I opened my eyes, whimpering as I moved around. My whole body ached. I looked around me. I was still alive. It didn't work. I was still in the room. I tried to lift my head up. I looked around, seeing that I was still naked. There were stitches in the side of my stomach. I tried to moved my hand to touch it, but they were tied so that I couldn't move them.

I struggled a little, but stopped as I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I cried out quietly.

It hurt so bad. Why didn't I die? Why the fuck can't I do anything right? I can't even fucking die right. What the fuck. Why am I like this?

If he wanted me dead, I'd be dead, right? Maybe? I hope? Why am I still alive? Was he surprised that I did that? Is that why he kept me alive? And what happened to that girl? She's probably dead. He most likely killed her.

I saw the blanket on the floor across the room, well out of my reach. It was so cold in here. I don't even know why. There's no windows or places a draft could come through. There wasn't even an air vent. I don't get why it's so cold. Unless he keeps it cold intentionally. Which he could. I don't know.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Maybe I should get some sleep. I should try while I have the chance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny's POV

It's been over a week now, since Jorel's disappearance, and we don't know what to do. We know that after 72 hours, the chances of finding a missing person get smaller, but we're all worried about Jorel. Especially after that text. We had gone back to the police to show them the text, but it was from a burner phone, making it untraceable. They showed us the pictures of the murderer that they'd said escaped. He fit Jorel's vague description of the man that held him. Green eyes and a lot of tattoos.

Apparently he'd been convicted of murdering 3 college girls, but plead insanity and won. He was sent to a mental institution, but escaped 4 years later, a few weeks ago, while being transported to a new facility. He'd confessed to killing more than 3 girls, and gave the feds the location of a man he was holding captive for like 2 years.

That man is the only person whose ever survived him. We're on our way to speak to him now, as he's in a institution due to trauma or some shit. At least that's what the article said in some old ass newspaper said.

We're on our way to the place that the article mentioned so we could try to speak to the guy. Charlie's idea. We had to find him. I don't think any of us can keep going without Jorel. I know I can't. I've already thought of every possible way this could end, from him being perfectly fine once we find him, to someone calling us to tell us he's dead in some roadside ditch in the middle of no where. And I know we're all hoping for the first option.

"Danny, you gotta go in and talk to him." Dylan said. "You're the least scary. 'sides, they won't let us all in."

I nodded. "Okay. I can do that I guess."

Johnny stopped the car and I got out. I walked through the front door and up to the lady sitting behind a desk.

"Hi, how can I help you?" She asked.

"Hi, I'm here to see Matt Busek?"

"Okay let me look him up." She spoke. She typed a few things on her keyboard before writing something on a slip of paper. She handed it to me. "3rd floor, room 349."

"Thank you." I said, looking at the paper.

It said that I was a visitor and had the location I was going to on it. I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 3rd floor. I hope I don't scare him. I'm not trying to. I just need to know if he has any idea where this man may be.

The room was easy to locate. It was at the end of the hall. I knocked on the open door before stepping inside. There was a rather young looking man there with curly hair and blue eyes. He was just staring at me with wide eyed.

"W-Who are you?" He asked, looking from me to the door. His voice was scratchy but nice.

"Hi, um, my name is Danny Murillo, and I feel bad doing this but I need to ask you a few questions about the man that hurt you." I said, keeping my voice quiet.

"What? I-I don't understand. I thought he was gone." He said, alarmed. His eyes were wide and his breath became fast.

"He actually escaped a few weeks ago, and he took a really close friend of mine, and we need your help."

He shook his head. "I can't help you."

"Please?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help."

"I know you're scared, and I feel awful asking you to remember these things, but I'm begging you. You're the only person who can help me."

"There's nothing I can do." He said, his voice cracking.

"We're worried he may kill him."

"He won't kill your friend." Matt said after a moment. He was just staring at the floor. "He's just going to hurt him really badly."

"But he killed all of those girls."

"I assume your friend is a boy." He said. "He doesn't kill boys. That's the only reason I'm alive. He kills women because he hates them. They're too sexual and they show their bodies too much, and it pisses him off, so he kills them. He likes boys. Your friend is definitely still alive, but he's not okay."

"What do you mean he's not okay?"

"How long has it been?"

"9 days." I said.

"By now, your friend has been violated, tortured, and degraded in every possible way. He's not okay." He told me, putting his head down. "That's all I can tell you. Go...please."

He sounded like he was crying. I feel awful. "I have one more question, then I'll leave."

"What?"

"Do you know of anywhere he may be?"

He was silent for a while. "Check abandoned buildings in the desert."

I nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

"Please just fucking leave." He growled.

I turned towards the door, walking out. I stopped in the doorway and looked at him. "I'm sorry I asked you to think about those things. I didn't mean to upset you in any way. I'm just scared for my friend."

I continued walking until I reached the elevator. I pushed the button and went down. I went back out to the car and got in.

"What did he say?" Charlie asked.

"He said that Jorel is alive, and that he won't kill him, but that he's hurt. I believe his words were 'he's been violated, tortured, and degraded in every possible way.'" I told them. "He said to check abandoned buildings in the desert."

"What do you mean by violated?" Dylan asked.

"What do you think?" Johnny said.

"Oh." He said. "Just wanted to check."

Johnny sighed. "Abandoned buildings in the desert?"

I nodded. "That's what he said."

"Then that's where we'll look." He said.

"But there's a lot of desert in California." Charlie said.

"So we'll have to search all of them." I said.

"But what do we even look for?" Dylan asked.

I shrugged. "Honestly, I wish I knew."

"Well, we have time. If he's right, and he won't kill Jorel, we have time to search everywhere."

"So that's what we'll do then." Johnny said. "The police are useless, so we're taking matters into our own hands. And this is how we do it."

We all nodded.

"We'll go get food and drinks and shit, load up the van, and go drive through the desert, searching every abandoned building we can find until we find Jorel in one of them."

----------------

Idk yall

~xxRy