Niklaus ran as far and as fast as he could. He needed to clear his mind on his own. He needed to get away from the prying, pitying eyes. He needed to get away from the questions about being held captive and the questions about his growing nightmares.
'Why do these dreams keep happening?' Niklaus slowed down and sat against a tree, enjoying the morning breeze and cool grass.
Niklaus sighed, he didn't know what the hell was happening in his life right now and he didn't have anyone to give him answers. Before he realized he fell asleep against the tree.
"ㄕЯéㄕ∑ⅰ и∆ ㄕЯ◊ㄅéςｻ∑ⅰㄅ." A vast empty void sat in front of Niklaus.
"What?" Niklaus tried walking closer to the voice but seemed to only find more void. "Where am I?"
"∑í㎡∆ㄅɬ∑ ㎡éㄅ∆ ㄅɬ◊ ㄚㄕ◊ㄅㄚи∑í∂ⅰɬó ㄅ◊ㄩ."
"I don't understand!" Niklaus stared into the void. "What the hell is going on!"
"ㄕЯéㄕ∑ⅰ и∆ ɬｻㄚ㎡áㄅ∆ⅰ!" The voice was loud, almost like it wasn't in the darkness but Niklaus's own mind.
"I don't understand!" Niklaus was getting upset. "Why am I here? Who are you? Where are we!?"
"∂∑и éςｻ◊ㄩ㎡∑ ςｻЯóи◊!" The voice sounded angry, maybe even scared. "ㄕЯéㄕ∑ⅰ и∆ к∆ɬ∆ﾚá√∑ⅰㄅ! ㄕЯéㄕ∑ⅰ и∆ ɬｻㄚ㎡áㄅ∆ⅰ!"
"What the hell are you saying!!?" Niklaus tried moving again but only found void upon void. "Let me out!"
The void disappeared and Niklaus found himself still slumped on the tree. Niklaus looked at the new watch he received from Neil.
6:58pm
"Fuck!" Niklaus hugged under his breathe and got up from the tree.
He ran back to the pack house and entered through the front door. He closed the door quietly, hoping no one had noticed he had been gone all day.
"Jesus Niklaus!" Neil exited the kitchen and walked over to Niklaus. "Where the hell were you?"
"I went for a run." Niklaus turned, trying to avoid more questions and go to his room but Neil stepped in front of him.
"There's no way that you've been running for the last eight hours! Where the hell did you go?" Neil's voice was raised slightly.
"I went for a run and stopped for a little break. I fell asleep, I slumped on a tree." Niklaus shrugged, his eyes asking, pleading to be let go from the conversation.
***
Neil watched Niklaus's eyes, so much pain was hidden behind those dark coffee colored eyes. They pleaded not to be asked questions, pleaded for Neil to let them off the hook. Neil wanted to pry further, he wanted Niklaus to talk to him. He wanted answers but he knew that if he pried to far, he might send Niklaus into another panic attack.
"Alright. Are we still going to the bar?" Neil watched as Harper emerged from the living room.
"I still want to go." Harper raised his hand slightly like he was still in first grade sharing in a class discussion.
"Yeah. We can still go." Niklaus started up the stairs. "Let me shower and change. I'll be down again soon."
***
Niklaus stared at the scars covering his body. He could remember each one. The one spanning the width of his right shoulder from when Blink decided he'd throw a vase at a thirteen year old. The burn on his left ribs when Tad, another of Blink's guards, decided it was funny when the fourteen year old screamed. The scars that got carved into his arms whenever Tran got an urge for blood. Niklaus sighed, tracing each of his scars as the memories flashed through his mind. He hurried to finish his shower and change.
He looked through the clothes that Scarlett had found in her son's old stuff. He noticed a new pile of clothes on the bed and a jacket with a note.
𝓗𝓪𝓹𝓹𝔂 𝓑𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓱𝓭𝓪𝔂! 𝓗𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓳𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓽𝓼. -𝓢𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓽
It was a leather jacket with silver buttons and zippers. Small studs made a line on each of the shoulders. Niklaus looked through the closet and found the T-shirt Neil had given him. He put the shirt on, then the jacket, somehow they both fit perfectly. He found some plain jeans and a pair of black boots. Niklaus walked down the stairs where he found Neil and Harper waiting for him.
"Wow bro! Scarlett really hooked you up with all those clothes huh?"
"Yeah. The shirt fits good too." Niklaus lifted the jacket slightly to show Neil the T-shirt. "How'd you know my size?"
"I just guessed. You look to be around the same size as Harper." Neil wrapped his hand in Harper's.
"You ready to go?" Harper shifted his gaze from Neil to Niklaus.
"Yeah." They spoke together and chuckled.
They arrived at the bar after 30 minutes of driving. Harper and Neil held hands as they walked inside, Niklaus lingered behind them feeling almost like a third wheel. He stopped just outside the doors as a scent filled his nose. It was intoxicating, something he'd never smelt before. The scent was faint outside but as he got farther into the building the scent got stronger. It filled the building, Niklaus couldn't tell who or what the scent was coming from. He stopped, realizing he had lost Harper and Neil. He searched the bar for them, scanning the crowd.
"Hey!" Neil was standing next to Niklaus. "Where'd you go?"
"I thought I smelled something outside." Niklaus spoke close to Neil's ear, making sure he could hear him over the music. "It's nothing I've ever smelled before."
Neil took a whiff of the air. "I don't smell anything.." Neil took another whiff. "Except alcohol, perfume, and vomit."
Harper walked up behind Neil with three drinks. Neil took two and held one out to Niklaus.
"Come on man. Have a drink and some fun." Neil patted Niklaus's shoulder. "Gods know we could all use some fun right now."
"Yeah." Niklaus grabbed the drink and downed the whole thing. "Just so you know, I haven't had a drink in six years. This alcohol will probably go right through me."
Neil and Harper chuckled. They wondered what a drunk Niklaus would be like. They wondered if drinking would help Niklaus talk about his past.
"Let's go dance!" Harper dragged Neil to the dance floor. Niklaus followed behind them.
They had been dancing and drinking for hours. Niklaus stumbled to the bar top again and that scent caught his nose again. He turned around and scanned the bar, he still couldn't tell where the smell was coming from. Niklaus grabbed his drink and went back to the dance floor with Neil and Harper. He was glad that Harper mentioned this place, Niklaus needed some fun after the life he had been dealt. He felt someone bump into his side, he turned to see who it was. It was a small brunette girl with emerald green eyes. She didn't even seem to notice that she bumped him but Niklaus had finally found his scent. The little brunette, with the emerald green eyes. He stood in awe as she walked to the bar top and started talking to a group of girls.
'Who is she?' Niklaus looked around him for Neil and Harper, finding that they had been engulfed by each other. He didn't want to bother them and found his gaze searching the group of girls for the little, emerald-eyed, brunette.