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Hershey heard the ringing before he heard the words.

The faintness of the ringing became louder ever so gently before it occupied everything. Impossible to focus on anything else, Hershey lied still. Then it lowered, and he could hear the sounds of birds far off in the distance.

Hershey opened his eyes, but still didn’t move. He knew he was lying on a bed, one surprisingly comfortable for how dirty it actually looked. The walls around him were covered in tearing yellow and purple wallpaper, and there was a pile of clothes, a sink, and a toilet pushed to the other side of the room. Hershey looked up at the light source and saw that the sun was perfectly still in the sky…through the barred windows.

That could mean either two things.

One, he had only slept for a few hours.

Two, he had slept for a few days.

The door in front of his bed opened slightly, and he let his eyelids and limbs go limp.

Hershey heard the footsteps of someone walking in slowly as to not wake him. There was a decline at the end of the bed, and he felt a cold finger land on his ankle. It was so sudden, he had to force himself not to flinch away. The hand didn’t go up or down, it just stood there and shook. It seemed like the person wanted him to wake up, but Hershey didn’t dare. After a few seconds, their name called out in the hallway got them to loosen their grip.

“Arthur! Get out here!” they called an Arthur sighed and got up.

He closed, and locked, the door behind him.

Hershey opened his eyes, hearing murmurs just outside the door, but not enough to comprehend their speech.

“Dinner’s ready!”

“I cannot believe that you never told me you were adopted!” Matrix complained, keeping his voice low so the newly rushing feet in the hallway wouldn’t hear.

Beta just shrugged. “Technically I was never adopted, not in the long run anyway.” After a quick pause Beta added, “Besides, it didn’t seem very important.”

“Yeah well!” Matrix though about it. “Technically it’s not but—”

“Okay then,” He interrupted Matrix’s train of thought. “So then can we go and eat?”

“Beta,” Matrix intercepted him. “If you feel uncomfortable here, just let me know, okay?” The Perna just nodded before opening the door for dinner.

Beta felt uncomfortable the second they were out in the hallway, but didn’t say anything to Matrix. He didn’t like being close to so many other people, especially with backstories he was sure were much worse than his own. It made him feel invalid somehow.

The house was big enough to hold many rooms, but it was only two stories tall. The stairs were a straight shot into the small living room at the front of the house. The door was on the left, right beside the staircase, and to the right was a corridor leading to another, much larger living room with a T.V. on the wall and a Play Station sitting on the floor. The crowd of guys walked past the living room and through an archway that led to the dining room. There were a few boys already there, setting the table while Frankie put out the food.

“Come on kids! Sit down, sit down!” Frankie ushered them all to the table and to their seats. Beta started to count them.

9 or 10 in total.

“Leo! Get these two some chairs,” Frankie ordered a boy.

He got up from the comfort of his own seat and glared at Matrix and Beta. His hair was very dark and he had a fake ring “piercing” his left nostril. His fingers were long and his nose was short. He was tall and seemed a couple of years younger than Beta, sixteen at best. He brought out the two extra chairs and they took a seat in them. Beta sat next to Matrix and Matrix sat next to a small boy about Hershey’s age, maybe younger. Probably younger. At this point, anything reminded him of Hershey. He was so used to seeing his face every day on Plato that going just a few days without him felt empty.

“Thank you,” Frankie said. Although Leo had done what was asked of him, Frankie gave him the stink eye. “Now, let’s eat.”

They started devouring the chicken and potatoes. Matrix ate like he hadn’t had food in weeks, but Beta just nibble on some lettuce.

“Slow down! You’ll choke!” Frankie urged but no one listened.

After a few minutes of eating and chit-chat, Frankie made the announcement. “As most of you have noticed, we have some newcomers. They might not be staying long, but why don’t you introduce yourselves anyway.”

Everyone quieted down and turned to Matrix and Beta, the awkwardness kicking in. Beta looked down uncomfortably and Matrix had frozen with the spoon full of mash potatoes halfway to his mouth.

“Um…well I’m Beta,” Beta announced, smiling at the silent room. When he heard the spoon drop onto the glass plate and Matrix clear his throat he knew he was about to say something rash.

“Matrix,” he introduced. “And might I just say this chicken beats my mom’s expired corner store turkey any day.” Matrix barked out a humorous laugh, but the whole table stayed silent. The laughter degraded to chuckles, and the chuckles turned to awkward coughing to hide his shame. He muttered a sorry and went back to hiding behind the mashed potatoes; even the potatoes were ashamed.

