Monsters in the Closet

It had been years since the boy had last stood in his bedroom. Despite the faded memory and the redecoration that had taken place, he still recognised it as his own, which left him staring around in bewilderment at how his parents had effectively painted over his memory and erased him from their lives as best they could. He had no belongings to call his own anymore; he had literally nothing - though that thought immediately spurred him into action as he knelt on the floorboards and proceeded to feel around for the one loose board in the floor.

With a triumphant grin, he managed to retrieve a few belongings he remembered hiding there as a child, for no real reason other than it felt exciting to have a secret like that - and he was thankful for it now, given his parents clearly had no idea he had hidden items there. The items weren't anything more than some toys and a tatty old teddy bear, but they were the only things he had left.

"...I... I'm River," he whispered after urgently packing the toys away into the other's bag, rubbing his bruised wrists quietly. "I-- do you have a-a car or something? It's miles to the city, I... don't think I can manage w-walking there."
 
“Of course I have a car, like hell am I walking up this mountain,” he replied with a snort, shaking his head. Tugging on his coat, he offered over a sweater for River to at least offer a bit of warmth, cringing as he watched the snow start again.

“Let’s hurry,” he urged, locking arms as an attempt to help River while juggling his bags. It would be a proud moment looking back on it, the fact that he was able to carry all five bags and help River? That was pretty amazing in his eyes.
 
River didn't have any more time to waste, but he found a few seconds to hesitate before leaving the house. He hadn't been outside in years, and, in all his 19 years of existing, he had never left the lodge. He was born there and his parents had made it clear to him when he was a child (before the truth of his condition revealed itself) that he was to take over when they were ready to retire. Abandoning everything he had ever known was daunting, especially with a stranger he didn't even know the name of, but stepping into the unknown was better than staying put and living a broken life in a basement.

"...Thank you for helping me," he (again) thanked as he shuffled beside him, doing his best to keep up with the other. It took everything in him not to collapse there and then once the cold hit him, especially in his still dazed state, but he somehow managed to hold himself together. "I... I can't go to the police, I-I don't... want that."
 
Helping River into the car, he tossed his bags in the back and helped strap the other in neatly. Once in the car, he took in a deep breath of relief before starting up the car and heading forward. Anywhere but the resort was probably better, even if it was just in his beat-up car. It wasn’t until he was at the base of the mountain that he decided to speak, especially once hearing the other’s request to keep away from the cops.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere near the cops,” he reassured before taking River in. “I think the first thing we need to do is bring you to the hospital, you look... horrible,” he admitted, offering a laugh. “.... I’m Josef, by the way. I know you offered your name, so...”
 
"I-I am not going to a hospital, no. No way. No," he declined quickly, biting his thumbnail thoughtfully. He knew that the state he was in would only cause the doctors or nurses to call the police, and that was the one thing he wanted to avoid, even if it meant neglecting the medical care he really needed. Unfortunately, he had clearly been abused and he couldn't lie and pretend he hadn't when the physical proof was all over him.

"I... I just want something to eat, I think. I haven't eaten in a while, Josef," he murmured, smiling to himself at how nice the other's name was. He wanted to keep talking to him, to enjoy the moment of talking to someone again, which meant avoiding the urge to drift to sleep. With the warmth of the car and the sweater he had put on, he was all but ready to drop to sleep there and then, but he discreetly pinched himself to keep himself awake.

"I'm okay, I... I'm stronger than I look," laughed River as he stared out the window in fascination at the world beyond the mountains and forestland he had grown up in. "No police, no hospital, okay? Just food and... and then I'll work something out. I haven't been out of the house before, this is the... first time. I'll figure something o-out though."
 
“The only place open this late will be a McDonald’s,” he admitted, Josef’s disenchantment to the beautiful snowy mountains kept him focused on the road ahead rather than ogle the scenery like River seemed to be doing. He still had plenty of cash so finding a cheap motel to spend the night and some McDonald’s wasn’t going to dig into his funds too much.

“Do you feel alright? Should I pick up a first aid kit or something? I’m no doctor, River,” he urged, his lips pursed. “I can patch you up a bit but I can’t fix bones or... whatever else is wrong. Im... shocked. Your mother and father were lovely people, that’s... terrifying,” he admitted, more so to himself.
 
"...They're good people, I love them a lot. They're just scared," he grimaced, twisting the seatbelt in his hands to give them something to do. Despite everything, he didn't hold hatred for his parents. How could he when he understood everything they had done to him? They were scared of him and, frankly, he was scared of himself too. It was mostly why he wanted to avoid the police, so his parents didn't get into any trouble. It was messed up, but he couldn't find any reason to dislike them, not even a little.

"They think I'm not normal, I guess. I-It's fine! They're good people, d-don't talk bad about them. They did what they thought w-was best," he continued, forcing himself to smile as he pressed his head against the cold of the window. "...I-I'm sorry I ruined your visit to the lodge."
 
