《Jager: The death Angel》 Prologue My life has been a living hell since the day I was born. My mother died giving birth and my father turned out to be nothing but a demon in disguise. At an early age, my father started to hit and burn me with his cigarette. At night it didn¡¯t get any better as every night I had to sleep on the cold floor in the outdoors. Due to my scars I got bullied until the point of leaving, school, thinking: ¡°What¡¯s the point of it? I don¡¯t have a future anyway.¡± Then I turned into some sort of courier, with the difference that I sent drugs instead of letters. I hated it so much but complaining was worse. The first time I tried it and I got kicked, punched and my nails ended ripped off. He always was saying things like ¡°Due to this I keep you alive, fucking asshole and you still complain?¡± while torturing me. Despite this was my everyday life, there is still one day I can¡¯t forget, no matter how hard I try, I remember it. That day of heavy rain and storm, in March 1997. It was dark outside and I was lamed on the floor of the living room because earlier he did his ¡°special treatment¡±. Suddenly, just when I was about to sleep, I heard strong bangs at door, one stronger than the other. I rushed to check through the peephole who was there and I saw two women holding him, one on each arm. I slowly walked away when I heard his scream: ¡°Oupen thi doar!¡± Even I didn¡¯t understand the whole sentence I had fallen backwards, I barely could stay still but I reached to open the door. ¡°Who could you be, little boy?¡± Said the woman on the left. ¡°I¡¯m the housekeeper of this house.¡± ¡°Do you know this man?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°No, I have never seen him¡± Just about to close the door, the right woman said: ¡°Impossible, he gave this exact direction and we came to bring him back, he caused a lot of troubles and we had to kick him out of our bar so take him in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that man,¡± I repeated hoping they would abandon him on the main street but for my bad he woke up, that bastard could still see me with his eyes, full of fury and I knew already what would happen at that moment. ¡°Y-youo litale shitee.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he spoke but soon he punched me so hard that I ended up with a broken tooth and bleeding. ¡°W-we d-don''t want any trouble s-so we are leaving, bye,¡± said one woman running as if her life depended on it. The other remained paralyzed unable to spell a word when my father grabbed her hair and pulled her in, leaving the door open. Crying, screaming and resisting to my father, but useless as he was stronger and with a single blow closed her mouth. ¡°Afe enti wih er, yuou will ba nest, litale fucc.¡± Guessing by the glaze he gave to me, I was going to die. Firstly I started laughing like crazy after he was gone, then I gazed down while my tears run down and finally I decided to finish everything that night. I went to the living room and I took the shotgun he had under the couch. Trembling with my cold hands, I unlocked the trigger and aimed at my head. Just when I was going to press it, all of a sudden I contemplated a flashback of my life. I believed that could only happen in fantasy, but because of it I didn¡¯t do it, one second separated life from death and made me rethink about it. Instead, I went to his room, I slowly opened the door of the room and by the time he found out what was happening I successfully realized three shoots, finishing off his miserable life and saving that woman. With my father deceased I had nothing to keep me attached to that house, and I didn¡¯t want to get arrested as I didn¡¯t deserve it that dead bastard wasn¡¯t going to keep my life a living hell. In a hurry, I only managed to take the clothes I had on and the shotgun. Feeling safe gave the last glaze to what kept me away from freedom. But I was aware that my life was going to give a one hundred eighty degrees twist and that living would never be the same. Chapter 1: Loss of a friend and betrayal Three days since the event and I was already starving to dead, even the smallest piece of bread had been stolen from my hands by the atrocious rats living in the same alley I was laying on. Couldn¡¯t blame myself for what I did as what I had done was for freedom, but this feeling of doing whatever I wanted was something wonderful and at the same time something I was afraid of. In the state I was, the wickedest thoughts were crossing my mind: ¡±I¡¯m sure if I kill the rats, I will have something to eat.¡± ¡°A small steal won¡¯t be neither bad.¡± ¡°N-no that''s wrong.¡± ¡°Kill it¡¯s necessary, do it...do it!!¡± While these thoughts were filling my mind, I slowly aimed the shotgun in the direction of a cat which was passing by the alley. I couldn¡¯t control myself as my mind and body were on their own and I didn¡¯t see the animal as it was. It was the survival instinct which was moving me and that animal with cute expressions necessary to die so I could survive. I closed my eyes and heard the bullet being shot. Guessed this was it, what I was and became. Never imagined this side of me could be real. I found myself disgusted, however, this was in order to survive. ¡°The strongest survive while weak perish.¡± All of a sudden I felt a soft fur and saw the cat meowing while licking my hands. I couldn¡¯t do it, Was I really that weak?. Without food and water, I would die soon. Although for some reason I felt relief, peace with myself. This sudden change of thinking made me fear for a moment but later on, those things were gone now. After some deeply critical thoughts, I hugged the kitten, trying to heat and comfort him. ¡°We aren¡¯t so different I guess, both of us have a hard living as nobody wants us.¡± I fell asleep while a big smile was slowly covering my sadness. The next morning I woke up by the cat¡¯s pats, hungrier than yesterday. Today I would have to find food no matter how or I would surely die and that wasn¡¯t a real option for me. Along with the kitty, I crossed a few dark alleys before going across a butcher who was dumping the remainders of what it seemed to be a pig. Once the butcher was back inside we rushed to pick them and, even if the taste was awful, we managed to calm our hunger. Then I realized this was the first time I ever ate a fulfilling meal, back in the days I used to eat nothing more than a small piece of hard bread and a horrible soup. Enjoying the situation I couldn¡¯t spot the butcher behind me. ¡°What is going on here?! Get away from the meat!!¡± A man on his thirties, kind of chubby, with a big nose and red from fury. I was sure that if he could he would be spitting fire from his mouth at any moment. With him in that state we immediately ran away, and although I could have shot him I didn¡¯t. He started pursuing us for a long time but we managed to avoid him by hiding inside some old pipes.