Trackers and... Thobias?

- Ethans POV -

Tonight is the night.

A few weeks from my 18th birthday.

My bag was already packed and underneath the bed.

I had determination and a plan.

I stared in the bathroom mirror. Kaizer's hoodie, baggy pants, my old sneakers, and my old school backpack. I put Kaizer's matching necklace on too. Fuck, I will miss that psycho.

I walked to the kitchen and put some food in the bag. I also grabbed my money from underneath the couch. I took a quick look around the apartment again.

Wait... the camera and alarm. Oops.

These past few months, I've studied Kaizer's sleep rythm. His alarm for Thobias only goes off every monday, thursday, and sunday. Today I should be safe.

I walked back to the bedroom and saw him sleeping there, looking so peaceful. Tears filled my eyes. I grabbed his phone from the bedside table and put it in my bag. I leaned down and gave him a hug. He smiled in his sleep and mumbled something incoherently as he snuggled closer. I nuzzled in his hair and pressed a few kisses. I gently ran my hand through his hair and heard him make a small sound in his sleep.

Why does he not wake up from this? He sleeps even deeper when I give him affection.

"I love you."  I whispered in his ear before leaving a kiss on his forehead. I pulled back and watched him sleeping contently.

My heart clenched as I walked away and didn't look back. I grabbed the spare key and unlocked the door. I walked outside and locked it again. I opened the mailbox and just stared at it. I slowly put the key into it. I cried and rested my forehead against the door. What the hell am I doing?

I started walking to the closest busstation. Suddenly, a quiet alarm vibrated and hummed in my backpack. What the fuck? I grabbed the phone and it was indeed Thobias' alarm. Huh? But today's friday. I cursed under my breath and continued walking to the busstation. I sat down and waited for a few minutes before a bus came. I walked and checked in and picked a place in the back of the bus. Guess my plan of destination needs to wait.

——↟❣°°❦°°❣↟——

It was hard to stay awake since it was... 3 am. The bus had finally arrived and I hopped out. I started walking.

After another hour and 20 minutes had passed, I saw the shed. I walked to the door and-

....

It was locked. Shit. How could I forget the fucking key? I sighed and rummaged through my bag for something sharp. Nothing. I rummaged through the pants and grabbed a paper clip. Fuck yeah. School comes finally in handy.

I rummaged in the lock for a few minutes, no idea how to open a door, before the lock clicked. I threw the shed door open and turned the lights on. This time, I was prepared. I had my nose clenched shut with my fingers. Thobias had been asleep but flinched awake. He looked so... weak. Goddamn. I kinda pity him. I grabbed some food from my bag and held it up to his mouth.

"E-Ethan..? What a-are you doing here.."

"Eat. Now."

Thobias' eyes widened.

"Y-You're escaping, aren't you? Oh god- p-please take me with you!"

I scoffed. "And why the hell would I do that?"

"P-Please! I swear I won't say shit! The only reason why Kaizer keeps me alive, is you! And if you're gone.."

He looked down somberly. I shrugged.

"Not my problem."

"MY BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR HANDS!"

I chuckled. "My hands are already covered in blood."

I turned around and started walking before he said something that I couldn't let past me.

"I-I can only help you escape! He has done stuff that only I know! Like- Like trackers! Or people following you! Let me help you!"

I stood still and frowned at the ground. He might be lying since he's desperate. Fuck...

".. where are the trackers?"

His eyes lit up. "Free me and you'll find out."

Fucking dick.. shit. I sighed and walked over to him. After a few minutes, the restrains came off. Thank god he only used rope.

"Try anything and this rope will be around your neck.." I mumbled grumpy. He chuckled and shook his head, holding his hands up.

"Fucking hell. You changed man."

I glared at him as I walked out of the shed.

"Would you stay the same after murdering your mother and finding out your bestfriend is a psychotic killer?"

He grins and shook his head. "Okay! Okay... my bad.."

He followed me as I navigated my eay through the forest. When we finally got out, I went inside an abandoned alley.

"Okay. Now talk. Where are the trackers? What are more of his secrets? Who the fuck is following me?"

He leaned against the wall, relaxed. Fucking insane pig.

"One at a time, man. I don't know the exact location of the trackers, but I wouldn't trust anything that is yours. Your phone is definitely tracked."

I sighed and grabbed my phone.

"Wait- I took his phone, so he can't track me. The fuck are you making me worried for?"

He smirked and put his hands in his pocket. Did I mention that he smells shit?

"You think that someone like him has only one phone? God.. you're still naïve Ethan. You aren't working with a psychotic killer here. You're working with a smart, psychotic, murdering stalker. You think that Shelly was his first kill?"

... what?

"How the fuck do you know this shit?"

"Did you forget the fact that I worked together with him for a little while? Hell, you probably didn't even know that he tried to commit suicide on your 16th birthday."

My 16th birthda-... the night he tried to force himself on me.

"... what?"

Thobias took a step closer. His smell hit my nose and I cringed. I quickly walked away from him.

"There's a lot of shit you don't know about your little bestfriend, Ethan. This man goes beyond crazy. Anything that is happening in your life is probably planned by him. Question, are you still a virgin?"

I looked at Thobias with disgust.

"Yeah, I'm a fucking virgin. I didn't even fucking kiss Kaizer yet."

He frowned and stared at the floor, deep in thought.

"Damn. You must mean a lot to him then... Huh. I understemated him."

He shrugged.

"You got enough money for a hotel room?"

"I'm not gonna waste money on fucking that! I'm leaving this hellhole."

"... you don't have enough money to survive, do you? Well, don't worry. I know someone who will lend us money. Just buy the hotel room so that we can get you new shoes and clothes. And I need to take a fucking shower.."

——↟❣°°❦°°❣↟——

I walked alongside Thobias as we went to a clothing store. After we bought the hotel room, and he showered, I lend him some clothing from my bag. I had enough money to buy us new clothes too. He tried to convince me to buy a new shirt but no fucking way? This is the only thing keeping me calm and sane right now. Fucking hell, walking next to my kidnapper to a clothing store...

I grabbed a new cheap pair of sneakers and some baggy pants. Thobias bought some stupid ass clothes too and we went back to the hotel room. I dressed into the pants and shoes.

Thobias walked out of the bathroom in new clothes.

".. you still have your socks on."

"Yeah, I fucking do. If there was a tracker in them, I would feel it."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself. Leave all your stuff behind. And take the necklace off."

I sighed and took the necklace off. Fucking hell...

I grabbed the bag that we got from the store and put the food in there. Suddenly, I found the bracelet that he gave me when I turned 16. I looked at it and sighed. I turned it around and frowned. There was something engraved there..

'Property of Kaizer'

I frowned. The fuck? Oh hell nah... I put the bracelet and necklace in a drawer, along with my backpack and clothes. I pushed my and Kaizer's phone under the bed mattrass and made sure that I had nothing but new clothes and a store bag with food. I nodded at Thobias and he started leading me away from the hotel.

"Where we going?"

"To someone who will help us. He knows Kaizer the best, after all." Thobias said calmly. I shrugged and followed him. I mean, this situation couldn't get worse anyway...

After walking for 40 minutes, the sun had already started coming up. It had been 6 am already. We arrived in front of a house and Thobias walked up to the door. He knocked.

Some shuffling was heard and the door opened. I recognized the white ponytail and glasses.

"Thobias? Ah, great to see you again. What happened to you?"

"Kaizer kidnapped me."

Lucian chuckled and looked past Thobias, staring straight into my eyes.

"Hello again, Ethan."