"Byeeeee guys!" Bob laughed pulling Ray, Mikey and Gerard into a group hug so that their faces were almost touching. They stood there for a while outside the school gates, with the sunlight jumping from Bob's golden hair and the hug seemed to tighten a little with every second that passed. When it was starting to become difficult to breath, Ray successfully managed to peel Bob off of them, waved his hand and joined the mass of school kids flooding into the streets. Mikey and Gerard turned around to follow Ray.

"No!" Cried Bob running after them, "don't leave me friends! I have friends now and you are just the most fabulouuus friends that I've ever had! Don't leave!"
"I'm sorry Bob..." Mikey began, "we have to get 'home'" he shuddered at the word, "but we'll be back tomorrow friend, I promise we are not leaving you forever just 'till tomorrow, okay?"
The two brothers began to get carried away by the masses of students, like a lost football being thrown about by the seas currents.
"Okay! I love you's!!!!" They heard Bob shout in the distance, they waved and saw a smile creep onto his face.


Gerard and Mikey slowly walked back home, dreading everything about the house, their uncle, their own home.
"They seemed really nice." Muttered Mikey, trying to keep his spirits high.
"Yeah." Agreed Gerard as his thoughts of the absent young boy named Frank swam through his mind. "They did. Bob seems to have all the energy in the world, like!"
"Haha" laughed Mikey, "he sure does..."

The smiles on the Way brothers faces dropped as soon as they turned the corner and bowed to the huge white house that loomed over the street. They very slowly dragged their feet and made their way towards the front door; hoping that their uncle was not home yet so that they might raid the cupboards. To no surprise the door was locked but to more of a surprise after several knocks on the door there was no reply. Gerard tried the doorbell: Nick was either out or simply ignoring them.
"Looks like we're stuck here for a bit Mikes..." Gerard whispered as he plonked himself down onto the doorstep and brought out his sketch book and pencils.
"Okay." Replied Mikey glumly, collapsing down next to Gerard.

---

It was 11:30 at night and the coldness of the night settled in around the brothers. The frost clung to their thin jumpers and caused their skin to raise up in goosebumps as they still waited on the doorstep. Countless knocking on the door could not have got them back into the house so still they sat trembling with ice as the moon cast its ugly white shadow down on them.

The click of the front door scared Gerard out of his mind and he turned behind him to see Nick stood inside the house that almost glowed with warmth. Gerard stood up and brought a shivering Mikey with him as Nick opened the door and pulled them inside.

"Well..." He laughed, "that's stage 1 of 2 of your punishment completed!"
"You knew we were outside, sir. And you didn't let us in?"
"Yes! Of course I knew you where there! Do you think I'm stupid?"
Mikey resisted the temptation to nod instead diverting his attention by asking Nick a question.
"What are we being punished for, sir?"
"Because you thought that you could get away with stealing money from ME! You sneaky ratty bastards!"
"We was going to pay it back straight away sir! We needed it for food!" Gerard replied, trying to avoid Nicks hand that came from his pockets and grabbed both of the boys by the wrist.
"You weren't you filthy LIARS!" he yelled, his coarse voice piercing through the quiet, "And now its time for stage 2 of 2 of your punishment!"

He tugged the two helpless boys to the garage, ignoring the shrieks, cries and whimpers that escaped their blue lips.
"Here's your bed for the 'night'..."

Nick showed them the only dirty thing in the entire house: An old rotten trap door that lay hidden in the corner, its hinges attached to the floor.

All of a sudden a corse rope was wrapped savagely around Gerards hands so that his pleas for help slowly disappeared and then coarse ropes cut into his wrists as his arms were tied helplessly behind his back. The trapdoor was opened and Gerard was cast down into its depths; landing on the cool concrete with a thud and trying his best to see through the ever darkening shadows. Soon enough Mikey joined him, his hands too bound behind his back, his body shaking and tears running all the way down his petrified face and soaking into his jumper.

"Sleep tight..." Nick laughed before allowing the door to close and locking it from above. He walked out of the garage as if nothing had happened leaving the two: lost, cold and sleepless.

Notes

Hola, I hope this (slightly longer) chapter was good, though all I really know is that it makes me hate Nick even more. Hope you are doing well and thank you reading. :) x
-Lou