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Safe we both looked into our eyes and I couldn¡¯t do resist myself from loudly laughing. This was the first time I ever had such fun and I really liked it. ¡°Wish this could stay forever, kitty,¡± I told him while patting his head. ¡°Miau.¡± Later on, I came to think that he needed a proper name so I decided to call him Alwin, which, despite not being a great name, made him quite happy. Before leaving, I got rid of the shotgun leaving it in the pipe as I believed it was no longer useful and together we continued our way endless way. However, this world had other plans for us and this happiness would no longer stay as I wished. Soon I would expect the real pain of losing my first and last friend all due to this sick twist world which only destroys. Days flew by so fast as I was learning how stealthily move between the alleys and slums of the city. The problem with food, water and other important needs was resolved as I could simply sneak into the garbage of restaurants to feed myself, drink from park fountains to quench my thirst. Neither sleep and cold was a problem because I could take a nap on any alley or big pipe and to heat up I could simply use Alwin¡¯s fur or any rag that I could steal. Probably because of the fact that I was with Alwin or that I finally had a true freedom, I slowly started being happier than normal. Although I wished this happiness would stay for long it ended sooner than I expected. On the 12 may of 1997, I once again and forever lost everything I cared about. I was doing my daily routine and it was time to grab something to eat when I heard a woman screaming. Following the continuous thunderous cry for help I rushed in and found out a young woman, twenty or so, short hair and half naked surrounded by thugs. It looked like a rape scene and I had to stop it. My childish side deceived my eyes and thoughts so, like any superhero would do, I tried to defeat those punks. In spite of happening as I expected, it went exactly the opposite. As soon as I hit the first one, he immediately turned around and with a single punch he knocked me out and his three friends started hitting me to death. I laughed because it was nothing compared to what my father used to do to me. ¡°Hey, what fuck is happenin¡¯ with this dude?¡± In the worst moment possible, Alwin appeared and started licking me. ¡°It seems he doesn¡¯t care about him, kill the cat instead.¡± I made all I could to stop him, however, everything was useless. ¡°Y-you fuckibg son o-of bidch, ged away frob hib.¡± After a few swear words thrown at him, he turned around later and started stabbing me in the back repeatedly. At the same time his friends seemed to be afraid of his rampage and the woman, who I supposedly saved, paused him by hugging and kissing him. I couldn¡¯t ask, neither move and my breath felt heavier than normal when he grabbed my face and made me look at the gruesome death of Alwin. He showed me how his friends cut Alwin, leaving his organs out. I felt angry, scared, I didn¡¯t know how to act, unaware tears were scrolling through my beaten face. ¡°Ohh, now you are nothin¡¯ boy. Don¡¯t worry, you will meet him soon!¡± Just when he was going to end my life, some cops popped out of the streets and the thugs ran away. I felt relieved, my guard angel wasn¡¯t dead and saved me. I assumed they would understand and would help me out, however, it wasn¡¯t the case. I agree they treated the fatal injuries I had but as soon as I recovered they started interrogating me for the death of my father and Alwin because I was a suspect of murder and animal cruelty. Chapter 2: False hopes I slowly woke up and I took a glance at what seemed to be a doctor and two policemen. One of them was skinny and tall while the other was fat and had a tattoo on his neck. I knew that I had survived, but Alwin didn¡¯t make it. The memory of his death would haunt me. I tried to get up, but the handcuffs on my wrists wouldn¡¯t allow it, I pulled at them in an agitated state. ¡°Is it alright if we ask him some questions?¡± One of the policemen asked. ¡°He was injured so badly we are worried he¡¯s suffering emotional stress. I would wait until he is in less pain before asking him questions. Pain medication makes people incoherent at times,¡± The Doctor said. ¡°We can¡¯t wait a very long, we have a murder suspect on the loose and he¡¯s a witness to the animal abuse. We need to try to get answers while the information is fresh,¡± The tattooed one replied angrily. ¡°My recommendation as a doctor would be to let him rest, but I can¡¯t stop you if you have a warrant.¡± ¡°Say, Doc, do you drink coffee?¡± The tall cop asked the doctor. ¡°Yes,¡± the doctor looked confused as he answered the man. ¡°It¡¯s important that I make a list of injuries. Can you explain what happened and how extensive the injuries were so we can document them while I grab a cup of coffee,¡± The taller cop pulled out his notepad and a pen. ¡°Sure, I have a few minutes to spare before the next patient,¡± the doctor said. The tall cop left with the doctor leaving me alone with the officer who had a tattoo on his neck. He pulled up a chair and plopped himself down in it. Pulling out his pad and searching his pockets for a pen I waited patiently for him to start asking me questions. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you, although, for that, I need you to answer a few questions.¡± The tattooed cop asked me. I didn¡¯t respond at all and I turned my head away facing the opposite direction. I didn¡¯t want to answer him or acknowledge the cop. I was mourning the loss of Alwin. ¡°You are accused of premeditated murder of your father, Markel Handtman and animal cruelty for the horrible killing of stray cats, so you had better start cooperating.¡± ¡°He deserved his death, sad the same fate happened to Alwin,¡± I replied as briefly as I could. ¡°Are you talking about the cat? Is that who Alwin is? What happened to the cat?¡± ¡°He was a good cat, sad he died at the hands of those thugs.¡± I felt a single tear run down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away as I didn¡¯t want the cop to see me as weak. ¡°What about your father, don¡¯t you feel the same guilt for him?¡± Grinding my teeth together, I didn¡¯t want to answer him so I avoided his gaze and pretended not to hear him.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Do you feel any remorse for killing him?¡± ¡°He deserved it, that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to mention about him,¡± For a short moment I remember how he used to torture me and I got filled by anger. ¡°I tried to be good with you because I felt sad about what happened to you but not anymore. I bet you anything you felt great killing him and excited when you aimed the shotgun at the head of your defenceless father. Later you felt scared and you ran away but you wanted to bring back that feeling back, you couldn¡¯t resist killing, you wanted more of it, so you stabbed that cat time and time again.¡± In the fraction of a second, I faced and replied him. ¡°That¡¯s not what happened!!