...Scott?!

Paulie smirked, clearly delighted with himself as he took in Marc’s pathetic state. “I told you I wouldn’t let you get away with it. You owe Steven and me too much for that.”

Marc shook his head. “I don’t owe you anything.”

Why did he say it like that? It’s almost like he’s implying that Steven is alive…

“You do,” Paulie snarled as he stepped forward, hands clenching into fists as he glared. “You know you do.”

“I don’t,” Marc repeated, eyes never leaving Paulie as he asked. “How did you get in here?”

Where’s Scott?

Paulie snorted. “It wasn’t that hard. Steven said that Hank accidentally broke the back door, and it looks like the owner still hasn’t gotten around to replacing the lock.”

He shook his head sorrowfully, almost like a student who desperately wanted you to believe he was sorry…until he smirked again. “But that just makes things easier, doesn’t it? We can finally get down to business.”

His eyes—so much like Steven’s—glint with malice as he spat. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this, Marc. None at all.”

“Actually, it’s only been about six months since our last encounter, and a year since Steven and the others disappeared. So, I do know how long you’ve been waiting, Paulie.”

“You shut your mouth!” Paulie’s fist shot out, catching Marc across the face and sending him to the floor as he bellowed. “YOU DON’T GET TO SAY HIS NAME AFTER WHAT YOU DID!”

Marc turned his head and spat some blood onto the floor. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that… Where is Scott?

Paulie grabbed Marc’s shoulder and tossed him onto the couch.

Marc went willingly enough. This new pain wasn’t doing much more than distracting him from his pounding head as Paulie leaned down until their faces were inches apart.

“Well?”

Marc could only stare at him. “Well, what?”

Once again, Paulie’s fist introduced itself to Marc’s head, knocking him sideways, only to be yanked up moments later for another demand. Marc didn’t know what to think.

Paulie had been hysterical when the doctors finally sided with Marc and agreed to let him leave the hospital, but this was different. Paulie’s question never changed.

Neither did Marc’s.

Paulie hit him again, knocking him over before yanking him back up.

Then, everything repeated.

Scott never showed up.

Paulie never paused to check if Scott would.

It was as if he’d forgotten that there was supposed to be another person in the cabin. A person whom Paulie had accused of being Marc’s new ‘sucker.’ A person who had promised to make Paulie wish he’d never been born.

But Paulie never asked about Scott, and Scott never appeared. It was all too much. So, Marc did what his doctor—the one who agreed to let Marc take this trip since Scott would be there—and resorted to his last line of defense since he knew he couldn’t get away from Paulie.

Marc shut down. He stopped thinking about what was happening, what he wanted to happen, and what wasn’t happening. He tried not to feel anything anymore, but that was harder since Paulie had punched him so many times.

But Marc eventually remembered the trick of it—of sinking into himself until the world around him faded into a blur. And waited. Not for the pain to stop.

Marc needed that to keep going so he wouldn’t be tempted to start thinking again. But he knew he was waiting for something.

Paulie didn’t seem to notice the change at first. He still asked the same question, but no longer waited to see if Marc would answer. He liked hitting Marc too much to stop—just like his brother.

But Paulie did stop hitting Marc eventually.

And Marc eventually noticed.

But several seconds passed before he understood why.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

Marc could do little more than blink and focus on breathing, but he saw it. The moment Paulie realized where the source of the noise was coming from, because he froze with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

The sight alone was almost worth the beating—almost. But Marc wanted to see the source too. He had to make certain that it wasn’t Scott about to do something foolish.

He owed him so much, but it still took Marc a couple of attempts to stand. He couldn’t feel his face—a small miracle that he didn’t deserve—and turned to see what Paulie was staring at.

And, as if to help, the sound came again.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

Paulie whimpered, but Marc paid him no mind as his eyes met several sets of glowing orbs peering in at them. The eyes were expressionless, yet of different colors.

Two grey, two blue, two brown, and two green… Marc blinked and stepped back to see they’d doubled in number…and moved closer.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

Marc could see their forms now. The creatures were humanoid, with four limbs longer than their bodies were wide, and wicked-looking claws and fangs that were doubtless as sharp as knives, if not sharper.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

It took Marc another second to realize that the sound had shifted, yet he didn’t dare to turn around. He knew the creatures would burst through the glass and devour him if he did.

And even though Marc was convinced he deserved nothing less for the trouble he caused Scott. He still didn’t want to die. Marc didn’t know if he had wanted to when he was dating Steven, but he’d only felt joy when he was with Scott.

What happened to Scott? Marc didn’t know if he voiced this thought aloud, but he got an answer, regardless.

Paulie suddenly grunted, causing Marc to finally turn…only to freeze again.

Another creature, bigger, taller, somehow more muscular, and yet, still appearing as gaunt as the others, was standing behind them… behind Paulie… with its claws buried so deep into his back, they came out through his stomach like tissue paper.

