Pierce, who is lying beside me; the sheets are rolled down, revealing his abs, and I feel my stomach flutter. He is tough and sculpted. My gaze is drawn to his chiseled features; only when he is sleeping like this can I freely study him. His side profile is especially striking, and the sharp angles in his jawline and nose make it impossible for me to breathe.My pulse is racing with excitement.He's so perfect, I want to capture him. My spine tingles with anticipation as I feel a strong desire to grab my phone. I have not felt this compulsive urge in a long time, and it is so strong that I can not resist it. One shot...He is asleep, so he will not know.As I raise my phone, my hand trembles slightly
CHAPTER FORTYMALAKAI**He made the whole school hate me and isolated me from everyone and in my lonely moments, I had grown dependent on his affection, allowing myself to be deluded that our relationship wasn't as crazy as it seemed. I suppose I am just a dog, greedily leeching on my owner's emotions, and Pierce knows how to tame one. As I stand on this rooftop, a soft breeze blows across my face. The ground feels like an eternity away, and one slip..."What are you doing? Get down now!" I flinch when I hear Pierce's voice behind me. I just want some alone time, but he always finds me. I slowly turn around, and Pierce, who is normally so calm and in control, appears terrified. His weakness seems so out of character, and my shattered soul urges me to break him more; I want him to feel the hell that I'm going through."Would you die for me, Pierce? Then hold my hands... Let us die together. I take a step back and move closer to the edge."Kai, get out of there!" His face becomes
CHAPTER FORTY ONEMALAKAI **My skin itches from my father's belt; disgust and fury flash in his eyes as he repeats. "Are you gay?"If I want just one person and the person just happens to be a guy, am I still gay? Probably?I'm not afraid of the belt anymore, because when I close my eyes..."You won't speak? You're not denying it. You don't even beg when I hit you, do you want to challenge me now?!"My father's belt clatters roughly to the ground and he delivers a hard punch to my face.No!A gasp of pain leaves my mouth as I stagger backwards.Please bring back the belt!At least, I can pretend it is Pierce who's hurting me so sweetly.His blows fucking hurts, my entire face hurts, I can barely speak, but when I see the rage in his eyes, something inside of me triumphs."I'm the one going to hell, Dad, why are you so mad?""So it's true? Who is this guy you're fucking? Or maybe he's the one fucking you?" He sneers, his eyes growing colder. "I won't have an abomination as a son,
CHAPTER FORTY-TWOPIERCE**The heavy rain had fallen all night, and the weather is as gloomy as my mood.Why the hell didn't he respond to any of my messages? I had waited all night long without getting any sleep, and now, as I stare at my phone, there is still no reply. I walk into my parents in the living room, Dad wears a solemn expression. I don't recall doing anything worthy of his attention, so why is he here?He is probably worried about the elections... or maybe not.My heart slams in my chest when I see something familiar in his hands.A collar."Pierce__"I find it difficult to breathe as I snatch the collar from his hand. "Where is Lou? Where is she!" "The doctors couldn't save her. We had to put her down__" Mom begins to speak, and a volcano of rage erupts within me."Shut up! You never liked her, did you fucking kill her?""She's been suffering for days, her body couldn't take the treatment anymore, we only did the best for her__" My muscles tense up at my father's
CHAPTER FORTY-THREEMALAKAI**Trigger Warning: This scene involves themes of homophobia, abuse, and brainwashing. Reader discretion is advised. This is pure fiction and does not depict the actions of any religious group. It's white everywhere. My head is hurting. My foggy brain can't even think of why I'm here. The only thing I feel is terror when I realize I am strapped to the bed. Is this a clinic?But... Why?The door opens, and my blurry vision adjusts to see the Reverend enter, accompanied by sister Agatha.The memories start to claw in, and my heart sears with panic.Let me out!My body begins to jerk against the straps that keep me in place. I remember everything now.'...The truth is, son, you're broken. You're sick. And we're going to fix you...'No!The only one who can fix me is him. Pierce.'Where are you, don't you love me anymore?' I want to tell him that I did not want to leave him. I want to keep my promise, but these chains are stopping me.How long have I been
CHAPTER FORTY-FOURMALAKAI**The shadows of yesterday hit me hard as I walk through the town where I used to live. Nothing has changed, including the houses and convenience stores around the corner. I suppose two years is not very long. I am the only one who can barely remember who I was before. A part of me is still lost among the broken pieces of this place.Some days, I wonder if I am dead and everyone simply forgot to bury me.I can't look anybody in the eyes, I'm unresponsive to the gossips and curious stares; all I can think is 'fuck all of them!'From this distance, I watch my little brother Ezra walk to the stage to receive his diploma, after my release six months ago, he's the only person I kept contact with.The audience bursts out in applause, and I can not help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me. I did not even get to graduate. I have nothing.Three TwoOne.Perfectly shot!Only when I focus on these images on my camera do I feel like I have something, but ther
