Caught 2

Neil bit his hand in embarrassment when Skylar caught him and Sain this afternoon. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm his beating heart.

Neil got up from his bed to go downstairs to drink water and take a breath of fresh air outside.

His feet carried him down the stairs, but his steps stopped right at the bottom of the stairs after he found Skylar hugging a woman without a single thread attached to his in the lounge with the television on. Not only that, their lips pressed against each other.

"Want to join?"

Neil blinked as Skylar's hoarse voice interrupted Neil's thoughts. Blood rippled crawling up Neil's face, he felt déjà vu like what Skylar had experienced this afternoon.

Neil quickly shook his head, his feet as if glued. He wanted to run away from here. Immediately.

"Finally we meet again." Neil stiffened at the voice that had become part of his nightmare again. How can the world be so narrow, that Neil can't run from the shadows of his trauma even in this mirror dimension?

The woman had approached Neil lost in shame for his condition. The pointy hand flew about to touch his face until Neil stepped back and shouted "Don't touch me!"

The woman's smile appeared almost instantly. "Why? Don't you like it?"

Neil felt nauseous when he heard the woman's voice again. He longed to go back to his room and curl up in his bathroom. "You are disgusting!"

After saying that Neil went out of the house, he continued to run aimlessly, until his eyes caught Sain's motorbike in front of a minimalist white house. He was sure it was Sain's house, Neil quickly dashed into the yard and was standing at the door.

Fear still enveloped him tightly, he didn't want to see that woman again.

Neil wildly pressed the belly button, but he got no answer. Neil glanced back at his house afraid that the woman would follow him.

He tried to open the door which turned out to be unlocked, this was out of Neil's impolite attitude to enter someone else's house. But Neil had nowhere else to hide.

The room was dark until he saw a ray of light from under the door, Neil darted towards it and pushed the door open.

A sense of relief immediately flooded Neil when he saw Sain was standing there. Neil subconsciously opened his mouth "Sain?"

He said Sain's first name because of his bubbling relief, he went in and hugged Sain no matter how the man reacted. Neil, scared, and Sain have always been there for him all this time. Neil hopes this time too.

"Riksa."

"What's wrong? Who made you like this?" Sain took him out of the room, turned on the light,t him on the sofa.

Sain cupped Neil's cheek gently. "I met the woman, at home."

"What is he doing? He's also in this dimension?" Sain asked quickly, his anger rising through his words.

"No, he hasn't. He's here too."

"Neil, you wait here. I'll take a look and do something." Sain has risen to his feet. However, Neil grabbed Sain's hand and pulled him to sit back down.

"Don't go, Riksa," Neil begged. He didn't want to be alone, at least now Neil had a friend who understood his pain and accompanied him. Only that.

"I'm not leaving, I'm right here with you." Sain took Neil into his arms

Neil calmed down after hearing that. He hugged Sain back and pulled their bodies closer. Neil felt something grow and move that touched the side of his thigh, but slowly his sleepiness came and Neil fell asleep in Sain's arms.

"I'll always be here for you."

***

"Look at the screen, don't try to trick me by closing your eyes again." The monster's voice echoed within the closed room.

"But what are they doing? Neil is scared." Neil's hand went up to cover his ears, but the voice grew louder and louder, followed by a shrill laugh. Neil's body was sweating and shaking with fear.

"What are you afraid of? Adults enjoy watching this." The monster spoke again looking very happy to make Neil suffer even more.

However, Neil was not an adult. He was just in the sixth grade of elementary school. The movie the monster shows is horrific, a naked woman is tied to a wall and a man appears carrying a long whip and starts torturing him.

Ctar!

Ctar!

Neil shouted unconsciously and hugged his own body. Gasps, moans, and sighs filled Neil's mind more and more. The tears had been streaming down his face ever since.

Neil kept begging in a small voice to stop. He came here just to meet Skylar, why did he have to see this?

Behind his sobs, Neil said, "Mom, you promised to take Neil to meet Skylar after watching this."

The monster's laughter filled the room again, he then said, "I never told you to believe."

***

Neil awoke from his slumber, his heart beating fast with terror overtaking his face as he recalled the dream that seemed so real. He bit his lower lip tightly and squirmed when he felt a hug around his waist tighten.

Neil's eyes opened wider and were immediately faced with a chest wrapped in a plain white shirt, he just realized that Sain was still by his side and they had slept on a mattress that Neil previously remembered he was on a long sofa.

Neil looked up to see Sain who seemed still fast asleep. Neil moved to release his embrace, but instead, Sain lifted one leg to lock Neil's movement.

Neil was still trying to get out of Sain's reach without waking him up, but it seemed to be in vain.

"Riksa?" call Neil not wanting to startle Sain when he wakes him up. Sain moved, but it only made Neil stick to Sain even more.

"Hmm?"

"Riksa, I need to go to the restroom," said Neil for Sain to immediately let him go.

"You're lying." Sain suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight at Neil's brown bead.

Neil's mouth fell open, making his cheeks feel hot when his little lie was discovered. "Yeah, I lied. Riksa it off, I'm not comfortable."

"You're not used to it yet. Go back to sleep, it's still three in the morning." The next thing that made Neil even more uncomfortable was when Sain rested his chin on Neil's head after he kissed him.

"Riksa, friends do this too?" asked Neil curiously. He sometimes regrets the time wasted reading books and being so busy with himself that he doesn't know these things.

"Just us." Neil's forehead wrinkled, but he didn't say anything more.

Then Neil's throat felt stuck when he felt something hardened back stuck in his stomach. "Riksa, what's wrong with yours?"