Seeing that it had Marc’s attention, the creature raised its free hand and lightly tapped a claw against the fireplace’s metal cover.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

SMASH!

They broke through the window. Marc thought as the creature jerked its other arm—the one with Paulie—sending him flying backward into the waiting hands of the other creatures.

Paulie shrieked, making Marc wince, but he wasn’t going to try to help him. He couldn’t even help himself.

The creature was now completely focused on him. Its eyes were a blazing red, like the blood Marc was certain would stain the floor for ages to come. Its claws were dripping with it, but the creature didn’t attack.

It studied him. Marc tracked how the creature gazed at his face, taking in every bruise, every drop of blood streaming from his nose and busted lip. The attention was reawakening Marc’s sense of pain, yet it didn’t move.

Paulie’s screams slowly turned to gurgles before, finally, the only sounds that could be heard were ones Marc was already trying to disguise. He didn’t want to think about what being torn apart feels like.

He didn’t want to imagine getting eaten alive, as some of the sounds suggested. Marc didn’t want to think of anything beyond a single hope.

Please, don’t let Scott come in and see this.

The creature tilted its head, and Marc was now forced to realize something else. He could feel a breeze on the back of his neck—something was breathing on him.

Marc swallowed, winced, and fought the urge to turn around. It didn’t matter which direction he was facing. Death surrounded him, and there was nothing Marc could do about it.

He thought about shutting down again. It probably wouldn’t be enough to tune out being torn apart, but any small mercy was better than none. But the creature moved before he made up his mind.

Marc watched it take a single step—probably not even a full one since the creature was so large—and raise its hand towards Marc’s face. He waited for the claws to pierce him, make him bleed just like they did with Paulie.

But they merely wrapped around the back of his head to hold him in place as the creature’s palm covered most of Marc’s bruised cheek. He tried not to wince or flinch at the pain, but it was impossible.

Marc wasn’t strong like Scott. He wasn’t brave. He wasn’t even kind-hearted. I kept saying I hoped this trip would help trigger my memories. But I would’ve been fine without them. I don’t need to know what happened to me last year. I don’t even care about the people who were supposed to be here with me this year. I just want to live and be with Scott again!

The creature moved its face closer, closer, and closer still until its eyes were the only things that Marc could see.

Then, it pulled away and smiled.

Marc’s eyes snapped open. His heart was pounding like crazy… but the warm sunlight streaming through the bedroom curtains helped him calm down.

He looked around the room, a smile tugging at his lips at the delightful disarray he found in the state of his and Scott’s clothes on the floor.

I wonder if that means he’s walking around in his birthday suit…Wait, no, that’s not right. His friends showed up last night. There’s no way Scott would do something like that, although…

Marc quickly got dressed, brushed his hair, and did his best to look presentable. He couldn’t do anything about his blush or the hickeys Scott left on his neck last night, but he didn’t think he looked too bad.

His skin felt a bit tight and tender around his face, but he’d make Scott take responsibility later. Marc headed downstairs, wrinkling his nose at the empty soda cans, bags of potato chips, and pizza boxes strewn throughout the living room.

We’re going to need to clean up before leaving… Maybe I can convince Scott to take everyone fishing while I clean. I can make a pie for when they get back!

Marc didn’t know how well it would work, but the idea of surprising his boyfriend made him smile. The sun’s warm rays made everything glitter as he took in the beautiful scenery on the other side of the glass and jumped when he felt Scott’s arms wrap around him from behind.

“Good morning. Sleep well?” Was purred into his ear, making Marc squirm before managing to turn around and fake a pout.

“I slept fine. Where’d you come from, anyway?” How did I miss him coming into the living room?

Scott shrugged, still grinning wickedly. “From the kitchen. Everyone else is already up, and no, you’re not staying here to clean up the mess. You’re coming with us when we go fishing.”

“I’m terrible at fishing,” Marc protested. I knew it was a long shot. How am I going to surprise him now?

“Then you can just sit pretty and be my good luck charm. Come on, Bunny. I want you with me today. The others really want to get to know you, and have been grilling me mercilessly about last night.”

Marc blushed and hid his face in Scott’s chest. “I told you not to do anything last night.”

“Yes, but it’s so hard not to when you’re cuddling me…” He kissed the top of Marc’s head to make him squeak again. “... as if I’m your lifeline. Did you have a bad dream last night, Lamb?”

Marc started to shake his head and frowned. Did I? “My head feels kind of sore. But I’m blaming that on you.”

Scott laughed and kissed him again. “That’s fine. You can blame me for whatever you want as long as you remember to take your medicine. Did you?”

“Not yet. I want to eat breakfast first.”

“Of course. A hungry bunny is a grumpy bunny. And that’s no fun.”

Marc snorted and wrinkled his nose as the tang of iron rose from the floor…and Scott.