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVEMALAKAI **"Wow." I hear my boss mumble as he stares at the photo I hand over to him. This particular one had taken me several weeks to work on. I love pictures because they can be viewed from different perspectives, and can be interpreted depending on the subject. The Venus fly trap, a carnivorous plant swallowing a struggling bug. Capturing the moment the insect suffocates and eventually dies and is absorbed by the plants has been fascinating. "Earth is indeed a scary place, poor insect" He adds.' Or maybe the plant just needs to feed? '"Your pictures are great, but why do you always like taking such gloomy photos? Cheer up; life isn't supposed to be so serious. We gotta have some fun sometimes, you know." His eyes leer at me as he suddenly places a secure hand around my shoulders.My body flares with panic and my brain instinctively starts to count.Ninety seconds, and it will be over. One...Two...Three...Four..."I think these pictures are going to be
CHAPTER FORTY-SIXMALAKAI **The familiar smell of disinfectants in the psych ward and these sterile white walls choke me with this feeling of despair. It's too similar. Everything here is a stark reminder of that forsaken place. My anxious gaze lingers on the nuns who work here. My heart starts to pound furiously at their familiar black flowing robe and veil. They start to approach my direction and my entire body freezes. "They are caregivers; they can't hurt you," I whisper to myself, but it doesn't stop the chill that trickles down my spine as they get closer... And closer. I can see the deathly hands slowly clawing out of these white walls; I'm hopeless against the force as they drag me to that dark place. I see myself immobile, frightened, helpless on that bed in the white room.'I'm going to cleanse you!' Sister Agatha's whisper rings in my head. I can feel her hands crawling across my skin, the wide smile that spreads on her face. 'You poor sweet boy, let me take care
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHTMALAKAI **His face had resurfaced all the forbidden memories. A year and six months is what it took that correction facility to try and make me forget him. They still failed to cleanse me, to purge the sin and filth out of me. Pierce has been so deeply engraved in my mind that not even the tortures had been able to take him away. He's greater than any nightmares that they ever could give. In the past few months, I've tried to have sex with both genders alike, not the Reverend. Not the sister; it's Pierce who has conditioned me, branded himself in my soul. He's the reason I can't get touched by others; my mind is still his prisoner. I'm still trying to break free from his chains, why is fate playing this dangerous game with me all over again?Uriel told me that he'd been transferred to this hospital about two weeks ago for specialized care. I start to wonder if it's just a coincidence that I got a job in this same hospital, but it's Uriel who had recommended
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVENMALAKAI **When a nightmare is real, how do you even wake up from it?"You feel so real" He whispers in a deeper voice than I remember. I am the one hallucinating; I should be saying this. Our bodies are so close that I can feel his heat radiating through my cold, numb ones. His hand caresses my hair and pulls me back enough to touch my face. I shiver at the contact; looking into his dark eyes feels like falling into an endless abyss. His next words send a shiver through me, and it has nothing to do with the cold. "In here, I can see you..." He smiles, and my heart cracks; it almost does not feel like a bad dream anymore. Before I can think any further, his hand grabs the base of my neck, and raw intent flashes in his eyes as he leans in closer. I start to push his shoulders but he grasps my arms, pinning them to the sides, his glazed eyes are boiling with a fury that makes my bones melt. "This is my dream; I can do whatever I want to you; you can't escape
CHAPTER FORTY-SIXMALAKAI **The familiar smell of disinfectants in the psych ward and these sterile white walls choke me with this feeling of despair. It's too similar. Everything here is a stark reminder of that forsaken place. My anxious gaze lingers on the nuns who work here. My heart starts to pound furiously at their familiar black flowing robe and veil. They start to approach my direction and my entire body freezes. "They are caregivers; they can't hurt you," I whisper to myself, but it doesn't stop the chill that trickles down my spine as they get closer... And closer. I can see the deathly hands slowly clawing out of these white walls; I'm hopeless against the force as they drag me to that dark place. I see myself immobile, frightened, helpless on that bed in the white room.'I'm going to cleanse you!' Sister Agatha's whisper rings in my head. I can feel her hands crawling across my skin, the wide smile that spreads on her face. 'You poor sweet boy, let me take care
