"I despise the world I see through bloodshot eyes,
I look up to the sky and fall asleep to gunshot lullabies."
~~~
Sonny's POV
"Sonny, you listening?"
"What?" I blurted, having been distracted by what was happening in the next room.
The makeup artist let out a deep sigh, forcing me to face forward as she added the finishing touches to her art. Looking into the mirror, I could still see through the crack in the door. I assumed they had left it open by accident. We were all pretty much banned from seeing the hybrids unless it was showtime. But a certain little kitten had caught my eye as Kirsty plastered my face with colours.
Andy Fowler.
I didn't know much about him. All I knew was that he was the youngest cat hybrid the circus had ever owned, sixteen being an awfully young age for someone to be forced into show-business at. I knew he was a crowd favourite, many declaring that he was the most beautiful hybrid they had ever seen. I couldn't exactly deny it either. I had only had the pleasure of performing with Andy once, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He had a long, perfectly groomed tail and two perky ears peeking out from his luscious blonde locks, both as white as snow. Whenever we made eye contact, the startlingly intense stare of his innocent baby blues made me weak in the knees, the intense colour standing out in contrast to his delicately porcelain skin.
I also knew that he hated it here.
I didn't blame him though. I'd seen the way they treated hybrids here. They were seen as punching bags. Slaves to their masters. They were pushed around. Beaten and humiliated. It was disgusting.
But Andy was different. He wasn't treated the same as the others. Everyone basically worshipped the ground he walked on.
So it only made sense that there was something going on behind closed doors. And from what I had just witnessed, I believe I was right.
I had seen Andy being forced into a compromising position by his leader, wrists pinned to the ground as he straddled the poor kitten. He called all his perverted companions over and one by one, they spat at Andy and ridiculed him, downgrading the boy using every name in the book.
It was absolutely vile and I understood why Andy wanted to leave.
"Oi Sonny." Kirsty called, clicking her fingers in front of my face to get my attention.
"Yeah?"
"You're all done. You've got five minutes until you have to be onstage." She explained and I frowned, eyes darting back to that crack in the door.
"Can't I stay here until then?"
She shook her head sympathetically. "Sorry. I need to get Brooklyn's face done. He's up after you."
I sighed, eyes never leaving the blonde boy who was now alone, laying on the floor with tears running down his cheeks.
"Have you ever noticed how they treat hybrids here?" I asked her.
"I guess they're not treated as well as they could be, but I've never really thought about it." She answered after a short while, confused as to why I was bringing it up.
I just nodded towards the door and she followed my gaze, her eyes landing on Andy.
"Is he what you've been staring at this entire time?" She pondered and I nodded.
"They spat at him Kirst." I almost cried. "They spat at him and they called him names."
"That's awful." She agreed, voice wavering as she observed the poor boy laying on the cold, hard floor.
"There must be something we can do to help them."
"There isn't." She sadly confessed. "If we were to try going up against the bosses, we would be killed."
"So we're just supposed to carry on like everything's normal? We're just supposed to act like we don't know how they're being treated?"
She shrugged apologetically. "Yeah. I'm sorry to say it but that's just the way it is."
"Kirsty? You ready?" Brook's voice sounded, the boy hovering by the door.
"Yeah, come on in sweetie." She smiled, turning back to me with a concerned gaze.
"Promise me you won't do anything stupid."
I sighed. "I promise."
She leant in for a quick hug, ushering me away. I sent one last pained look towards Andy before I made my way backstage.
~~~
I admit I didn't perform my best that night. But that was only because my mind was preoccupied. Although I knew what Kirsty said was true, I couldn't help but feel useless. Surely there was a way to help them, to help Andy, without getting myself killed.
There had to be.
I was scared though. I was terrified at the mere thought of challenging the bosses. They held more power than anyone. There was nothing they couldn't do. No limits. They could literally get away with murder without anyone even batting an eyelash. That just fuelled my rage even more.
Why should we be forced to just sit back and allow them to carry on doing what they were doing? Why couldn't I just stand up to them without risking my life?
As much as I hated it, I wasn't planning on doing anything. Kirsty was right. Maybe it was unfair, but was it really worth killing myself over?
So no, I wasn't going to do anything.
That was until I overheard a certain conversation, however.
I was on my way back to my room when I heard those all too familiar voices.
My father and his little running buddy.
My dad owned the business. He ran the show. He held all the power. He could quite literally do anything he wanted. And he did. He felt no remorse. No shame. No guilt. My dad ruined peoples lives and he thrived in it.
Which was why I had disowned him as soon as he forced me into his sick little world.
It didn't surprise me to hear him planning some twisted little scheme to get one of the acts killed. In this business, it was best not to make friends. There was a very big chance that you would lose them eventually, so it was better not to get attached.
I had never even spoken to the boy, but I was already attached to Andy.
Which is why I felt my heart fall to my stomach when I heard his words;
"Fowler has outlived his usefulness. People are getting bored of him now. They want something new. Something exciting. Not to mention the fact that he is a little shit who doesn't know how to follow orders. He repulses me. That's why, after tomorrow night's show, I need you to kill the cat."
It was a rash decision. It was dangerous. It was a suicide mission. But it was the right choice in that moment. I had to act fast if I wanted him to run free. If I didn't help him now, he would die. I couldn't let him die.