Frankie cleared her throat. “Well then! I believe it’s time to clean up. Leo would you—?” Before Frankie could finish her sentence, Leo grabbed his butter knife and put a hole in the tablecloth. Beta and Matrix, along with everyone else, flinched just a little bit. Matrix and Beta shared a look as the angry teenager across the table looked at Frankie with unmistakable hatred. He then stood up and walked away from the group.

“What’s up with him?” Matrix asked. Beta kicked him from under the table and he looked at him innocently.

“I’m not sure,” Frankie responded. “He’s been very angry lately. He came here a few days ago and when he did, he seemed like the sweetest thing. Then he started acting like the whole world was against him.” Frankie shook her head and the two boys shared a new, sterner look.

Hershey finally made his way to the edge of the bed and tried to tilt himself off. But once he had gotten there, he soon realized that he was stuck there. He knew there was only one thing that could get him on the ground: Noise.

“Well I don’t care if—!”

The people outside were getting louder, and if they got loud enough maybe Hershey could slip off without the creek of the bed being detected.

He waited on the edge of the bed for a while, eventually thinking that he had missed his chance. But the second the conversation rose two octaves more he did it instinctively, uncaring if it got him in trouble anymore.

The creek wasn’t bad enough to overshadow their conversation, but as Hershey lied on the floor the conversation had paused and he didn’t dare move.

Then it started again.

“I’m not…” Once he heard the murmurs return, he slowly got to his feet and snuck up to the door. The ground was as hard as it was cold, meaning it was as soundless as it was painful.

Once at the door, the conversation came clear as day.

“—in mind, he should simply stay here,” the female voice said.

“He doesn’t have any friends Rose, leaving him in North Carolina would be useless. There’s work to be done in Tennessee as much as there’s work to be done here,” the male said. “Please, just let me take him up Interstate 40—”

“No Mick! The labor is just as good over there as it is here, the only difference is extra work—”

“Hey!” Hershey was startled by the newfound voice, and he recognized it fully. “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, you’re approaching this the completely wrong way.”

“Okay Arthur, what do you think,” the woman, who Hershey just realized sounded like the repairwoman, asked.

“I think he’s not fit for labor jackass. Have you seen him? He’s scrawnier than anyone I’ve ever met. The way I see it is the boy’s only seventeen, he’s Korean, and he speaks the language. Plus, have you seen the dude’s eyes? That stuff is literally gold for…” The man paused. “A certain ‘subdivision’ in our ‘business.’”

Ba-Dum.

Hershey felt a wave of nausea and fear run up his spine, paralyzing him.

“I say we take him up to the big apple and get paid.”

“New York’s too far, we can’t make a whole trip just for one person. We’d have to ship a hoard of ’em,” Mick said.

“Then let’s find a hoard of ’em…the foster home’s still open,” Arthur suggested. “Just walk with me.”

And as they walked, Hershey was left alone again, sinking to the floor with shakes so violent he didn’t think he’d be able to stand again. The second the words certain subdivision left his mouth images flooded Hershey’s brain. He wasn’t even completely sure if they were his own. Hershey didn’t move after that, curling up where he was and remaining for the rest of the night.

He needed to get out of there.

“Goodnight boys,” Frankie said to Matrix and Beta as they went to bed. She closed the door and turned off the light. Once she was gone, Beta and Matrix popped out of bed suddenly.

“I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up,” Beta admitted, eyes widening and then squeezing shut. “I feel weak from making us look young for so long.”

“Forget that,” Matrix ignored his problems. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“You mean the fact that a few days ago there was nothing wrong with Leo and now all of a sudden the kid’s acting mad? Yeah, I picked up on that.”

“It’s about the same time that weird old man was caught mingling with those kids.”

“Yes.”

“They looked him up, it’s like he doesn’t even exist.”

“Uh huh.”

“So what, Syncs can take over bodies or something?” Matrix asked. “Someone took over Leo’s mind after the old dude’s?”

“No,” Beta countered, deciding to finally contribute to the one-sided conversation. “Leo changed, remember? He’s new but he wasn’t always like this. He got angry at some point during the creepy old man scandal. Perhaps they are the same person,” Beta offered.

“Or it’s a different Sync entirely,” Matrix added. “You know what, this is all too complicated for my brain right now. Can this be a morning problem?” he asked, and Beta agreed.