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVEMALAKAI **"Wow." I hear my boss mumble as he stares at the photo I hand over to him. This particular one had taken me several weeks to work on. I love pictures because they can be viewed from different perspectives, and can be interpreted depending on the subject. The Venus fly trap, a carnivorous plant swallowing a struggling bug. Capturing the moment the insect suffocates and eventually dies and is absorbed by the plants has been fascinating. "Earth is indeed a scary place, poor insect" He adds.' Or maybe the plant just needs to feed? '"Your pictures are great, but why do you always like taking such gloomy photos? Cheer up; life isn't supposed to be so serious. We gotta have some fun sometimes, you know." His eyes leer at me as he suddenly places a secure hand around my shoulders.My body flares with panic and my brain instinctively starts to count.Ninety seconds, and it will be over. One...Two...Three...Four..."I think these pictures are going to be
CHAPTER FORTY-FOURMALAKAI**The shadows of yesterday hit me hard as I walk through the town where I used to live. Nothing has changed, including the houses and convenience stores around the corner. I suppose two years is not very long. I am the only one who can barely remember who I was before. A part of me is still lost among the broken pieces of this place.Some days, I wonder if I am dead and everyone simply forgot to bury me.I can't look anybody in the eyes, I'm unresponsive to the gossips and curious stares; all I can think is 'fuck all of them!'From this distance, I watch my little brother Ezra walk to the stage to receive his diploma, after my release six months ago, he's the only person I kept contact with.The audience bursts out in applause, and I can not help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me. I did not even get to graduate. I have nothing.Three TwoOne.Perfectly shot!Only when I focus on these images on my camera do I feel like I have something, but ther
CHAPTER FORTY-THREEMALAKAI**Trigger Warning: This scene involves themes of homophobia, abuse, and brainwashing. Reader discretion is advised. This is pure fiction and does not depict the actions of any religious group. It's white everywhere. My head is hurting. My foggy brain can't even think of why I'm here. The only thing I feel is terror when I realize I am strapped to the bed. Is this a clinic?But... Why?The door opens, and my blurry vision adjusts to see the Reverend enter, accompanied by sister Agatha.The memories start to claw in, and my heart sears with panic.Let me out!My body begins to jerk against the straps that keep me in place. I remember everything now.'...The truth is, son, you're broken. You're sick. And we're going to fix you...'No!The only one who can fix me is him. Pierce.'Where are you, don't you love me anymore?' I want to tell him that I did not want to leave him. I want to keep my promise, but these chains are stopping me.How long have I been
CHAPTER FORTY-TWOPIERCE**The heavy rain had fallen all night, and the weather is as gloomy as my mood.Why the hell didn't he respond to any of my messages? I had waited all night long without getting any sleep, and now, as I stare at my phone, there is still no reply. I walk into my parents in the living room, Dad wears a solemn expression. I don't recall doing anything worthy of his attention, so why is he here?He is probably worried about the elections... or maybe not.My heart slams in my chest when I see something familiar in his hands.A collar."Pierce__"I find it difficult to breathe as I snatch the collar from his hand. "Where is Lou? Where is she!" "The doctors couldn't save her. We had to put her down__" Mom begins to speak, and a volcano of rage erupts within me."Shut up! You never liked her, did you fucking kill her?""She's been suffering for days, her body couldn't take the treatment anymore, we only did the best for her__" My muscles tense up at my father's
CHAPTER FORTY ONEMALAKAI **My skin itches from my father's belt; disgust and fury flash in his eyes as he repeats. "Are you gay?"If I want just one person and the person just happens to be a guy, am I still gay? Probably?I'm not afraid of the belt anymore, because when I close my eyes..."You won't speak? You're not denying it. You don't even beg when I hit you, do you want to challenge me now?!"My father's belt clatters roughly to the ground and he delivers a hard punch to my face.No!A gasp of pain leaves my mouth as I stagger backwards.Please bring back the belt!At least, I can pretend it is Pierce who's hurting me so sweetly.His blows fucking hurts, my entire face hurts, I can barely speak, but when I see the rage in his eyes, something inside of me triumphs."I'm the one going to hell, Dad, why are you so mad?""So it's true? Who is this guy you're fucking? Or maybe he's the one fucking you?" He sneers, his eyes growing colder. "I won't have an abomination as a son,
CHAPTER FORTYMALAKAI**He made the whole school hate me and isolated me from everyone and in my lonely moments, I had grown dependent on his affection, allowing myself to be deluded that our relationship wasn't as crazy as it seemed. I suppose I am just a dog, greedily leeching on my owner's emotions, and Pierce knows how to tame one. As I stand on this rooftop, a soft breeze blows across my face. The ground feels like an eternity away, and one slip..."What are you doing? Get down now!" I flinch when I hear Pierce's voice behind me. I just want some alone time, but he always finds me. I slowly turn around, and Pierce, who is normally so calm and in control, appears terrified. His weakness seems so out of character, and my shattered soul urges me to break him more; I want him to feel the hell that I'm going through."Would you die for me, Pierce? Then hold my hands... Let us die together. I take a step back and move closer to the edge."Kai, get out of there!" His face becomes