“No, no, don’t blame yourself,” he urged, glancing over at the boy in horror as he continued his drive. It was only when they reached a bit more of a suburban area to pull up to the first McDonald’s he saw, deciding to order just simple burgers for them both. Having spent so much time away from fast food while at the resort, he forgot just how much he loved it. Once grabbing the food, he moved to pull into a parking spot and handed over the burger with an encouraging smile.

“After you eat, we can find a motel or if you’re super tired, we can just sleep in here?” He offered gently, taking in River’s state properly. “You look exhausted and I’m not feeling very well myself, so...”
 
"Is this meat? I... I've never had meat before," he smiled-- at least until realising that wasn't strictly true. He had no real recollection of the incidents that took place whenever he did transform, but his parents, specifically his father, had been very clear about the atrocities he had once committed, and how many innocent people had been tore apart. Technically, then, he had had meat before - he just didn't remember the incident and preferred not to think about the details his parents had relayed to him about it.

"It tastes lovely. My parents never let me eat meat, they were dedicated to their lifestyle," he babbled, wiping crumbs from his mouth after an eager bite or two from the burger, his smile widening at the taste. "...You don't look good either. Have... did they hurt you too?"
 
“Oh, ah... I don’t know,” he admitted, his hand reaching for the bandages. “I think so? I... they told me that the other night was a dream and that I hit my head on the sink or something but... but unless this is all fake, you turned out to be real, right? That means they must have,” he murmured, grimacing at the pain. Shaking his head, he simply sighed and took a sip of the soda he had ordered.

“It doesn’t matter. I miss the meat, to be honest, though it’s pribably shit on my body now. It’s fine, this’ll... we’ll figure this out. No matter what, you need help more than I do, River. A head injury isn’t anything.”
 
It really wouldn't take much to win River over after the life he had had, so it was no surprise that he immediately decided that Josef was a good person; a guardian angel of sorts, even. He had never had anyone care as much for his well-being and safety in over a decade, and he was so shocked by it that he felt tears stinging his eyes. It wasn't wise to get close to anyone when he could change at any moment and potentially kill the other, but he couldn't really help himself. He wanted a friend and Josef was the only one around to fill that role.

"...You're so lovely, Josef. I... we're friends now, aren't we? Can we be friends?" He asked weakly, the childlike approach being the only way he knew to make friends. "I mean, I... I don't think I'll survive without your help-- a-and I can help you too. I'm not useless."
 
“Ah, jeez, I’m really nothing special,” he replied, his cheeks growing red in the dim light of the McDonald’s sign as he bashfully scratches his neck, holding back an awkward laugh. He wasn’t one for compliments, especially when all of the ones he was given often were to lighten the load of bad news, like when his girlfriend would say something sweet to lighten the blow of her admitting she had been cheating again. It was clear that River’s social skills had been incredibly stunted and that he most likely didn’t even understand the concept of backstabbing and for all he knew, there was no downside to their friendship.

“Friends? Ah... you know what? Sure. I don’t really have any friends anymore so this can be just you and me now, right?” He suggested as he munched on a fry, handing a few over to River urgently for him to get more food in his stomach. It wasn’t nutritional but it was food at the very least. “Now if you’re going to be my companion, I do have to warn you that I’m quite the troublemaker. I’m... not a bad guy, I just have some... bad stuff associated with me,” he admitted, trying to be as gentle with the topic as possible before offering a sip of the large soda.
 
"...I don't mind! You're super nice to me, that's all that matters. I... I'm nice to you, so that's all that should matter for you, right? I... If I did bad stuff, but I was nice to you, I'd hope you wouldn't care about the bad stuff; like I don't care about your bad stuff," he babbled as he eagerly reached for the drink to try and ease the sore throat he had, as evidenced by the raspy, croaky tone to his voice. He had never had soda either, so the fizz did catch him by surprise, blinking in confusion before attempting another few tentative sips.

"This place is pretty, I haven't been to a place like this before," he nodded, glancing up at the bright lights of McDonald's in fascination. "I was born in the lodge, my parents wanted me to be raised in that environment, I... I was 5 when they decided I... ought to be locked in that basement-- it doesn't m-matter, I'm out now! I... I like your accent, it's lovely. I wish I sounded like you."
 
“No you don’t. A lot of people have made fun of me for the way I talk whilst growing up. I moved here with little English known and I was taunted for not being able to articulate properly. I struggle sometimes still but I’ve gotten better and practiced so now I don’t sound as ridiculous as I used to. That being said, I think I learned English pretty well even though Russian is my first,” he explained, peeking up with pride at the fact. With a little more energy and with much calmer nerves, he leaned back in the seat a bit with a sigh.

“Oh, the sign? You think the sign is beautiful?” He snorted in disbelief. “I will admit, the lodge doesn’t have many colors outside of brown and tan. Perhaps I’ll take you to a gallery or something once we find a place no one can spot us out. We’re On the run after all,” he reminded before letting his eyes take in the trees surrounding the small joint. “We should find a hotel to set up camp, just until we get our stuff figured out. You need clothes and food, I need to sort things out. We should be fine, I had bought a new car from a friend before traveling here so... I’m babbling, I’m sorry.”
 