¡± ¡°You are such a scumbag, even for your young age. All you wanted was to try something new so you grabbed that Remington 870 and you shot him three times, one in the back, one in the shoulder and a final blow to the head, just to experiment a new feeling from your boring life.¡± I was on fury hearing him and I ended up succumbing to the pressure. I strongly shaked to get myself free while screaming: ¡°Let me out of here!!!! Bastard!!! Asshole!!!¡± ¡°Now you show your cards. As I thought you are nothing more than a killer.¡± Immediately the doctor who treated my injuries and the tall policeman rushed into my room. The doctor ordered them to stay out while he was sedating me. I fell asleep and I began to have nightmares about how my father used to torture me and about Alwin blaming me for his death. I got up next day heavy breathing and sweating, not a good way to start the day. I had to escape and avoid the law forces outside but how I was supposed to do that if I was being restrained by this cuffs to the bedroom. I thought to give up as it was impossible but then I remembered an old trick that at younger age saved me. All I had to do is to grab is to find a shim or a paper clip. Luckily the medic left a file with a paper clip on it, maybe by stretching a bit, I could reach it. After a lot of effort I somehow managed to get it and with it, I created a makeshift key. By inserting it into the lock and twisting around for a moment I opened one, later by the same method I opened the second one. With one problem solved I had to get rid of the cop. Unfortunately, the fat and tall cop came back with the doctor and I knew I was in deep troubles, I had a few minutes to act but what could I do. Just when they were going to open the door, a few seconds before, I achieved to lock myself back and act as if I was still in coma. ¡°Is he still in this state?¡± ¡°So it seems, I gave him a strong dose so he may stay like it for the next four hours.¡± The two policemen seemed to have started a fight. ¡°Can¡¯t we just force him to open his eyes?¡± ¡°Altman, you know it is impossible just let it be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pissed off by this whole situation.¡± ¡°Is it because his father was a good friend of yours?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, I want to close this case fast, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Could we leave the patient in peace, for now, gentlemen? Your strong discussion could cause him to forget everything that happened in the past as the brain would tend to...¡± ¡°Are you fucking with me just because you are a damn medic? I will do what the hell I want.¡± ¡°Just let it be, Altman, we have a lot to do back in the office.¡± ¡°We will be right back, if by then he hasn¡¯t awakened, we will forcefully wake him up.¡± I felt relieved they didn¡¯t catch me and angry that the fat guy leading the case was the friend of my abusive father trying to incriminate me. But nothing bad comes with a good thing, the guard was gone along with them. It was my chance and nothing would stop me. Fast as a bolt of lighting I left the room and reached the stairs. I almost fell while going stairs down from the third floor. However that didn¡¯t stop me from rushing down until I got to the parking, I was exhausted but I did it. A few meters more and I would be out of the police sight and I could remain as a shadow through the alleys. Despite all I was in favour, the injuries were still open and I barely made it dragging my legs who stopped responding. Outdoors the breeze caress my face and I said in a lower voice: ¡±I fucking did it.¡± The streets were empty as it was the dawn of the morning so I took advantage of it and in spite of the risk, I slowly crawled away before taking one last look to the hospital. I guess the law forces would be searching for me day and night, so I had to take care from now on and to trace a plan to revenge Alwin and the world for what it did to me. Chapter 3: The old man [Fixed] I was correct in thinking that the police would search for me non-stop throughout the upcoming days. Despite their perseverance, I had become a ghost through the underground and small alleys of Berlin. After three days, the pain vanished and I could walk as usual. During this time I built a small house, mostly made out of boxes, crates, and plastic. I didn''t have a lot of time to find items because I had to go after the thugs and get my revenge. For a few days, I focused my attention on surviving. I needed to get healthy before I could find clues that would lead me to their location. I was not in a hurry to get injured or have my ass beaten again and until I healed up, I couldn¡¯t protect myself. However, maybe by coincidence or just a hint of luck, I saw the girl that fooled me along with an old homeless guy. My first instinct was to attack her and I almost lunged at her, but keeping secrecy would be better so I hid in the last five or six meters believing it could be a trap. I spied on them for a while and I was right, she handed one hundred Deutsche marks to him and left. Instead of following her, I decided to talk to the old man; a risk I was ready to take in order to fulfil my vengeance. ¡°You seem on your lasts old man,¡± I approached him with caution. ¡°Boy, if you aren¡¯t here to lend me some coins get away,¡± the man wouldn¡¯t look at me, refusing to make eye contact. ¡°Why should I when you have one thousand pfennings in your left pocket?¡± ¡°You¡¯re observant, but be careful who you spy on, it could get you in trouble.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to drag around, I want information about the girl from before and I won¡¯t leave until getting the info.¡± The old guy rubbed his fingers together, looking at me with shrewd eyes. ¡°do you have it?¡± Immediately by the expression he made I understood he was asking for money. Perhaps the girl and this old smelly homeless were just related by money and nothing else. ¡°No, but I came with a better offer. You talk about the woman who gave you those pfennings and I won¡¯t kill you.¡± For a moment he stared at me, then let out a barking laugh at my expense. ¡°Do you fucking think you can kill me? Just get away before I can¡¯t control myself.¡± ¡°And do you think a decrepit man like you can fight me?¡± He stood up and rose to my height while maintaining eye contact. Before I could warn him or even swing on him, he punched me in my gut leaving me out of breath, then lifted me up and smashed my face against the stone floor. ¡°You are weak, little punk. Never underestimate your opponent, now go to your daddy and cry over his arms.¡± My face was a huge mess and I think I lost a few teeth but that didn¡¯t stop me from hitting his stomach and stealing his pfennings. ¡°Y-you little bastard, give those b-back!¡± ¡°N-Nevaa inderstamate yuo opponent. N-nuw, where is she?