Which is why I found myself sneaking into the hybrid cage later that night after I was certain everyone was asleep. My brother Rye was on look out by the door. He didn't agree with what I was doing, but there was nothing he wouldn't do to help his brother. He hated out father and his malicious ways just as much as I did.
It didn't take me long to find him, the golden bars of his cell looking worse for wear. The entire room felt cold and unsettling. But I wasn't surprised. Hybrids were worthless to them.
"Hey kitten." I whispered, softly stroking my fingers through his flaxen hair.
His dreary eyes opened slowly, nothing but exhaustion reflecting in them. They were paler than I remembered and it wasn't hard to tell he was close to giving up.
"Who are y-you?" He stuttered, seemingly terrified. I wasn't shocked by his nerves. The poor boy had been through so much.
"My name is Sonny. I'm gonna help you escape."
He suddenly shot up, eyes wide as he took in my words.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because it isn't right. You deserve better than they way they treat you. You shouldn't have to deal with the abuse and the neglect that my father puts you through."
"He's you're father?" He gasped and I nodded.
"Now, we don't have a lot of time. Are you going to let me help you or not?"
He hesitated before nodding. I smiled, using the key I had taken from my dad's room to unlock his cell. He crawled out, arms shaking as he tried to hold himself up. I hadn't realised how skinny he was. Then again, I'd be surprised if he even got fed more than once a week.
I held out my hand for him to take.
"I know a way out. You just have to trust me."
He grasped my hand, squeezing it slightly with a faint blush on his cheeks.
"I do."
I just nodded in response, leading him out into the main hallway where Rye was waiting.
"We're gonna go through the kitchen exit. Dad usually keeps it unlocked for Rasper."
Rasper was the guard dog that my father had adopted to alert him of any hopeful evacuees. It wouldn't be easy to get past him, so I just had to hope that he was asleep.
"Sonny, wait!" Rye called, grabbing my arm to stop me from leaving.
"Are you sure about this? If dad finds you, he will kill you. You know that."
I looked towards Andy, seeing the hope behind the terror in his eyes.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take."
Rye looked defeated, reluctantly nodding in permission.
"Okay then. Please make it back safe."
I pulled him into a hug, burying my face into the crook of his neck.
Who knew if I'd ever see him again?
"I will." I promised, although we both knew that my fate was out of my hands at this point.
"You should get going. There isn't long left."
I pulled away from him.
"I love you Rye."
"I love you too."
I led Andy to the kitchen door, sending Rye one last reassuring smile before we left.
"Be very quiet." I whispered, Andy nodding in acknowledgement. We managed to get to the exit in silence and I opened the door only slightly, needing to find out Rasper's whereabouts before we made our escape. Lucky for us, he was in fact asleep in his kennel, back facing us.
I pulled Andy along and together we made it out. With a newfound sense of determination, I took him to the forest where I knew he could escape undetected.
I found myself not wanting to let him go, knowing this would be the last time I'd ever see him again. Still holding his hand, I faced him with tears in m eyes.
"You need to run. Keep on running and don't look back. As soon as you reach the other side, you're safe. They can't hurt anyone out of their district."
He bit his lip, eyes darting from mine to the house and back to mine.
"Why don't you come with me?"
I shook my head. "I can't. I can't leave everyone behind. They don't treat me like a waste of space, unlike you. They bully you and.."
"And what?" He whispered.
I took a deep breath, deciding to tell him what I had overheard earlier that night.
"They said that, after tomorrow's show, they're... they're going to kill you."
His breath hitched and he burst into tears seconds later. I was quick to act, wrapping my arms around him. I hated hearing him in pain. His tail wrapped itself around my waist, cat ears twitching as he gripped at the front of my shirt.
"I don't want to leave you." He whimpered and my heart broke at the sound.
"Me neither." I told him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "But you have to. Please go. I don't want them to kill you."
He moved away, shaky hands resting on my cheeks.
"Can I kiss you?" He asked breathlessly. I nodded and before I knew it, we were kissing. His tongue slipped past my lips and I let him explore the inside of my mouth, hands resting on his waist as I pulled him impossibly closer. He let out a soft moan, arms snaking around my neck. It was only when we heard the sirens that we pulled away. We were in trouble and if he didn't leave now, we would both be dead within minutes.
"Go." I urged, pushing him towards the gate. "Go now. They're coming."
He stared at me in fear. "What about you?"
"I'll be fine."
"They're going to kill you."
I nodded. "I know."
Tears flooded from his eyes as he reached out towards me, but I pushed him away.
"Andy, you need to go!" I shouted, spotting my dad's army charging towards us.
"I can't. Not without you."
"You have to." I demanded, heart racing as they got closer.
"Go!" I screamed and he finally listened, running into the night.
I let out a breath before I felt something hard being pressed against the side of my head.
"You just made the biggest mistake of your life, son." My dad growled.
I closed my eyes, knowing exactly what was about to happen. But I was okay with it. I didn't regret a single thing. If it meant Andy could be free, then I would happily pay the price.
And I did.
As Andy faded away into the distance, my dad pulled the trigger.
a/n
hey guys. this was a bit different to what i usually write so i hope you enjoyed it.
bye guys Xx