Page 3 of Trace's Passion
They didn’t seem to be the type, but behind closed doors, it was another story all together. Trace came to find just how horrible they were.
After the police had turned their investigation elsewhere, and they were able to know that they had gotten away with it all, they stopped caring about their image.
It wasn’t as important to them as it was before. Sure, they cared what they looked like out in public, but he was an inconvenience to them now.
They didn’t care if he ate. Didn’t care if he went for weeks without going anywhere or talking to someone because they were either up in the mountains or they were too far gone into their high.
They also didn’t care that he knew who he was. That he wanted to get back to his sister. That he had people who loved him. That they had kidnapped him for their own personal gains. He just got beat to keep quiet.
Got threatened with his life a lot. He believed them for one reason only. Because once after being threatened, Gary had come into his room and held a knife to his throat and told him how quickly his blood would flow if he tried to tell anyone what went on in their house.
They didn’t want anyone to question his disappearance. So even though he wasn’t needed now, he had to stay and be there just in case someone even sniffed their way.
He went through a lot over the first few years. Barely surviving the trek through the woods, being found by the worst people known to man, being kidnapped, not knowing anything about who he was or where he came from, and then remembering it all. And the knowledge that he held in his heart and soul that his entire family died right in front of his eyes. And praying that Sienna hadn’t, but knowing it was possible because he hadn’t been able to find the help they needed.
Knowing she had struggled to live and that he had gone to find help and instead found himself in hell.
He tried going to the police once when he was younger. They didn’t believe him. Because they knew his parents.
Had investigated them thoroughly as they had done with everyone in their small town. They were the Woods. Gary and Shelly, along with their son Trace. The family that had the perfect cookie cutter life. The couple who came to all the town events with their loving son.
They were the perfect loving family in public. Trace wanted to snort at the hypocrisy of it.
And when his teachers noticed he often came to school dirty, or with clothes much too small for him, someone was called to come and see the house.
His ‘parents’ were less than pleased but put on their appearance of a happy and loving couple and made it out to seem as if he was the one who had the issues. Not them.
That he took it upon himself and chose to wear the clothes that were too small, and that he chose to come to school dirty.
That he was old enough to know better and no matter what they did, he wanted to do what he wanted to do.
So once again it was left alone. And Trace had to still go through the hell he lived daily.
Whenever he brought attention to himself, he was beaten and reminded of his place and no talking or reasoning that he didn’t belong with them mattered.
They needed him and that was that. And he just had to keep quiet, try to survive and try to find any information he could about his sister.
His ‘parents’ mocked him for trying to find her. And if they found out he was still searching, they shut it down fast.
He quickly learned to only be home when it was absolutely necessary, hating the toxic environment that was his house.
Not only did Gary and Shelly do drugs daily, they would drink until they passed out and Trace couldn’t even count on one hand how many times, they actually cared about him.
They didn’t care if he didn’t eat at home. They rarely had food anyway. Not for him at least. A lot of the time the only food he got was at school.
And sometimes he didn’t get that. He took care of himself, got a job at a restaurant as a bus boy when he was 15, buying his own clothes and food with the money he earned there, took care of any school expenses he had, and stuck to himself. He worked there for a long time.
He did his homework at the library, or at work when it was slow and never came home unless it was necessary. Even though he knew it was always necessary.
He got beaten if he didn’t come home when he was supposed to. They had a certain reputation and it never ended well for him if he didn’t do as he was told.
The second Trace turned 18, he left the hell and pain, going straight to the police station and turning them in.
He was asked question after question about it, and told the police everything they needed to know about his ‘parents’ and when they were arrested? It was freeing.
They would be put away for a very long time as everything in his story was proven with all of the evidence that was found in the woods, how he had found his birth certificate and had paid for the copy, showing it to the cops that he wasn’t their son and had been kidnapped years ago, making the cops ask him question after question and when he had answered them all, they had finally believed him and he never looked back after they had let him leave and the people that had ruined his entire life were no longer out on the streets, ruining lives and hurting people.
The second he left the station, he felt free. He felt lighter and he felt as if he could actually start living his life.