The next morning, Beta woke up cold. It still felt strange to wake up in a bed not his own. Although he wasn’t sure what his bed was anymore.

He leaned up, rubbing his eyes angrily. He opened them again, but now everything was black with only spots of the real world. When everything was clear again, he noticed Matrix was gone. Beta got out of bed, his head aching.

“Matrix?” he spoke. He looked around the room in search of his roommate but he was nowhere to be found. Beta walked toward the door and when his hand dropped down on the doorknob he froze, expecting it to be locked. When it wasn’t, he didn’t know how to feel.

The hallway was quiet. Frankie had warned them that everyone would be out by the late morning doing their own thing. “Matrix?” he called again, and this time got an answer.

“Down here!” Frankie’s voice called, and Beta stormed down the stairs to meet two police officers sitting in the bigger living room.

Beta slowed seeing Matrix and Frankie facing them from the other couch. They all turned to Beta. He realized that Matrix didn’t have Beta to create the illusion of youth, which he got from the way Frankie stared at his companion. Focusing to put up the “screen,” Beta trapped the officers and Frankie in the illusion once more.

“Beta, please join us,” Frankie said, gesturing. Beta looked at Matrix and he just winked. Once he was all the way downstairs and in the living room, he sat next to Matrix and stared.

“Okay boys, just tell these officers exactly what happened,” she said, leaning over to look at them. Beta took in the two officers; one female and one male. He found the details of their faces unimportant. All policemen and women carried the same face to him, carried the same badge. Beta remained silent. “Uh…why is this necessary again?” Matrix said, scratching his disheveled morning hair.

“Maybe because you came up on the street traveling miles to get here just to get away from your parents,” the policewoman said, her tone cold.

“We just want to make sure no one’s in any harm,” the male officer cut in. “So, if you could just answer some questions, that would be really great. We just want to know why you left your house.”

Beta had nothing to say, he didn’t trust the officers. Eventually, Matrix cleared his throat. “I apologize officers, my friend here has been through a lot so if it’s okay, I’d like to speak on Beta’s behalf as well.”

The male officer looked at Beta. “Are you okay with this?” he asked.

Beta nodded. “Of course,” he said, noticing the difference in normal Matrix and Matrix talking to police officers.

The male shrugged and leaned back. “Then go ahead.”

Matrix nodded kindly. “Beta here, to say the least, had unfit parents. Not only did they not have enough income but they barely had enough food to put on the table. It was awful the conditions he had to live in. The situation only got worse when his sister as born. At that point, things became violent.” Matrix looked down, taking a dramatic pause. “Not just to themselves, but the parents to each other.” Matrix gestured to Beta awkwardly. “Reasons weren’t given, just nights not knowing what the next day would bring. Instead of kids, they turned into slaves. Washing clothes, cleaning, cooking, but never being able to just…go outside, be kids. School wasn’t even an option for them. Once the house’s mortgage was too much the only option was to leave officers.” Matrix concluded his story, sitting back in his chair feeling satisfied with himself.

The female officer turned to Beta who was looking at Matrix with so much surprise it only added more curiosity to his person. “Uh…is there anyone else in the house that’s being abused? What happened to the sister?” the female officer asked the boys.

As Beta opened his mouth to answer, Matrix interrupted. “She ran too, just in another direction. The only other victim there is his mother…sometimes she gives the dad a few punches but…only when he deserves it.”

At this response, the man spoke. “So what about you…Matrix, is it? What happened to cause you to run away?” he asked.

Matrix shrugged. “Just a big outburst from my mom. She swore she’d never hit me again, did anyway, the usual.” Matrix leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs.

The two police officers asked some more questions, mostly answered by Matrix, before departing. Frankie put a gentle hand on Matrix and Beta’s shoulders before heading back upstairs.

Once she was gone, Matrix began to speak. “Okay now that they actually have information to go on, we need to find Hershey fast before they realize I gave them the address of a Krispy Kreme and a hair salon.” Matrix moved to go upstairs but Beta stopped him.

“Wait.” He grabbed Matrix’s arm. “Was there any truth to that? What you told the offi—” Matrix jerked his arm out of Beta’s grasp.

“It doesn’t matter. Who cares about my past when Hershey’s still somewhere out there?” he spoke bitterly with a sour undertone. His once silver eyes became a more piercing grey in that moment, and he turned back around.

Beta watched him go, thinking long and hard about what he had said that was so wrong. He looked down at his hand, thinking that maybe he was a monster after all.