Tommy laid in a ditch, his arm severely burned. Even though he was just a child he didn't cry. He was used to this pain. Not much phased him anymore. Only the hunger eating him from inside out did.
Ever since Dream came and killed his parents during his murderous rampage he had been living in a hell hole called London. Nothing was like it used to be. His favorite park was a hill of rubble and trash now. Water was scarce around here.
He has dreamed of getting out of London and going to America, even though he refused to admit it. He heard that America has big water fountains everywhere, just so you can drink anywhere. He also learned that those fountains were magical, so when you throw in a coin and make a wish it saves someone in danger.
Tommy didn't believe any of that bogus though. He knew if it was real he would be with his Mum again having dinner. His dog Rusty who would be licking the floor for any scrap of dropped food. They would be laughing and swatting her away.
He missed Rusty. Rusty was a golden retriever. She reminded Tommy of himself a lot so that's why he adopted her. Her past owner neglected her and left her alone to fend for herself. Just like Tommy's dad. He left when he was one. Tommy vowed to always take care of her so she would never end up like Tommy again.
When Dream hit, Tommy ran with Rusty but he had to leave her at the side of the road when he realized that she would drag Tommy down. He cried for days after, but eventually stopped.
A man stared down at Tommy from the top of the ditch. "Hey kid!" Tommy shifted his attention from his arm to the man. He had a stubby brown beard and orange hair. "How old are 'ya?" His accent was strangely southern American sounding.
Tommy jumped up from his spot on the ground. "Ten sir." He fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously. Tommy hadn't had much human interaction since the fall of Eret three years ago, so he wasn't quite sure what was considered normal.
The man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "How do you feel about-" He brought his voice down to a whisper as he said, "the devils tango. You younglings make a lot of money now days."
Tommy abruptly stood up and started backing away. The man chuckled and grabbed his stomach.
"I'm ten! You- you're like sixty! Get away from me you creep." The man stopped laughing immediately and furrowed his eyebrows in rage.
"Listen here kid. I didn't give you much of a choice. Either you come with me or you ain't going nowhere after today." He pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at Tommy's head.
Tommy grabbed a shard of glass from the ground and held it in his fist like a knife.
"I'm not going with you."
"We can feed you again. You look like a rat. And treat that nasty burn." Tommy took a step forward this time, ready to cut him with the glass.
The man took this an opportunity to grab Tommy and make a run for it.
Tommy struggled in his arms, biting and kicking him. "Let me go you dick!"
Tommy was looking around everywhere for a way out. People stared curiously from afar but nobody cared enough to help the poor boy.
He decided to start banging his head against the guys shoulder, when the man just fell. Completely limp. Tommy pried himself out of the man's arms and gave him a good kick.
He glanced around to see a guy who looked maybe seventeen or eighteen holding a gun. He looked terrified. He ran over to Tommy and checked for any sign of life in the man.
"My name's Tommy. What's yours?"
"I'm Wilbur. C'mon we need to get out of here soon. Search his pockets for anything valuable. Actually, just grab his coat too while you're at it. It'll get cold soon."
