Chapter Thirteen
The basement smelled dank and musty, the windows having been painted shut many years earlier. Lee’s form was huddled into the corner, his fingers and toes having lost all feeling. He shifted against the metal bars of the cage and the chain leading to the collar around his neck rattled and echoed around the basement. The sound made him flinch and his eyes flitted to the dark stairs and the door that could burst open at any moment.
The metal band around his neck had rubbed the skin raw and his eyes fluttered closed as his body shivered in the cold. A cough wracked through him, the phlegm tearing up his throat and making him gag. His throat was raw and it hurt to swallow, his tongue swollen from lack of moisture. He gagged as bile rose from his stomach and he spat the phlegm out.
The smell of urine permeated the air around him and his eyes opened and closed again. He had no semblance of time and he had no idea how long he’d been down in the basement. It could have been days or weeks or perhaps even months. He never saw the sun so he didn't even know if it was day or night. His shoulders stiffened as he heard the key in the lock.
The door closed and he sighed with relief at the sound of the soft footsteps on the creaking wood. It wasn't him. He could endure as long as it wasn't him. He brought pain and humiliation, his laughter when Lee crawled on the floor made his insides twist.
“I brought you some porridge.” Another key scraped against metal and Lee’s eyes focused on the woman in front of him.
“Mommy … please …”
“I can’t let you out, Lee, you know what he’ll do, eat quickly before he wakes up.” Her voice was a mere whisper.
Lee’s fingers were stiff from the cold and the spoon fell from his hands, twice. He gripped the bowl with shaky hands and slurped the porridge up. It was more like a soup but it was better than nothing. It had no taste but Lee didn’t care. He couldn't remember the last time he ate and his stomach sent sharp pains through his intestines.
“I’m cold … Mom … please help me.”
Lee’s mother took the plastic bowl and locked the cage’s door again. Lee’s head lowered towards his chest and he wrapped his arms around his legs, trying to warm up. The door at the top of the stairs was shut softly and Lee closed his eyes. He couldn't remember how he'd ended up in the cage, couldn't remember much aside from the darkness.
He had long since given up on crying, it just made the beatings worse. His father liked to hear him scream, liked to see his tears and his face twist in pain. Lee had learned how to keep his expression stoic, and how not to show any emotion.
He was twelve years old and for as long as he could remember he’d spent the majority of his time down in the basement, chained inside the cage like a dog. Hours went by and he could smell his mother’s cooking wafting through the door and his stomach rumbled with hunger pangs.
Lee drifted in and out of a troubled sleep, dreaming of sunshine and warmth, waking up to his harsh reality as he shivered and his muscles cramped. He wished for death, dreamt of death, and prayed for that release of not feeling hungry anymore.
“What the hell is this?” The harsh whisper of the strange voice woke him up and Lee blinked his eyes a few times to adjust to the darkness around him.
“Help …”
“Mike, there’s a kid in here.”
“Shit … we need to go …”
Lee heard shuffling sounds and then the man’s face was close to his on the other side of the bars. His eyes reflected the horror of the situation and Lee struggled to keep his eyes open. He just wanted to sleep and never wake up.
Shouting and loud footsteps from the floor above woke Lee a few hours later. Faint sunlight shone through the dusty window and the door leading to the basement was kicked open. More footsteps sounded on the stairs and a man appeared in Lee’s field of vision.
“We’ve got the kid! Get the medics down here!”
More voices spoke over each other and then warm hands pulled Lee out of the cage. A blanket was wrapped around his shoulders and a stethoscope was pressed against his naked chest. He was dirty, hungry and giving up.
“Stay with me, kid.”
His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he was pressed close against someone. “… need to get him to the hospital … move people!”
Beeping noises infiltrated Lee’s senses and he blinked his eyes open to a stark, white room with a blanket tucked around him. He noticed the warmth first, he wiggled his toes and a faint smile appeared on his face.
“Hey … Lee … my name’s Durandt Black.”
The man wore jeans and a button-up shirt with a jacket over it. He had soft, kind brown eyes and his brown hair was a bit longer than was professionally acceptable. Lee looked at the man as he stood up and pushed a trolley table closer to him.
“Do you want some water?”
Lee nodded and the man picked up the plastic glass and held the straw closer to his mouth. Lee’s lips were dry and cracked and he could taste blood in his mouth as he took a tentative sip of the water. It was the best thing Lee had tasted in a long time. He was used to water that tasted faintly like soap, murky and had things drifting in it. This water however was clean and fresh.
“Thank you.”
“They have you on a soft diet for now but when you feel up to it, I’ll bring some pizza or cheeseburgers. Would you like that?”
“How did you find me?” Lee was hungry but more importantly, he needed to know that it was all over, that he was now free.
“That’s quite an interesting story. A man barged into the police station, telling the front desk officer that he had broken into a house but found a kid chained in a cage instead. He led us back to the house and we found you.”
“What’s his name?” Lee held Durandt's gaze, never wavering. He'd never be a victim again. It was a promise he made to himself, a promise he intended to keep.
“Steve Jones.”
“He saved me.”
Lee leaned back against the pillows in the hospital bed and closed his eyes. He was safe. It was over. He didn't care where his mother was and he clenched his fists tightly, breathing easier. At that moment, only one name mattered, and that was Steve Jones, his hero.
