The Puppeteer

Chapter 14 - Emptiness

He could not sleep in the basement too, he will 'see' where the corpse was, on the first night after the incident, William locked him insides with the blood was still on the floor. For the whole night William was unable to sleep as he heard Zylen wails, pleads for help and even apologizing like he was apologizing to the dead person. The next few days William found Zylen sleeps in the toilet, he was pissed off but Zylen still remember he was supposed to be 'unexist' so he was good enough in hiding himself, even if he sleep in the toilet he will be sleeping beside the toilet bowl, where it would not be seen unless someone really use the toilet. He hide inside the small cabinet in the living room as well, and a few more places where he will be 'unexist' in the house in the night.

For all of this behaviour William punish him and locked him in the dog cage, but the mindless lad was too broke to think, he let William did as he like. He would not resist

Beating him, will only make him cry, but he would not react, it as if he was here but he was not at the same time, so William decided to use him instead of hurting him, because he was no fun without his screaming.

"Hey!" He calls out, this time Zylen sleep below the stairs. If he really is 'sleeping'. He was sitting there in the dark, hugging his knees and head slightly tilted to his side, his eyes brusied sleepless does not blinks and keep staring the basement room like he really watching something or saw something. His mouth keeps murmuring and whispering something unclear and could not be heard by William

"Hey!!" Williams calls out again. Zylen eyes rolls towards him

"...."

"Clean the yard" He commanded him, there he goes, crawling out slowly and even crawl by the stairs to get upstairs. William trails him until the living room, he saw Zylen was shivering all over, he did not eat for a week, even drinking water was almost imposibble unless William forced him to. A doll would not have any value if it was death right? William really thinks this could be the end of the boy. He cannot survive the way he is . Zylen does not even bother to wear his shoes, he crawls to the lawn and pull off the grass with the little strength he left.

William drink his coffee and watch Zylen from the platform. It took Zylen forever to clean a single spot. "Hey! Hurry up!" he yelled to him. But Zylen is not listening. Feeling angry William was about to scold him but now as he approach him he saw there were no more grass left there. Zylen dig his nail in the soil and took it out placing it where he place the grasses he took off, he was whispering.

"Oi" he calls out "Hey!" He kicked him. "What's the matter with you? You wanna die already?" he asked.

Zylen slowly looks up to him, looking clueless and mindless "Die..Kill...me" he said . William would really smack him with rock and kill him right away if he really wanted to. But that would be no fun right? This is something new in Zylen, for this entire eight years he enslave him, he was never behave this way. Back then when William killed his pet, he was in a bad shape too, but after a few days of torture he back to himself. But this time, William already tortured him for five days, but Zylen won't scream at all, he only cried and faint, and his behaviour shows no improvement.

There is one thing William able to figure out. Zylen was lack of sleep. Zylen was afraid to sleep, he would have nightmare again. He believe whenever he found him sleeping around the house, he believe the boy was not even sleeping, he was hiding

"Thirsty?" The older male asked shoving the cup to the lad. Zylen stares up to the cup, he seems refusing, but William wait for him like forcing him to have it. As Zylen reach out the cup with both of his hand William splash the coffee to him. His hair and a side of his face was filled with the coffee, his clothes was dirty too. The coffee was a fresh brew, it was still hot. Zylen only froze there with his hand still in the air to reach the cup earlier. He did not scream with the burning pain. Tears filled his eyes and rolling down his reddish skin. He was in pain surely, but his reaction makes it feels like he was not in pain...he was hurt.