He couldn't look.

The stench was overpowering. Gagging, he stepped away from the decaying corpse. Rotting flesh peeled off exposing the gleaming bone below.

Their eyes were wide, face frozen in terror. Their mouth was the most disturbing part. Two long scars stretched from the corner of their lips up their cheeks almost reaching their ears. Plum hair hung limp around their face structure. Crimson was smeared on sliced up arms, open wounds infected and oozing pus.

It took all of Geoff's willpower not to turn and run. This was a person. Whatever had happened to them might happen to him but he couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot like a deer caught in headlights.

Geoff still couldn't get over the smell of decomposing flesh. It brought tears to his eyes. He wasn't sure whether he was weeping for himself or for the corpse hanging in front of him. It couldn't really be called a body, it was unidentifiable.

Geoff couldn't determine a gender or at least figure out their physical sex.

Stumbling backwards, Geoff tried not to trip over the bones and detached limbs littering the ground.

Confined inside the locked room, Geoff couldn't find a way of escaping. There were no windows and the only source of light came from a singular bulb dangling precariously from a cracked ceiling above.

Bits of plaster crumbled beneath the brunette's fingertips, coating them in a pale white dust. He was trapped with the aroma of death something his body like a blanket of lingering pain and fear.

He was scared and he was alone. The part that Geoff found most odd was that the walls and ceiling were falling apart but he door was sturdy. It wasn't rotten enough to kick it down and the walls wouldn't give either. The wall wasn't hollow, it was solid brick.

Defeated, Geoff slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor, facing the human remains pinned to the brick opposite him.

"Hi, I'm Geoff. I'm bored, alone and actually kinda cold. I love music such as Blink-182, Sum 41 and Good Charlotte and I can play guitar. I'm also gay and 17 years old. Or 17 years old and gay, however you wanna put it. Pleased to meet you." He reached forward to shake what he assumed was a hand. Or what was left of it.

Geoff's skin made contact with their's and an electric current ran through his arm straight to his brain. Scenes he'd never seen before entered his head, filling his thoughts with them. Geoff saw happy things, sad things, dark things and shocking things. He saw it all.

Blood.

It ran down the walls. It ran down his face. It was in his hair. It left a metallic tang in his mouth.

The cracking of a whip resonated around the room, bouncing off the wall and slamming into his ears. He winced at the sound.

A gloved hand reached up to grab his face, twisting it from side to side.

"Such a pretty face, Awsten. Shame to ruin it."

"Don't fucking touch me." Awsten spat, blood spraying from his mouth. "Ooh fiesty, I like it. Maybe I'll keep you."

Heterochromic eyes glared into brown irises.

Awsten struggled against the heavy metal chaining him to the wall as he attempted to lunge at his captor.

"Go to Hell. I'd rather die than stay here with you."

"That can be arranged." Otto smiled, throwing the whip to the floor. Awsten growled and bared his teeth at the brunette.

Otto left the room momentarily only to return with a long, silver blade.

"You're not smiling Awsten. Why aren't you smiling? I can make you smile." The brunette said, head tilted to the side with his own smile plastered across his face.

Awsten couldn't move. Only pain could be seen in his eyes. No fear, no hatred, just pain. Otto grabbed Awsten's face once more, holding it in place as he placed the tip of the knife at the corner of Awsten's mouth.

With one swift flick of his wrist, the brunette sliced open the plum boys cheek, scarlet leaking out of cut. Otto repeated this action on the other side except cutting in deeper.

"There's that pretty smile. Red suits you. You should have red all over." Otto decided. Awsten couldn't reply from the amount of pain he felt.

He watched as Otto sliced open both his forearms, wondering how he could do it. He could someone he trusted hurt him like this?

Otto had become desensitized in a way. He'd hurt everyone. Awsten would meet the same fate Jawn, Travis and Grace had. He was no different, he wasn't special.

"There." Otto said triumphantly. "Now you look pretty, real pretty." He cocked his head to the side and hummed. "You're not wearing your necklace. I can make you a new one, one that looks better and made just for you."

Without any more warning, Otto dragged the blade harshly across the younger's neck. Satisfied Otto stepped back and admired his work. Blood coated Awsten's upper body, dripping onto the floor and his jeans.

He dropped the knife and strode out the room, leaving Awsten to hang like a rag doll bleeding from all orifices.

Shocked, Geoff's body flung itself back against the wall. The tingling sensation died down, leaving Geoff feeling empty and numb. Otto had done this. His best friend. Otto.

His name was on the tip of Geoff's tongue.

Awsten.

Water poured down the boys face. For the first time in three years Geoff cried. He cried for Awsten, for his Mom, for Awsten's family and for himself.

Dehydrated with an aching in his chest Geoff crawled into a corner and pulled his knees up to his chest.

He'd seen it all. All the pain and all the suffering. Everything he had he wanted to give to Awsten. He was too young to die. Geoff wanted to pour his life and soul into the plum boy, giving him the means to live again. He wanted to breathe oxygen into his lungs and bring light back to his eyes.

His beautiful dual toned eyes. He wanted to meet Awsten properly, to get to know him.

Geoff wanted to be safe.

Awsten wanted to be alive.

He wasn't.