If I wasn’t a slave, which Allister and Collin had both said way too many times, then what was I?
A sixteen-year-old boy, my thoughts so nicely answered for me. Which wasn’t helpful one bit.
The sun was now up, birds chirping through the slightly cracked window, yet sleep was nowhere to be found for me.
I wondered what the others were doing, back at Mr. S’s place. Most likely sleeping, but did they worry where I was going? Did they even care?
It was only a few hours ago, while Collin was still here, that I found out what Mr. S’s real name was. Donald something. A man who was powerful inside and out of his living space. A government official, as Allister supplied. Not that it had meant anything to me.
It was then that it slowly understood it.
I wouldn’t have to go back there. Ever.
Would I really not have to serve another man ever again? Was I truly free to live a life of doing anything I could want to do? Would I survive?
Never before had I wished I had someone I could talk to, to ask these questions, and find the answers.
Could I even have a friend? Would Dakota be my friend? Was I allowed to do that?
Allister, who seemed to be concerned over the hurt boy, sat a bit off to the side in a chair. Although he had a book on his lap, he wasn’t reading it. I could feel his eyes watching the both of us. Dakota dozed off and on, while the TV had something playing on the TV. I assumed it was the pain meds that were running through his body. But at least his tears had mostly stopped.
Allister’s orders ran through my head once more. I was to never be naked in his presence, nor was I to offer my services. Well, not sexual ones anyhow. Helping take care of Dakota was easy, though. Not that he needed much.
I had fetched water for the man and cleaned the house up some the past few hours. I even started some laundry, which was a bit harder than I ever thought it would be.
I was used to sucking cock. Not cleaning.
Tilting my head so it rested on the back of the couch, I looked over Dakota once more.
“He’s...free?”
“Yes,” Allister answered, giving up on pretending to read. “Just like you.”
“Then why can’t I just stay here?”
Allister sighed, shifting. I knew someone was coming to pick me up today at some point in time. I’d be going to yet another house, another family. I didn’t want to go. The idea of a family was worse than the words of being free.
Here, I could figure out what to expect. I could clean. Cook, and do other things that Allister could possibly need.
“I appreciate the help in the last day or two, Asher,” he spoke slowly, making sure I understood the words that were being said. “But you need someone who will be able to help you. Help you get to a healthy place where you won’t always think about just serving me or another man.”
“But-“ Dakota was staying here.
“No arguing.”
I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. I turned my gaze away from the man, glaring at the TV.
“Being around people your own age will do you some good.”
“I was in a room full of others for over a year that were close to my age,” I muttered, but then the anger turned into sadness.
I was here, arguing over being free of all things, while the others were still stuck in hell. That wasn’t fair of me.
“I forgot about that,” Allister said. “I am sorry. Collin will do his magic work to get them out safely. And who knows, maybe you will see them again someday.”
“I don’t want to ever see them. I...can’t.”
If I was free, why would I want to be thrown back into that place? Why would I want to see someone who would remind me and want to talk about what we went through?