There was a chance for River to refuse any more help and to head out on his own, which would be the wiser option if he wanted to keep his condition a secret. It would inevitably be revealed at some point if he continued to hang out with Josef, whether it happened soon or (he hoped) in a long while. He knew a place to get food now and he had a warm sweater to shield him from the cold, so if he had to, he could survive, however sick and weak he still was.

He opted against all that, of course, nodding eagerly at the mention of somewhere to stay. He knew deep down that he was being impulsive and not thinking with his head, but he hoped that the transformations wouldn't occur for a few weeks - and when it did, he hoped, somehow, that he would be able to hide it from him.

"You don't need to do this for me, I... I mean, I... don't know anything about the world, I... I barely remember how to read and write, but you must have a life to get back to? I-I don't want to ruin that for you," he smiled as he nibbled at the edge of a fry, taking larger bites once deciding he liked the taste. "...But I want to be around you, you make me feel safe and... you rescued me, so you mean a lot to me-- you're the only person I know, so I...I wanna be around you until... I get myself better, I guess."
 
“I don’t have a life to go back to, don’t worry,” he replied easily, slowly frowning at the memory of his life just a few months prior. “This will be a new beginning for both of us, once a sense. I’ve got more money than I need so we’ll be fine,” he reassured before moving to the glove compartment, unlocking it and exposing more than half a million dollars neatly stacked, just in case he needed it. In reality, he only ever carried around 50 max in his wallet at a time.

“Seriously, don’t worry. It’s nice to have someone I can trust to hang around, you know?” He reassured before yawning deeply and turning on his phone he had hidden away for the first time since coming to the lodge. Much like his car, it was an older model that didn’t cost much and was really only used out of necessity, cringing when countless frantic texts began to pile up from his ex and former friends. He ignored them and instead began to search for some hotels. “Now we won’t be staying at The Ritz but I think you’ll appreciate, like, a Red Roof or Marriot.”
 
"As long as there's a bed, I'm happy," he whispered, his smile still fixed to his face at how everything seemed to be panning out for him. It was going so well that he almost had to pinch himself again to make sure it wasn't a dream. He always had faith he'd be found and helped out, but he really didn't think someone would go out of their way to help him like Josef. He wasn't so naive that he failed to recognise the other was trying to escape something -he had more or less admitted it- but that was a good thing in River's mind. It meant that he could tag along with him because Josef didn't really have a life to return to.

For a brief moment, he did fall silent once catching sight of his reflection in the wing mirror, having leaned forward a little more to take some more fries. It wasn't the state he was in that made him fall silent. He already knew that he looked underfed and was covered in signs of abuse; he could see that for himself across his body. What made him go quiet was the sight of himself, not having actually seen what he looked like in years.

"I haven't seen myself since I was a kid, this is weird," he laughed awkwardly, tearing his eyes away from the mirror and settling back into his seat. "I, uh... where did you get all that money? That's a lot. Did your parents give you it?"
 
“Nah, I just... worked really hard to get it,” he explained, looking over at River with a wary smile before starting up the car once finding a proper hotel on his phone’s GPS. Grabbing another fry, he pulled out of the parking lot down the road, obediently following the directions given to him.

“Yeah, a lot of hard work can do good for a person,” he continued on, his eyes scanning the road god any sign of possible wildlife. “I don’t spend much money, so... it usually just sits in here. The most expensive thing I’ve ever spend money on was the lodge, actually. I’m not one for fancy things, if my car is any evidence of that- wait, you haven’t seen yourself since you were a child? How old are you?”
 
The question was an easy one normally, but given he didn't even know what the year was, the question only succeeded in making him upset. It took everything not to have a panic attack, feeling his chest grow tighter as he hurried to try and work the answer out so he didn't completely embarrass himself, because that is what he felt at the moment; embarrassed. He had no reason to be, of course, but he failed to recognise that in the state he was in.

"I... I don't know. I... I was born in 2000, I think. I don't know what year it is," he replied, forcing a smile to cover up how awful that admission made him. "...I was 5 when I was locked away, I... don't think that many years have passed. Maybe I'm 16? I... I don't know."
 
“19. You’re 19.” He replied flatly, hiding his horror as he drove, instead offering an encouraging smile. “You’re an adult, you can do adult things. Don’t worry about it, okay? What we’ll focus on now is getting to the motel,” he urged before offering a pat to River’s hand. Growing quiet, he only really spoke again when they reached the hotel.

Groaning, he stretched his limbs when out of the car and motioned River to follow. Taking out a few hundred for them, he grabbed his bag of clothes for the two of them. It was almost 3 in the morning so it was a miracle the motel was willing to give them a room. After quietly checking in, he grabbed the key and offered River to unlock the door.

“Now I got us a kitchenette so we can cook and not survive off of fast food,” he explained, helping the other unlock the door. It was an average motel room with two beds, a small kitchenette area and a large television which he decided would be amazing way for River to learn something about culture.