Waking up in the middle of the late hours isn't what Danny expected, with his back casually laying down flat on the bed with his pillow at the side, his eyes glued to the ceiling with a perplexing look on his face as his vision around him was blurry from having awoken all of sudden.
Slowly blinking a few times, he attempted to clear his foggy mind as he continued to ponder why he was awake in the first place before letting out a disappointed sigh at the thought of questioning such a useless idea.
There is no need for him to ponder or think anything other than going back to sleep. However, something felt not right in the air, and he can't seem to pinpoint what exactly is bothering him in the quiet and dimly lit room.
Although he is starting to ignore this feeling, an uncomfortable sensation is still present in the pit of his stomach, making him extremely aware of his surroundings.
Despite the uneasy atmosphere, Danny didn't want to get out of his cozy bed just to check on something that might not even be there, for it is completely It's pointless on his end.
Getting out of bed to check around his room is tiresome already, especially when it's still night. He'd rather do it in the morning, refreshed and with full energy, but nonetheless, as he lays there, his thoughts keep drifting back to the disturbing feeling consuming him.
After several long minutes of closing his eyes, he finally had the urge to open them and turn his head to where his two roommates are currently sleeping, which is the king-size bed that those two are currently sharing together.
Even when he is awake, he can still hear her loud but faint snores from where he is lying. The sounds weren't disturbing his peace of mind in any way, as, due to how distant they are from each other, he is comfortable enough to black out those snores of hers from just ignoring them if it was no big deal for him.
Speaking of which, he noticed not a sight of Toby sleeping next to her on their comfortable bed, surprising him until the proper cause popped up in his mind: "It's probably just the dark or something," giving out the excuse that Toby is being hidden from his sight due to how nearly black everything is.
Making it a good reason for himself to ignore this suspicion until the morning comes around. It is better to let his body rest and ignore any problems that may arise this night, as he isn't fond of doing anything else than trying to get a good night's rest.
Yet as he turned his head, facing back to the ceiling with his eyes now shut, while also forcing himself to fall into unconsciousness regardless of the odd feeling that still persisted within his mind, his mind wouldn't stop racing.
Thoughts of danger that surround them on a daily basis, the constant threats, and the worrying about Toby's whereabouts filled his thoughts despite believing the boy was still with them in this very room until he finally drifted off into a restless sleep.
Oblivion under his eyelids slowly claims its rightful prize as Danny succumbs to the pull of fatigue, letting the tumultuous concerns and worries subside momentarily in the soothing embrace of slumber. But just as he was about to enter into his imagination, he heard it.
A scream is barely audible, but he can hear it loud and clear. It surprised him, immediately alerting his senses to the sudden commotion that occurred in their home tonight. As his eyes snapped open, he listened carefully for any other sounds, wondering if the scream was a figment of his exhausted mind or something real.
His room was eerily silent, with only the sound of Unity's distant snoring breaking the oppressive stillness. That scream couldn't have come from here, he thought to himself. The only possible answer to this is that either it came from outside or it was just his brain playing tricks on him.
Either way, Danny doesn't know what to think at this moment as he lay there with a racing heart and a bewildered expression on his face. The darkness seemed to press in around him, the shadows dancing across the walls like restless specters.
"Probably my imagination; it possibly can't be real—"
Another scream, one much louder than before, immediately made him jump out of bed. No longer doubting his ears, Danny swiftly rushed to a random window to check on where it might be coming from, hoping that this disturbance was not happening right outside their community.
When the cold night air danced through the outdoors and the moonlight illuminated around the property of this very building, he peered through the cracked window pane, his breath fogging up the glass as he strained his eyes to see anything amiss.
"Who could be outside at this hour...?" At first sight, he isn't sure what to make of what he is seeing. The ruined streets were empty, and beyond that, the forest was clean from any presence of humans; there were no signs of creatures or Renegades attacking either.
What he saw instead was an unexpected trio of three boys, two of whom he never recognized but one of whom he was familiar with. "What is happening?" his eyes widen. He finally saw it as the moon revealed more of the scene in front of him, forcing him to witness something terrific happen before his very eyes.
Michael gripped the baseball bat firmly in his hands, the wooden surface worn smooth from countless games and mock battles with his brother. He aimed the blunt end at Toby's lower chest, a wicked glint in his eyes. With a sneer, he swung the bat with all his might, hitting Toby right in the gut with a sickening thud.
Causing Toby to let out a strangled cry, his body convulsing as he doubled over, the air knocked out of him. The rope around his neck tightened, and the rough bark of the tree scratched against his skin as he struggled desperately to catch his breath.
His arms flailed wildly, trying to loosen the noose, but no matter how much he tries, the boy can't escape from this terrifying situation. "Help..." his voice was barely audible, pleading for mercy from the twins who were playing a twin form of Pinata.
While Mikey watched the scene unfold with unabashed glee, a maniacal laugh escaped his lips. "Dude, that's got to hurt!" He cackled, displaying sadistic delight from teaching his little brother to maintain his strength. The unexpected blow, causing Toby to gasp and squirm even more, made him more amused than ever.
Wiping away the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, Michael sighed with satisfaction at their handiwork. "Mikey, are you sure he's not going to die from this?" The younger brother asked, somewhat worried about the consequences they would face if either of them actually died from this act of torture. "I'm kind of worried if we will get caught from this," dread filled his voice, knowing full well what would happen if they're discovered perpetuating such a horrific act of doing something this inhumanely.