¡±Stolen novel; please report. I knew he would get up and strangle me to death. Also after seeing his deadly glaze and him shutting his mouth, I ran away. I imagined he would be following me, but I managed to avoid him pretty quick. One thing I forgot about, is that homeless people are good and cheap spies, they are everywhere and they talk for a few pfennings. I really fucked up and made more enemies than allies. The good thing though is that I had some money to spend and It would have been useful to buy information if I hadn¡¯t stolen it from the old man back there. Maybe I could exchange it for some goods instead. The day was falling and the night was coming so I went to what I called home. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable, neither the best place for a child of just 10 years old but it was the only thing I was able to make. Also, this place was far away from the main station and nobody usually cross this part of the underground so I could perfectly hide from any intruder. The next day I could talk better, despite having some broken teeth and continuing to misspell some words. I was really hungry so I went to grab something to eat from the garbage in the alleys, I pretty much got used to it after doing so every day. While coming back I spotted the homeless man from yesterday. We stood looking at each other for a few seconds before I rushed back home. In the railways, just when I assumed I finally put him off, he came, grabbed and threw me on the ground. ¡°Fucking little shit head, did you really thought you could avoid me forever?¡± I stood quietly trying to get up but he was stronger than me and I could barely breathe and move. ¡°Where is the money?¡± ¡°I-In...Yora A-Ass.¡± ¡°I wonder how fucking sarcastic will you be once I break your legs.¡± Dark thoughts crossed my mind at that moment and I could only think about one thing: ¡±Kill to survive, the weak perish, the strong lives.¡± Suddenly I heard some whistles coming from far. At first, I didn¡¯t guess what that could be but later on, I remembered we were on the railways of the trains coming from S¨¹dkreuz with destination Blankenfelde. I was sure it was a train and probably I had a few minutes as the sound was getting stronger and closer. ¡°What the heck is that?¡± Asked the old homeless, releasing the pressure put on me. ¡°I-It¡¯s a trian, hopa youo have god legs because you will neeeed tham.¡± I sprinted in order to avoid the train, and as I have been exploring this undergrounds for days, I knew all I had to do is reach the mainline. I imagined it wouldn¡¯t be really far, maybe at 15 meters or less from here. Also I wanted as much as possible to avoid uninvited guests such as the police. Just when I was about to reach it, I heard the old man screaming for help. I looked back and I saw he was stuck between one of the railway sleepers. At that moment I did one of the most stupid acts I could even think about, risking my life I went back to save the homeless man. ¡°B-boy, you are back, god bless you. Quick release me.¡± I tried hauling him by the arms but didn¡¯t work. Then I found out that the left bottom side of his long torn pants were the ones knotted, but there wasn¡¯t much time left. I panicked for a moment but seconds later I chilled out and I managed to untangle it. I saved him at the price of my life when I could simply let him die, although it was my fault. After all I threatened and stole him. However nothing mattered now, the train was going to hit me and I only could see myself cut in half by it, so I closed my eyes and I waited for the moment to happen. I personally believed I was dead until I opened my eyes I saw the old man. He saved me by knocking me sideways of the tracks. Despite our bad first meeting, maybe he wasn¡¯t as awful as he seemed to be. ¡°With this, we are in peace now, I don¡¯t want to hear anything else about you so get lost already.¡± ¡°W-wea are in pece naw.¡± Both of us went different directions, thinking we wouldn¡¯t see each other for a while. Nonetheless, I had the feeling we would meet again, perhaps as friends or enemies. One thing I was sure of, next time but I would use him to get information and throw him when he ended up being useless. After all it was impossible for me to have friends sooner or later they would betray me. Chapter 4: The successful vengeance [Fixed] A month flew by fast and I never got to see the old man again or the girl who I was searching for. Good thing, though, is that I managed to improve my home and recover from my wounds. Now that I was totally healthy, I could properly search through the city to find the girl. However, Berlin is a big city and I didn¡¯t even know where to start. Alleys, highways, and narrow streets connected the main roads to hidden spots everywhere, yet I wouldn''t give up. Only a few minutes passed by and I already started losing hope while searching. Despite my promise of revenge slowly turning into ashes like a photograph burning, I kept looking over each corner of this damn city. After the sixteenth cramped corridor I screamed, kicking nearby bins out of control: ¡°Why does Berlin have to be so fucking big?!¡± I stood in a foul mood until I heard police¡¯s siren. Then I fled the place faster than a bullet. Getting caught because of my foolishness wasn¡¯t my plan. My search for revenge and my constant nightmares would eventually consume me, sending me tied right away to a padded room. Probably forgetting about it and taking some time away from the search would calm me. I didn¡¯t even want to stop considering relaxing, although I was really burned out. Either way, I continued my endless search. After two weeks it started to produce results because I found someone who I doubted I''d ever see again. The woman that my father brutally kicked was on the outsides of the city, near a nightclub. She was waiting pushed back on the wall. I didn¡¯t expect less from the old man, who treated me like shit. Just thinking on him made me fume and my blood boil. I had to focus on her, though how would I get her attention? She was a bitch selling herself to the lust of men so I would be rejected right away, unless she had some sort of fetishism for underage boys. Short time later I reached a conclusion; I could lure her to a dark place with the money and then start interrogating her. I didn¡¯t see inconveniences so I went according to the plan. It was time to get real answers about why she didn¡¯t tell the police anything about me. Just when I decided to get closer and ask her every question, I had one of the punks that was there when Alwin got killed approached her. He handed her something, probably cash and both disappeared into the darkness of the cramped alley right next to the disco. I clenched my jaw unable to stop thinking about it. Jumping in without a plan was a horrible idea. I also didn''t have the strength to attack him with bare hands. This was my chance to kill two birds with one stone but to take advantage of it was impossible at the moment. It was a really frustrating situation where I was stuck between trying unsuccessfully to kill him or run away like a coward. Despite hating it, I decided to not enter into any sort of conflict for the time being. I wished this would have happened after getting stronger. Just before leaving the area, I saw something which could turn the tables. Maybe I could really make the most of this chance. Someone whose aspect was dark, old and gave me chills was selling knives. Behind an open door fence, standing there he was waiting for any possible client to arrive. A strange place to sell stuff. He could be a rapist or worse, but I would take any risk to fulfill my vengeance. I went toward him warily and I asked for the cheapest weapon he had. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time, sell me the cheapest knife you have!¡± ¡°Slow down boy... First of all, can you afford one?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How much do you have on your pocket?¡± ¡°First the knives.¡± ¡°Look boy, I¡¯m trying to do business here so if you have only came to annoy me, better disappear.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°If I leave, you won¡¯t earn anything. I wonder what the police would say about you.¡± ¡°Fine, fine I will let this slip as you are very young. The most inexpensive I have is fifty marks.¡± He was obviously trying to scam me. A rusty knife that didn¡¯t even have a sharp blade for fifty marks. Truly I needed one, although I was for sure not taking the one he offered. ¡°What can you offer for 73 marks?¡± ¡°I can offer this one, right here. The best quality you will find out there.¡± The second one seemed better and had a decent sharp blade. As I was in a rush I took it without thinking twice. This time I would have more than my bare hands, which increased my chances a lot. Now all I needed was a plan, as screaming while attacking could alert him and I wasn¡¯t an idiot. While walking toward them an idea came to my mind. I could slowly get closer and then give the sneak attack to that punk. He would probably be distracted while doing it with that whore so he wouldn¡¯t be able to spot me immediately. Just crossed the street, penetrated where no light could reach and around the corner, I saw them having a good time. ¡°Oh yeah, more...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll mess you up, dirty whore.¡± A dead end alley and only one lamppost lighting the place. It was perfect for two stealth kills. I was right thinking he would be too busy to hear me. I was starting to get a little excited about it because I could fulfil my vengeance. That enthusiasm ended up being my doom. ¡°Time to die,¡± I said in a low voice without noticing. Just when I was going to hit him, he turned around and punched me. He sent me flying against the wall of the alley. This could end up being a good lesson for me: never get too excited. ¡°You shitty brat, I was havin¡¯ fun, you know! I¡¯ll fuckin¡¯ beat your ass.¡± It looks like he forgot about our last fight. This was a good thing as I wanted to remain in the shadows as much as possible from them. ¡°Come at me, faggot,¡± It hurt a lot but I was not giving up yet. He got mad at me and tried to bump into me. Although he wasn¡¯t a smart type of guy as he forgot to put up his pants. He fell backwards, like if this was some sort of episode from the Smurfs. I lift myself up a bit dazed and I managed to stab him in the elbow. I believe I hit a really painful part as he screamed like a girl after seeing a monster. I couldn¡¯t stop laughing looking at him and I would love to keep watching him like that. It pleased me to make him suffer after all he did, though I had to shut his mouth. People could call the police and I would get in trouble. Immediately I took the knife out and before giving him any single opportunity to recover I stabbed him in the heart. I left him bleeding out on the cold road. Later on, I realised I could have tortured him to get some more info but it wasn¡¯t a point of turning back and I could change nothing now. I almost forgot about the woman, who remained paralyzed in silence avoiding contact with him next to the wall. ¡°Look at me you damn bitch,¡± I told her while furrowing my brows. "G-get away from...me, y-you murderer," she responded, her face pale. Short time later she recognised and hugged me. I scowled when she did that. this bitch only deserved to be another victim. As much as I wished to end her life, she was the only way of getting info now that the punk was dead. Maybe trying to be nice would have worked before calling her bitch. ¡°Let¡¯s get some distance,¡± I said, giving her a shove. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for having... c-called you a murder. You are that small boy who saved me that time. But w-why did you... kill him?¡± She asked while giving a glance to the dead body behind me. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I need something from you. First of all, don¡¯t tell anyone I have been here. Secondly, I would like to know where can I find the friends of this guy.¡± I didn¡¯t want to give any detail of what happened to me until now her as she could sell me out for 2 marks. Guess she ignored the fact I called her bitch. ¡°A-All I know is that he comes around to play with the girls here and he frequents a bar called Ram Tradey. Wish I could be of more help.¡± She replied shyly. ¡°That¡¯s enough I gu...¡± All of a sudden she shut my mouth with her middle finger and told me to leave this place as quickly as I could. She told me they will soon come to pick her up as usual and that she should be waiting for them next to the club from before. I didn¡¯t know what was going on but looking at her eyes and hearing her rapid breathing I could tell she was scared. The fact that I killed this guy in front of her was nothing compared to the people she was talking about. I pretended to do as asked, but decided to hide instead. It was pretty dark and nobody would see me anyway. Not a long time after, some men wearing expensive suits grabbed her by both arms and got her into a strange looking car. It had nothing to do with me, yet I felt quite bad leaving her behind. Anyway, I had what I needed and I could finally kill the thug that tried to end my life. Also this time I was armed and in case of any conflict I could defend myself. Nonetheless, I didn¡¯t have money anymore so life would eventually get tough. For a long time, I would be searching through the garbage again but whatever, I was pleased by the fact that the friend of Alwin¡¯s killer was dead. Chapter 5: A new hindrance?! Now that I knew the place that punk was going to I needed to make preparations. I imagined he wouldn¡¯t be alone. He could have guns as well so I wouldn¡¯t even reach to scratch him with my knife. First of all, I had to know more about that place, the more information I had the better it would go. I needed a safe place that was easy to access but barely frequented. It took me a week but I found a perfect hiding spot, in the form of some old flats, right in front of the alley where the entrance of the bar was. At first I doubted it could be good enough but immediately upon reaching the top I concluded this would be the perfect position. I could clearly see the bar. Also guessing by the lack of cleaning and the corrosion on main door, this