HIDDEN (hide or die)

Chapter One

KYLE'S P.O.V.

What I was doing was wrong, and I knew that. But I couldn't help it. I also knew that if I got caught, it would be a lot worse than the last time. Yet I paid no attention to the warnings that kept flashing at the front of my mind.

I tried to keep my footsteps as light as possible while maintaining a reasonable distance as I followed him. A stalker—God, I hated that word—but who am I kidding? That's what I was. Though not by choice.

Please, don’t judge me. In time, you'll understand the reasons behind my actions.

My name is Kyle, the name my mother chose for me when I was born seventeen years ago. And yes, I'm an unrepentant stalker.

You must be curious about who I'm stalking, especially if I'm willing to risk getting caught again. To put it simply, he's the definition of a truly good person. The best I've ever known. Not that I know him personally—but actions speak louder than words, and the more I observed him, the more I realized the depth of his kindness and gentleness. And, of course, he's incredibly handsome.

Andrew. Even his name sounds dreamy every time it escapes my lips. I've been in love with him for many years, and I'll continue to be for many more. In those seven years, I’ve only watched him from the shadows. I knew it wasn’t healthy or right, but I couldn’t stop myself. Every time I tried to pull away, my heart ached. So I needed to be near him somehow. Being out in the open wasn’t an option, so I hid behind stone walls and large, aging oak trees, making do with what I had.

---

The first time I saw Andrew was when my mother and I first moved to the neighborhood thirteen years ago. Back then, he was just the boy across the street, someone I admired and wished could be my friend. But that wasn’t a possibility. As time passed, my feelings grew stronger, and I no longer wanted just friendship. I wished for more. At night, I couldn’t sleep, and during the day, I was too tired to function properly.

One sleepless night, as I lay in the darkness thinking, I finally decided to do something about it. I tried to come up with a solution to my helpless situation. That’s when the stalking began. In my sleep-deprived, hopeless state, it seemed like the perfect plan.

You might wonder, why didn’t I just approach him directly? The answer is simple: I couldn’t.

I’m not a normal teenage boy. I’m an abnormality to society. An abomination. To most people, I’m monstrous. A freak.

I’ve made peace with those names and titles long ago. They no longer affect me.

---

Thirteen Years Ago

Kyle remembered the first time he snuck out. How could he forget? It was his biggest mistake.

He was only four years old, racing up the stairs to the attic as fast as his small legs could carry him. He could hear the kids’ laughter and joyful shouts as he peeked through the cracked window. He craned his neck as far as it would go to get a glimpse of the children playing outside.

They were chasing each other, and it looked fun and exciting. Kyle pouted slightly, wishing so badly that he could join them. But he knew his mom wouldn’t allow it. He was locked inside.

His mother was strict about one rule. She made him repeat it every morning when he woke up and every night before bed.

"Hide or die."

That rule forbade him from ever going outside.

Their voices got louder the nearer they got to his front yard, he yearned to join them in their games, and have them as friends. He knew his mother would never approve, but she wasn't around today. He might as well sneak out to meet them.

His mother often murmured to herself how smart for his age he was. So it wasn't surprising when he formulated a plan in his head. He ran towards his mother's room, searched between her clothes until he found the one shirt he knew was there.

It was his father's so it was fair to say, it was humongous on him. It covered his entire body as if it was a gown, he belted it at the waist and made sure it was secured against his small frame.

He then headed towards the kitchen, their house wasn't that old, but it wasn't the newest either and he knew the kitchen's window was broken. His mother has tried fixing it the night before, but she needed more supplies, which caused her to go out early in the morning to get them from the town. The journey to and back from the town should take her a while, so he decided to seize the moment.

With a bit of difficulty, he managed to climb out the window and to the grassed ground of their backyard. He felt the grass tickling his bare feet, and the wind blowing against his face. It was his first time out in the open and for a moment he considered getting back inside. His anxiety was growing but then he heard the kids laughing and it hiked up his curiosity enough to want to go and make friends with them.

The little kid rounded their house to the front yard, down the pavement and to the playground, nearest to his house, straight to the circle of kids he had been watching.

"Hi! My name is Kyle." He introduced himself with a smile and a small wave.

They all stopped playing to look at him, muttering to each other, louder than necessary so that he would hear, that "he looks funny" and that "he has a hunchback" and if "that's the reason he's wearing a gown" only to, rudely, burst out laughing.

Kyle didn't understand the teasing, he didn't mind the way they spoke of him, he took it as the first conversation he has had and although it was one-sided and not the nicest, He was innocently happy.

He kept on his smile, even when his heart raced as a bigger-looking kid got up from the ground and stood in front of him, the rest standing up as well. He thought to himself that; it was finally happening, he was making the friends he so wished for.

The way they silently surrounded him made him nervous but alas he spoke again. "I saw you playing and I was hoping I could join you."

"You are weird looking we don't want you!" they all laughed. "Get lost!" another said a little louder and pushed Kyle from behind.

Kyle felt like crying. But he was adamant about this, so he won't give up.

"Please let me join you! I'll do anything you ask!"

The older-looking boy smirked and asked how old he was, then when Kyle answered he proceeded to explain "I'm eight years old, the oldest. And the youngest is my brother, he's six. He went through the initiation process to join us. Are you willing to go through the same process?"

Kyle excitedly nodded. Happy that he was given the chance to join them.

"It's simple. Run down the street and back. Naked."

Kyle's face paled. He already broke the one foremost rule. If his mother knew he broke another one he'd be in so much trouble.

"Please, can't I do anything else?" he desperately asked

"No. either do it or forget joining us!"

His mother's words rang up in his head when he asked her why he couldn't go outside. Or swim in the pool. He remembered her telling him that he was special and that if anyone knew they would take him from her. Or worse; kill him.

He didn't want that to happen. And he already broke one rule. "I'm sorry, I have to get inside." he frowned down.

"Oh look, everyone! He's a loser! I knew you're too weak to do it." the eldest barked out, making everyone laugh.

"I'm not a loser!" Kyle yelled. "Mum said I should never take off my clothes in public!"

"Why? Scared people would see your hunchback?" the boy from behind spoke again making them all laugh.

"I'm leaving. It was nice meeting you all." he was sad, yet stayed polite as he was raised to be. He turned to break free from the circle but was blocked from leaving.

He tried again, but they wouldn't let him.

He was starting to feel scared and panicked. But before he could get any word out, he was tackled with a multitude of hands when the eldest boy yelled a "GET HIM!".

Before he could understand what was happening his clothes were being ripped off of him.

"GET OFF ME!" he screamed and started crying when they didn't listen.

Then he realized that they had stopped. He also realized he was only in his underwear. He got off the ground and looked up horrified and was met with wide-eyed stares.

"Are those real?" a girl whispered, stepping closer to him. While one boy denied and said that they must be fake, another boy pointed out the way they were attached to his back.

Kyle stood frozen on the spot. His mum had warned him of what would happen if people were to see him n***d, he didn't want to die! He started to shake in fear as they surrounded him and harshly pushed him to the ground, staring and poking at his body.

"Let me pass!" Kyle whimpered out in pain when his scrapped arm came in contact with the ground again.

"You're a freak!"

"What's going on in here?!" they all quietened down when a woman came peering in. only to gasp in shock and scream for the kids to step away from him.

They all ran and hid behind her while she dialed a number, Kyle was too scared to move or do anything.

"911? Please send help! There is a- a child but he- he has wings! Huge wings! I think he's dangerous!"