Broken Toys

Chapter 02

The following conversation with his father convinced Carlos that maybe he was overreacting.

"Unfortunately there are assaults on minors every day and there are horrible people who convince some kids to have certain relationships that are certainly unhealthy. But that doesn't mean those people are back."

Gabriel had convinced him to take a day off and, taking advantage of the fact that TK had a double shift on the ambulance, they invited him to spend the day with them.

He missed them, he missed all his family, but just as he felt bad when he was with TK because it hurt him too much to tell him what had happened and see what his reaction was, he also felt bad talking to his parents because they reminded him of that.

He asked if his brother, would be there too.

"He is traveling as usual. But he misses you very much, Carlitos, and hopes to be able to talk to you on webcam one of these days. He says you haven't introduced him to TK yet."

"Well, between our shifts and his complicated schedules, it's been impossible to make the introductions."

He was hoping to have a more or less quiet day at his parents' house; after all, they were the only ones with whom he didn't have to hide his feelings and all his fears.

But he was also hiding something from them and when they found out that TK believed that it was Guillermo who had gone through that nightmare... Carlos preferred not to think about that, because he was afraid of losing both his boyfriend and his parents at the same moment.

"I know, Dad." Carlos thanked his mother for the meat she had cooked, which he didn't have time for at home. "I know there are horrible people in the world beyond them. But I can't help thinking that there have always been and always will be groups that manipulate children. If they come back..."

"We have no evidence to think they're back, Carlitos."

"Dad, please..."

Carlos hated it when his father called him that. He had done it for as long as he could remember and had adored it because only he did it. But then Josh had shown up, Josh Taylor, at the worst possible time, or the best time to abuse a lost boy, and Carlitos had become a kind word between him and the guy who was brainwashing him to make him his private plaything.

When he managed to get out of that black hole, 'Carlitos' reminded him of pain, of suffering, it reminded him of having been used, of having been abused. 'Carlitos' meant having done things he didn't really want to do; it meant having lost his virginity when it wasn't the right time, having used weapons and having been almost convinced that he was part of a small army under the orders of a being from another world willing to save them in exchange for his seed, in exchange for having sex with teenagers.

'Carlitos' was now a trigger for pain.

"Sorry son, it's still a habit for me."

"It's okay, just don't use it anymore."

"Carlos, son. We put those bastards in jail."

"But not all of them, Dad. Some escaped, they hid like the rats they were and I'm sure that if they feel safe, if they think no one is looking for them, they'll come back. They're back, Dad, I can feel it."

Gabriel and Andrea looked at him and hated themselves for knowing that look, that gesture of pity. They felt sorry for him.

"I promised you to always be vigilant and alert in case those people came back." Gabriel reached out and took his son's hand. "That's what I've been doing since the moment we found you in the forest that day. Not a day goes by that I'm not afraid that history will repeat itself with other kids, and I assure you there is no evidence that any kind of organized group is capturing kids."