place had been abandoned for years. In order to not lose any detail, I decided to live there until I learnt everything about it. I decided to move there for a month and a week until I go back to the underground. I discovered that Ram Tradey wasn¡¯t a simple bar, it was underground and it had only one exit and entrance. You need a password, to pay a fee and a VIP card to enter. Also, the people who frequented it weren¡¯t normal guests. All I saw were gangsters, corrupt policemen, company ladies with rich people and some guys who would give you a cold shiver running down your spine. The guy I was looking for had a routine of going there. Every Saturday, he would come at 18:00 and stay three hours. One thing I still didn¡¯t manage to understand is how could he access such a special bar. I came back home with a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn¡¯t think of any way of entering or approaching the bar without alerting anyone. Arriving home I spotted a young girl, long hair, maybe of same age as me, wearing a purple expensive torn off costume. I didn¡¯t know how she managed to find this place or what she wanted but she needed to get out. Possibly a quiet approach from behind and a small bluff would get her running for her life. ¡°What are you doing here? Depending on your response I will let you get away or I will kill you.¡± I did as planned but the thing didn¡¯t go so well. She elbowed me in the stomach, hit me on the nose, making me fall backwards, and aimed at me with my knife. I couldn¡¯t see her attack coming, she was damn fast and strong. ¡°Fucking maggot, you dare threaten me like that despite having done nothing to you?! I should kill you,¡± She said frowning with narrow eyes. ¡°T-This is my...home,¡± I replied struggling. ¡°Then how about finding a new one, maggot?¡± She said with that crazy smile. One which could be easily understood as leave or you are dead meat.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°It is...mine. I took me so long... to make and I won¡¯t... allow you to take it so easily.¡± ¡°Interesting but useless. You should have protected It better if you really needed it,¡± She mentioned sarcastically, but she made a terrible mistake. She stepped on me with her foot. I successfully grabbed and threw her on the ground, leaving her disarmed. Taking advantage I jumped on her and started strangling her. She started punching and scratching me yet it was no use. A few more seconds without breathing and she would be dead. Although I really underestimated? her as she kicked me on the lower parts until I was knocked out. It felt like getting stabbed and stung. She managed to take the knife and tried to stab me. However, in middle air, she lost consciousness, falling on me and failing the murdering attempt. Not long time later I faded as well. It was clear none of us could fight anymore. When I woke up, I realised she had tied me with some wraps to a nearby electricity cable. Seems like she won this round. I tried several times to untie myself yet it was no use. ¡°You finally woke up, maggot?¡± She sarcastically said, before kicking me. ¡°This is the punishment you deserve, how could you hit such a cute girl like me?¡± ¡°Cute my ass, you ugly bitch!¡± I yelled fuming. She was so annoying that I wished someone could shut her up. After hearing that, she punched me in the guts and with a deadly glance she said: ¡°Call me a bitch again and I promise you will lose your manhood and tongue,¡± After all happened to me, her words were meaningless. ¡°B-Bring it on... bitch,¡± I didn¡¯t regret saying that but there was one thing I was wrong about. I thought she was one of those barking dogs who doesn¡¯t attack but she did as told me. All night she hit, cut and made fun of me. At early morning, she sighed as she went away leaving me there. She didn''t manage to break me. Compared to my father¡¯s treatment and special education this was nothing but frustrating. I forced myself to keep my eyes open but I couldn¡¯t avoid falling asleep. The first thing I felt when I awakened was the girl who humiliated me sleeping. I had not a single clue of why she was next to me. However, if I could reach the knife maybe I would be able to escape. This dumb girl fell asleep while holding it. I made sure to approach as stealthily as possible to not wake her up. She had the strength of a tiger even being as thin as a stick. No matter how much I struggled it wouldn¡¯t leave. Right went I was about to try again she got a hold on me tight. I started sweating and I froze in place. I waited a bit before attempting again to be sure I could end her life without any resistance. Favourably I took the weapon and I cut the rope made out of clothes. Just when I was going to give the final blow, she said daydreaming: ¡°Father... why?¡± Then a tear ran down her face and I couldn¡¯t do it. I massaged my temples, overthinking on it. All she had done to me yet I wasn¡¯t able to execute her. No matter how much I forced myself the blade wouldn¡¯t scratch her. Maybe it was my weak will or the fact she was a girl. I was lost in thoughts when I noticed her waking up. It was late to tie myself back or try to run. I was in a serious problem but somehow I would manage to get out of it as in many other past situations. Chapter 6: The unseen truth Fighting her exhausted me and probably she outpaced me. The only way to deal with her that I could think of was to fool her. Since she has proven to be an arrogant rich girl, who looked down on others, acting as a pet or butler was the wisest option to keep my stuff and avoid having my ass kicked. ¡°Y-You jerk! How dare you sleep next to me?!¡± She said once fully awake. ¡±My lady, I apologize for having slept next to an astonishing beauty such as you. I couldn¡¯t do much but to admire you and I fell asleep,¡± I was about to puke for my words, but at least she ate the bait. ¡±Seems now you know your place, maggot. Perhaps hitting you worked yesterday. Anyway, bring me food, doggie.¡± She totally took the bait but at the same time, being ordered around annoyed me. Also, the fact that she changed my name to doggie, was making me just want to kick her even more. Nevertheless, this was part of my plan to get rid of her. Therefore I had to endure a bit longer. When her guard was down and I had managed to earn her trust, I would give her final blow. ¡°Yes, miss,¡± I replied and went to find food. I wouldn¡¯t have done so, but my stomach was was growling. The usual places wouldn¡¯t be accessible during daylight and due to the daily patrol initiated by police and the problems with those punks, I had to be very sneaky. Meanwhile, I also needed to start planning how to get in that bar. Anyway, now food was a focus and although there weren¡¯t many areas accessible, I knew a few in the deepest part of the slum. A district, far from the metro, without law and order where nobody cares if you get shot in the middle of the streets at daylight. If I was quick I could get back alive before two-o¡¯clock. Last time I sneaked in without much effort by removing some rubble and scrambling through a narrow pipe. However, as I reached that access I found out someone barricaded it. Probably so bums couldn¡¯t get in. Just when I thought I wasted my time, I realized I could remain unseen if I quickly and silently crossed one of the shops used by the gangs that control this district. Being caught meant I would be killed on spot but it was meaningless thinking about it. I had much bigger problems to deal with. I never needed to scan the area for these so-called ¡°shops¡± so everything was going to be planned on the rush. It took a while but I managed to find a shop without security. A rundown antiquary whose broken shop-window hadn¡¯t been replaced and placard which seemed to have lived better days. This place was sending chills down my spine, but I was starving. ¡°Welcome customer,¡± an old man sitting on his old rocking chair said.I thought I had been caught right away but later, I realized that he was blind. ¡°Hi, old man. I¡¯m just looking around.