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Alec had never been so scared before. He’d been scared, even terrified, but nothing could compare to the gut-wrenching fear that consumed him right then. Ropes bound his ankles and hands together, so tightly that all attempts to get them off had been unsuccessful and left him with bleeding wounds.
“Hurry up,” one of the men grumbled, his eyes searching around in paranoia. He was holding a bright flashlight and a shovel. Alec winced as he was thrown over the other man’s shoulder, who was, surprisingly, almost twice as large as Alec himself.
“I’m getting there,” he said, sighing in frustration as he gestured for the man to pick up another shovel. “Let’s get this over with.” Alec tried escaping the man’s hold, violently twisting and turning. “For fucks sake,” he heard the man complain. “I almost wish we kept this one a little longer. Could've taught him a lesson if we had more time.”
“Must follow the old man’s orders,” the other one scoffed. That man was slightly shorter, though still taller than Alec. “Just over here,” he directed them ahead. Alec’s eyes widened as he realised where he was.
“No!” his voice cracked, throat raw from the pain of the past few days. “Please, no!”
“Shut up,” the man holding him shook him harshly. Alec barely registered the pain as he increased his struggling, the old, faded headstones surrounding them threateningly in the dark. Alec had been in many cemeteries in his twenty three years of life, but he'd never been so terrified of being in one.
“Here.” They stopped and Alec was dropped to the ground. He grunted as the impact knocked the air from his lungs. Then he tried to scramble away. It didn’t work. “Not so strong now, are you?” The men both laughed at him. They both grabbed one of Alec’s arms each and lifted him up. Alec felt his heart drop in fear as they dragged him over to a freshly-dug hole in the ground.
“St-op,” Alec coughed, a sob caught in his throat as they pushed him into the hole. He landed heavily on his side and rolled immediately onto his back. The hole was about a metre deep underground. The earthy smell filled Alec’s senses, the dirt walls instantly making him feel claustrophobic. He couldn’t stand – there wasn’t enough space to manoeuver himself into a position that wasn’t lying down and the ropes made it impossible.
Alec knew what was about to happen and holy shit he was terrified. The sky was pitch black and he couldn’t see a thing. It was silent and after a while he began to wonder if maybe the men had just left him. But they had shovels, he reminded himself, and the knowledge of their plans led his fear to completely consume him. He didn’t want to die. He was born to die, sure. He had long accepted that any day could be his last. But now? He didn’t want to die.
Then the dirt came. “No!” Alec cried out as a clump of dirt landed on his stomach, squirming in the hardened soil beneath him. Another hit his leg and then another on his chest, smashing apart and falling around his neck. Alec could feel his body shaking and his tears burned against the iciness of the night air. Soon, the dirt on top of him was too heavy and he couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. The dirt was in his clothes, in his hair, in his mouth. His lungs burned and his thoughts were erratic as he pleaded with the angels to save him. He didn’t want to die.
So much time passed. It felt like hours and a part of Alec believed he had been trapped and unable to breathe for so long. Maybe if his mind was in a clearer state he would realise that it was impossible to hold your breath for longer than a few minutes.
I’m going to die, he found himself thinking at one point. He’s cold but his lungs are on fire. His chest aches and his head feels like it’s about to burst. He’s in so much pain that he barely registers the sudden pressure added onto his chest.
His eyes are clenched shut and he can feel something touching him. Bugs? Spiders? Please don’t let it be spiders, Alec begged helplessly. Suddenly, something touches his face causing him to jolt away in shock. His eyes burst open in a panicked haze and he can see. The cold air splashing refreshingly over him and he gasps in a deep breath. He can hear himself wheezing as he coughed and choked on bits of dirt.
A warmth enveloped him as he could feel himself being lifted. He shook as he was placed gently onto the ground. He could hear people talking but he couldn’t pick the words apart. Everything was blurring into one and hands were touching him and suddenly it felt like he was covered in dirt again.
Someone shouted and all hands left him immediately. His eyes were clenched shut – he hadn’t even realised he’d closed them again. A soft, warm familiar voice called out to him. “Open your eyes, Alexander. You’re okay now.” Alec recognised the voice but he was still so, so scared. After a few more words, Alec slowly opened his eyes, hands clenched into fists as if the moment he opened them he would be pushed back into the dirt.
But he wasn’t. Instead, he was met with a pair of golden eyes, watching him with sadness and pain. A few seconds passed in silence as Alec desperately searched the man’s eyes for lies. Then, he broke. His arms, freed from the ropes, clutched at Magnus’ shirt and in return Magnus’ arms wrapped tightly around him. “I couldn’t breathe,” he cried into Magnus’ shirt. His voice was muffled and it hurt and he was ninety percent sure that Magnus didn’t understand what he said, but the arms around him simply tightened and a hand moved to his head.
“I’ve got you,” Magnus promised, his voice shaking slightly. “I’ve got you now.”