Rebuilding Reality

Chapter Five

PRESENT DAY

Maya's POV

It's kind of hard to put it into words. Lately, the consequences for things have been getting tougher, and it's been pretty rough. Especially these recent ones, they've been the hardest to deal with. I really hope things don't keep getting more intense.

I've noticed that Maxy doesn't come around anymore. It's strange, and I can't help but feel a bit lonelier without him dropping by. His absence makes the whole situation even more challenging. I miss having him around. It's just a bit difficult to navigate everything right now.

Many beatings have passed since Maxy stopped visiting. In my heart, I can't help but feel abandoned. The silence he left behind is deafening, a constant echo in the empty corners of my heart. Why did he leave us? Didn't we mean anything to him?

Recently, something unusual has been happening – it's been a week without punishment. This unsettling calm has disrupted the grim rhythm of our lives. At first, it felt like a cruel trick, a new form of psychological warfare by our guardians. But as days stretch on in this eerie tranquility, I can't shake the feeling that something is changing.

The absence of Maxy's presence and the sudden halt in our usual torment has left a palpable void. I wonder if Masey feels it too. We haven't spoken in so long, but our twin bond is something that I feel deep within. Does he sense this shift too?

The silence feels like a heavy blanket, suffocating and full of unspoken fears. It's as if we're being watched more closely, our every move analyzed under an invisible, scrutinizing gaze. It's the calm before a storm, and I brace myself for what might be coming.

Sometimes, when I'm tired, I imagine conversations with Maxy. I tell him about my day, the new words I learned in Italian, and the latest book I read. But it's a one-sided conversation, and the silence is deafening.

The guardians have become increasingly erratic and demanding. Their experiments seem more desperate, as if they're reaching for something just out of grasp. And I'm caught in the middle, struggling to keep up with their ever-changing rules and punishments.

Masey's absence is a constant ache in my heart. I try not to think about it, but it's like trying to ignore a gaping wound. They say he hates me, but deep down, I can't bring myself to believe it entirely. We were so close, once upon a time. How could he just stop caring? It doesn't make sense. But then, nothing in this house makes sense.

I've started to question everything. Why are we here? What do they want from us? The more I think about it, the more I realize how little I actually know about our situation. It's like living in a fog, where everything is obscured and confusing. Sometimes, I dream of escaping, of finding Maxy and Masey and leaving this nightmare behind. But where would we go? The outside world is a mystery to me, a place of fear and unknown dangers. And yet, part of me longs to see it, to experience it for myself.

The feeling of being trapped is overwhelming. It's like being a bird in a cage, watching the world through bars you can't break. I want to fly, to be free, but I don't know if I have the strength to escape.

I hold on to the hope that one day, things will change. That one day, we'll be free of this place and these people. Until then, I'll keep surviving, one day at a time. But deep down, I know that survival isn't enough. I want to live, truly live. And I'm starting to think that the only way to do that is to break free.

Mason's POV

It's been a strange week – no punishment, no harsh words, nothing. It's like the guardians have forgotten about us, or maybe they're planning something worse. I can't decide which is more terrifying.