¡± ¡°Oh little one, I¡¯m sure that isn¡¯t the only reason. Nobody comes down this road just for that. Is it perhaps money, food you are looking for?¡± ¡°Quite sharp coming from a blind old man. Indeed I¡¯m a poor bastard looking for some bread.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I may be blind but my ears compensate I can hear everything. Anyway if it¡¯s food you are looking for just take it from the fridge in the back. There is no need for you to pass through and enter deeper to steal it.¡± ¡°How could you see through my plan?¡± I asked outraged at what he just said. "You are not the first, neither the last that comes to these slums for similar reasons.¡± ¡°I see, old man. Even so, how can I make sure this isn¡¯t a trap?¡± ¡°What purpose would I have for such thing?¡± ¡°That may be true,¡± I told him before going to the back of the shop. This old man terrified me, not because of his strength, but due to his strong senses. I didn¡¯t want to stay here for long so I took a bag that was in the kitchen and filled it with as much food as possible. Just when I was about to leave, I heard unknown voices. They sounded unfriendly. ¡°Yo, we came to offer you protection,¡± A rough voice said. ¡°I see, but I believe there is no need for such a thing,¡± replied the old man. All of a sudden I heard something break. ¡°See how you need it, decrepit elder, someone just broke the vessel,¡± a second voice said. ¡°As I said before, it isn¡¯t needed; now please take your leave, before something bad happens.¡± As soon as he mentioned it, I slowly peaked to check what was going on. ¡°What did you just say, grampa? Let me smack you for good, maybe then you will come back to your senses.¡± ¡°I understand now. Let me close the shop first,¡± he told him slowly lifting up and closing the door. They were all laughs before the old man broke the neck of one of them. Then they all snatched out their pocket knives. The one with a rough voice was strong and the other was quite fast but all was futile. They didn¡¯t even scratch him and both fell like corpses on the ground with their neck crushed. ¡°Little one, you have seen, a rather improper side of mine. I apologize for it, it¡¯s better if you take your leave,¡± he mentioned. My mind recoiled in astonishment and I wished to not become his enemy by any circumstance so I ran until I was out of breath. Back to base, with all the ruckus, I got careless and forgot that the spoiled girl was still waiting. ¡°What took you so long maggot?!¡± she yelled. ¡°I apologize mistress for my delay, but that shouldn¡¯t stop us from eating.¡± I expected her to treat me like a dog but it turned out to be slightly the opposite. ¡°It¡¯s boring and lonely to eat alone maggot, so let¡¯s share the food,¡± she mentioned. ¡°Sure,¡± I replied, doubting her sincerity. Despite this being the first time eating with someone and eating an abundant lunch, I forgot how to be happy. Even with the tastiest food I felt nothing. Perhaps I became tasteless and I accepted the fact that I cannot smile. After all, I was doomed to have a dreadful life alone. ¡°Look up, maggot. You look like you had a bad day but this food is delicious and there is no reason to be sad,¡± she said raining down strong blows on my back. ¡°You are rather nice, mistress.¡± ¡°You can call me Veronika. I don¡¯t like being called mistress. Even now I hate it,¡± she said, curling into a fetal position. Wasn¡¯t she all about joy and looking down upon others? ¡°My name is Abel,¡± I told her. Obviously I wasn¡¯t going, to tell the truth about anything. ¡°Anyway now that you mention it, what is a girl like you doing here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a long story...¡± ¡°I see, well I have all day to hear it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer to cut it now. I lost my appetite too so feel free to eat it all,¡± she said while going away. It might have been my imagination but it looked like tears were running down her cheeks. The servant act bore fruit, she exposed her weakness in such a short time. Something about her past troubled her and if I was able to find which thing it was, I could make her crumble. I don¡¯t know where she went, but I was sure she would be back any time soon. Although my plan was to toy with her, fate had a totally unexpected intention. Despite the hostilities, years later she would turn out to be my most powerful ally. Chapter 7: The awakening After she had left, I did some cleaning and I went to bed. I waited long until dawn, but she never came back, perhaps something happened on the way. But who was I to worry? She always bragged about how strong she was so I had nothing to be concerned about. There were still leftovers from yesterday¡¯s dinner, so I ate them shortly after going out. The first goal of the day was to steal a gun and find the password for Ram Tradey. Strict regulations on buying and selling guns makes it nearly impossible to obtain a firearm. Despite this, I knew someone who could help - the homeless man. The only problem was that we didn¡¯t quite get off on the right foot, and I had no idea where to find him. I had sneaked through almost every alley in the city but didn¡¯t get a single clue about him. The sun was about to set, so I gave up and went to spy around the bar¡¯s area. I waited until everyone who could recognise me went in before sitting down near the door, behind some trash cans, begging for money. Similar to any other homeless person. Even though I didn¡¯t receive much and some even made fun of me, I succeeded at my main objective. The password was,¡±When the light sets, the darkness rises.