101 Psychos

#14 - The Beat Down

Psycho #14 - The Beat Down -

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A Tale of Gang Initiation -

Although being a gang member itself is not a psychological disorder, here are some shocking research statistics about the mental state of gang members:
85% are diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder
60% have high anxiety
50% are completely drug and alcohol dependant
25% have serious psychosis
To give you an idea of how shocking these numbers are, only 30% of violent men with no gang affiliation are diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder. The other comparisons are just as drastic.

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"All you have to do is pass the test. If you can do this, you're in. If not-" the man ran his finger across his neck as if it were a knife, and I nodded my head in understanding. I wanted to be part of their group, I wanted to belong somewhere.

We left with four other gang members and piled into a black car. Driving around the dark neighborhood, we were looking for an unsuspecting victim, someone I could use to prove my worth to the men around me.

"There's one." a member said from the back seat.

The car slowed down and we all turned to see the lonely passerby. He was scrawny, but not in a drug addict way. My best guess was that he was some sort of nerd, no doubt heading home from the library. He looked like the type to put all his energy into school work with hopes of going to college and leaving this violent city behind.

"Well, what do you think?" the guy sitting next to me asked while nudging me in the side with his elbow.

I wanted to tell them no, not him, but I knew what was at stake. I couldn't appear weak to this group of men, least I become their victim.

"He'll do." I answered, my voice stronger than I felt.

The vehicle turned suddenly at my words and began heading for the boy. He noticed immediately and fled down an alley to avoid being hit. The car turned sharply and followed him down the narrow path, but stopped abruptly when the driver noticed it was a dead end.

The boy paced around the three walls blocking his escape, looking for anyway past. The group got out of the car and I followed behind them, my head hung low.

Each of the members carried a blunt weapon of some kind, whether it was a baseball bat, crowbar, or hammer; they were all armed. As they walked towards the panicked teen, they whistled and beat their various tools against the objects littering the alley, causing the boys fear to escalate as they taunted him.

Finally, the boy stopped looking for a way out through the walls and turned to face us. His eyes were wide with terror and he was breathing so hard I thought he might hyperventilate. The men laughed at his expression, and I was having second thoughts.

"What's the poor school boy doing out so late all by his lonesome?" one guy teased.

"Doesn't he know it's dangerous out here at night?" another added.

The guys continued mocking the frantic boy until they had him backed into a corner with nowhere left to go. He pressed himself against the wall and I could literally see his heart beating through his shirt.

One of the gang members thrust a metal pipe into my hands. "You go first." he said with a warning written in his eyes.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, moving closer to where the rest of the group had the teen blocked in. A couple turned and gave me reassuring smiles, but it didn't quell the knot forming in my stomach.

Don't fuck this up. I told myself as I got ever closer to the boy. The group parted for me and soon I was face to face with my first victim.

I had never hurt anyone before, and was nervous that I wouldn't be able to do it now. He seemed so fragile as he stood there, trembling in his own fear. I gripped the pipe in my hand, but didn't raise it up just yet. His eyes had me mesmerized, no one had ever looked at me as someone to be intimidated by before.

I liked it.

"Let's not stand on occasion." one of the guys said from behind me in a joking way.

His words brought me back from my thoughts and as I lifted the pipe over my head the boys eyes widened impossibly more. I brought the pipe down on the top of his skull, using both hands to get the maximum force. The impact caused the academic to fall to the ground and moan in pain while those behind me cheered me on. Again I raised the pipe, but this time I hit him in the torso.

"I didn't think he had it in him!" someone hollered from behind.

"Neither did I. Hell, I thought we were going to have to kill him too!" another exclaimed.

I continued my assault on the helpless individual. He had curled himself into the fetal position, blood gushing from his head and side. There were a couple loud cracks, and I knew deep down that those noises were made from snapping bones.

I'd lost count as to how many times I hit the boy. As I raised to swing at him yet again someone stopped me. I turned to see one of the members had grabbed the bar I held.

"You need to share with your new brothers." he said through a wide grin and chuckle.

Brothers. I had passed the test. I nodded to him and he released his grip on my weapon. Moving to the side, I allowed room for the others to take my place.

I watched in both horror and awe as they attacked the broken boy simultaneously. They worked as a unit, each focusing their vicious attacks on a specific area of the boys body. Stomping, kicking, and swinging their various weapons at him, never did they pause in their show of brutality. There were countless more cracks and pops coming from the beaten and bruised school boy. At first he had cried loudly and protested the assault, but eventually he laid still, taking ragged breaths.

Over and over his body absorbed the onslaught of damage, until finally his breathing stopped all together. It was too dark to be sure of all the details, but I could tell a thick pool of blood had formed around his body, and I could see fragments of white bones protruding in some areas.

"Come on kiddo." one of the guys said while he grabbed me by the arm and turned me away from the scene. "Let's go get a drink."

Another member appeared at my side as we walked back to the car, away from the boy we had just savagely beaten to death.

"Yeah," he said, "You've earned it."

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What did you think of Psycho #14? All comments, critiques, thoughts, & reactions are welcomed.

The video to the side is an underground rap song by Immortal Technique called Dance With The Devil. This song is rated as one of the top ten most disturbing rap songs ever written, for good reasons. It coincides with this Psycho and even made my skin crawl. Enjoy!

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There's still 87 Psychos to go!