But Mikey insisted, "Hey! We know each other, right?" Putting his hand gently on his little brother's head, he said, "Including that orphan boy," glancing back to where they left off. Toby was hanging on a tree, his body flopping and dangling from the rope around his neck.
"Don't you trust me with everything I do?" A sly grin spread on his face as he looked back at Michael with confident eyes and said, "Come on! Remember how our dad let us do anything we wanted without supervision? It's the same thing here, bro, so don't worry."
"I... I am not sure if we should continue doing this, Michael," the show of concern evident in his tone of voice as he hesitated before asking the obvious question, "what if Toby actually dies from this?" Deeply troubled by the implications of their cruel actions, he chewed on his lip anxiously, the fear of reprisal gnawing at his gut.
Nevertheless, despite his unease, Michael's resolve wavered not an inch under the influence of his older sibling's persuasive words and reassuring gestures.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, "Tsk! We have been doing this for years! Michael, you know we will never get caught, and him dying from this is completely zero as long as we don't exceed the duration of hanging him for too long." Shaking his head with impatience, he took a step closer towards the rope hung around the unfortunate Toby's neck, grabbed hold of it firmly, and began to yank it upward, lifting the boy off the air further.
"Look, see how he's still breathing?" He said this to his little brother.
"Umm..." Mikey wasn't sure what to say about this when he laid his eyes on the now-blue-faced Toby. "I think we should stop here and go back inside before someone finds him in this state, Mike." Looking around nervously, fearing of being found out, he reluctantly wanted to agree with his brother on anything, but common sense has to prevail in this situation, and unlike his bigger brother, he always has a sense of caution and fear in facing the consequences of his actions. "M-Mikey, I think he's not breathing very well."
As the ropes dug deeper into his throat, Toby's desperate struggles grew more feeble, his vision blurring at the edges as oxygen-starved blood pounded through his skull. His limbs jerked erratically, fingers clawing at the air as if trying to grasp something to anchor himself to reality.
Each shallow gasp drew in a mere whisper of air, doing little to alleviate the suffocating constriction around his windpipe. Tears streamed down Toby's face, leaving salty trails on his cheeks as he whimpered pitifully, his cries muffled by the makeshift gag jammed into his mouth.
For the first time in his life, Michael is disturbed by his own actions. Seeing an actual human being suffer greatly had brought him a moment of clarity in regards to his dangerous and destructive lifestyle.
This realization of his wrongdoings is becoming uncomfortably apparent as he stares into the fading pupils of the helpless boy swinging in front of him, a gnawing feeling of guilt festering in his gut that tells him perhaps this bullying of theirs is going little too far for his taste.
"His actually going to die , Mikey!" Panic set in. The sight of him dangling and the rasping sound of his breaths, barely audible over the rustling of leaves in the wind, sparked a sudden, urgent desire to end this perverse game and retreat back to the safety of their dormitory.
"What...?" Michael was in disbelief at this unexpected sight. "You actually cared for this little runt all along?" He couldn't believe his ears at the sudden shift in his older brother's demeanor. Suddenly feeling the cool night breeze, his attention shifted to Toby's hanging form and the sickly pale hue of his skin.
"Unbelievable!" Throwing an angry glance at his little brother with disgust, he said, "After all the fun we've had with this orphan kid, now you're getting sentimental about him?!" He spat out in fury, his anger manifesting in his tightly clenched fists.
Dropping his bat, he desperately tried to reason with his brother, "Wait a minute! You got it all wrong! I still love you, Michael, but we need to think about the aftermath if Toby's dies from this because both of us know the punishment we will face for doing something this illegal can be severe."
The younger sibling was struggling with his emotions as he paced around, feeling guilty and other mixed emotions building inside of him after everything he just witnessed, especially knowing that his brother will hate him for stopping the fun they are having.
"After everything I have done for you! After all those times I helped you beat up this pathetic boy, you're telling me you care about him now?!" Snarling dangerously, his eyes blazing with indignation as he continued to face Mikey.
The younger twin's anguish-filled expression only fueled Michael's outrage."You're just trying to weasel out of our good times together!" he accused hotly, "Well, not under my watch! I am going to make sure he actually dies from this, and maybe you will thank your elderly brother about this."
"Mikey don't!"
Just as he pulled the rope downward in hopes of showing how serious he was about killing Toby at this very moment, something strange happened. The twins have expected him to be lifted up, snap his neck, or suffocate Toby to death.
Instead, the specific tree branch responsible for holding the noose in its entirety had suddenly broken into two from the increased weight and strain it had endured from his hanging moments ago. The rope snapped apart like a brittle thread, sending Toby plummeting violently to the unforgiving earth below.
He screamed loudly before falling to the ground, breathing heavily from this horrific situation he had gotten himself into and wheezing as if he had been underwater for far too long. Air rushes back into his lungs, and he coughs violently before a torrent of vomit spurts from his gaping mouth.
"Ah!!"
Tears streaming down his face once more, the unforgettable pain in his throat and his entire body felt like it had been put through a blender as the ground beneath him was cold and unforgiving. He remained sitting there for a few minutes, whimpering pathetically before slowly starting to crawl away from those two, only to feel someone grabbing his hair roughly.
"Where are you going, orphan boy?"