¡± I called it a day, and I was just about to leave, when I turned my back and saw her. I don¡¯t recall what made me turn around, probably fate, but I was convinced it was Veronika. At first I thought it was a betrayal ¡ª as I expected but she was looking really down, as if she was about to cry. Perhaps she was like me, a trapped spirit that hadn¡¯t had a chance at freedom. Overthinking it wasn''t going to change anything so the only thing I could do for her is blow that place to pieces. I went back to my secret spot, and went to bed. However, every time I closed my eyes. Her expression came to my mind. I barely slept at all, having constant nightmares about her and my father. Even dead that old idiot was nothing but trouble, I expected to forget about him within the first month. Either way I had to get some sleep in. Tomorrow would be the time to find a gun. He wasn¡¯t going being very happy about me meeting him, last time we almost killed each other. Luck settled our problem but seems destiny hasn''t separated us yet. The next day I prepared to leave, and I went to search once again through the city. Maybe the man from the shop could help me, though I wonder if that¡¯s a good idea. I rushed to the store and as soon as I stepped in, he loudly said: ¡°Who is there? I will attend you in a few seconds.¡± While waiting I noticed the huge amount of dust on the shelves and floor. It looked like nobody had set foot here for a long time. ¡°Oh aren¡¯t you the young boy that came to visit me last time? What brings you this time? More food perhaps?¡±The old man said while pushing aside some new curtains on the door. ¡°Not this time. You seem the wisest person I know and you might know a person I¡¯m looking for,¡± I told him. ¡°Who could be the person you are looking for?¡± he replied. ¡°A homeless old man who usually is seen on alleys asking for tips. He has good punches but has one leg crippled, perhaps he was a retired soldier.¡± ¡°Sadly I don¡¯t recognise anyone similar to your description. What business do you have with such a person?¡± I told him I was looking for a gun; no point in lying about it. He quite surprised me with his first words ¡°I see, I see.¡± He didn¡¯t ask many details. He just went to the back and after a few minutes, he came back with a gun and 7 bullets. Small enough to hide in my pocket but deadly like any other. It took a while, but I managed to load it and remove the safe. As I was leaving, he said some goodbye words.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Be sure of what you are doing. You will initiate a dark path, one which doesn¡¯t have a comeback. And if you decide to take that path, remember feeling remorse for the dead.¡± Strange words but he was right about everything. Regardless of not finding the person I was looking for I got all the items I needed. There was only one thing to do. Fate was right about reuniting with the old man, but not the one I was expecting. There was only want thing left to do, plan and infiltrate the bar. Before going back to the station, I took a detour to steal food from the trash cans in the alleys, and I headed back to my improvised base. I started thinking on how to proceed. My life had no real meaning but I wouldn¡¯t reach far if I were to die as soon as I entered. First I will wait until he is in to be sure not to miss. Nobody except for the thug could acknowledge who I was, so I could infiltrate disguised as a guest. Next I will wait until he shows his weak spot. To avoid eye on eye contact with him I won¡¯t go straight and sudden moves were forbidden. Once we are face to face, I will waste the entire magazine on him. What would happen me next was a mystery but it would most likely be the end, it had been a short but nice life. I still had time until night so I took time to write a short sentence on the wall with blood. It wasn¡¯t mine of course, just the one from rats I hunted. ¡°This is my goodbye, where I go, I won¡¯t come back. I didn¡¯t really disliked the way I lived until now.¡± In my head it looked pretty good but as the blood was falling down, it looked quite creepy. Now I had no way of cleaning it so I left it as it was. After, I took the time to practice, loading the gun, aiming, unloading the gun, then repeating the process. Later on as night was closing in, I decided to start my last meal. Finished, I loaded the gun again, made sure everything was working properly, removed the safe and took everything that was important for the mission. I went to the spot on the roof and waited minutes, long hours. Time was passing by and I was shivering; it was a cold night after all. He arrived finally with his smug careless face, of course he didn¡¯t know what was about to happen next. Shortly after, I descended the stairs and I was in front of the door, clenching my fist and trembling. I thought the shakes were due to the cold but I guess it was me. I don¡¯t know why I was feeling like this, could it be that there was no point of return after this? Was it the rush of emotions? Three bangs on the metallic door and the guardian asked the password. I repeated what was last time said, but he was persistent on not letting me in. ¡°How come I¡¯ve never seen you here?¡± He asked with a rough, aggressive voice. ¡°I¡¯m new here. My father sent me to do some business.¡± ¡°Then tell him to send someone of his age. Now get lost.¡± I didn¡¯t mind the age, but seems this place was strict. Despite his warning I was not running off. The well-mannered way was not working so I chose to turn aggressive all of a sudden. ¡°Listen here, you fucking cunt. I don¡¯t have time to deal with you, shithead. I have business here and if you don¡¯t let me progress I will make sure my father demands your fucking head. Now let me the fuck in.¡± I managed to make him open the door but his cold stare sure wasn¡¯t going to disappear. At first sight it was like any other bar with its chairs, barman and all different types of coloured drinks. Later on you would check the basement and the image changed, prostitution, drugs and weapons. You could almost breathe crime. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t the time to lose my mind, and it was essential to focus on finding him. Soon I found him, standing there, watching the stripper with his lustful eyes. I followed the main plan, the closer I was, the more sweaty I was becoming. Once I was at his couch, I took the gun out. The last thing I saw on his face were those big open eyes. His death wasn¡¯t a surprise. One shot after another until the whole magazine was in. ¡°This is for Alwin and for the pain I suffered because of you.¡± Even if I no longer had bullets I continued pulling the trigger. Seconds later it was a total madness, everyone screaming and running, stepping on each other to leave. Those who had a gun near decided to take it and shoot me without end. Bullets were penetrating me, one after another, it was painful. I wanted to cry so loud but my voice wasn¡¯t reaching. I was on the ground when my mind left me and my surroundings were pitched. I stood in this indescriptive place for quite long but then an intense light woke me up. I found myself in a comfortable bed, compared to my old house and the subway this was heaven. Everything was well decorated with what looked like expensive furniture. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what brought me between these pink walls, but I was alive. Once again I refused death, and I chose to live.