The Mistake That Broke Me

Chapter Nine: His Domain

Song: Mystery of You by Red

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The streets were cold and blanketed in a thin layer of frost. The cover of night darkened his features and wrapped him in its silky, enticing shadows. He crept down the streets like a stealthy predator that roams the night freely.

The dead of night is his favorite part of the hours. It is in the night where he attacks and thrives like the predator he is.

But this time he isn't hunting mankind, he's hunting money. Cold hard cash that will ensure his survival for another day. 

Turning down one of the dark streets, he walks a ways down the streets paved in crumbling pavement. Beauty used to live in this town, but that was long ago. That was long ago way before evil had a chance to shadow the city with his rotting hand.

But time passed and a once thriving neighborhood fell victim to crime and destruction. Now, the neighborhood has dangerous predators residing in it. Overrun by illegal drugs, gangs, human trafficking, and other dark issues.

But for the man, this is his life, and this is all he's ever known.

The gang he's apart of is the only people he can confidently call his family. They had picked him up off his feet when he escaped from the human trafficking trade years back. They had given him money, a roof over his head, and food.

But of course, that all came with a price.

To be excepted into the gang, he had to commit murder.

He was desperate for a new way of life, desperate to just fit in and be loved, or at least, cared about. So at just fifteen years old, he took the life of an old man walking the streets one night to prove his worth to the gang.

They immediately excepted him and took him in.

But the fifteen year old boy's eyes never left the old man's lifeless eyes even amidst the celebrations and congratulations for joining the gang. He would never forget that day, and he didn't.

Because to this very day he is haunted by nightmares that keep him up. His guilty conscience feeds his nightmares that mainly consists of the man he murdered when he was fifteen.

Perhaps, maybe that's why he's awake at night than rather the day. Maybe on the inside he's just a little boy who is frightened of the dark, and the nightmares aren't as scary in the day than they are at night.

When the past becomes too much to bear, he always has a bottle of alcohol of some sort by his side to drown it out.

But as of now, he's got money to make and a reputation to uphold for his gang.

The moon is full that night, so no light is needed to be able to see the scenery around him.

Turning down a narrow street, he winds up in an old junkyard. Piles of rotting, dusty furniture are piled on top of each other and rusty bumpers of cars are scattered along the area. Tires and bags of trash are scattered about, but the man halts when he comes to a large open space.

Other men are gathered in a circle, shouting and cheering their enthusiasm into the sky as men fight each other in the middle. Money is tossed around as bets are placed, and the winner of the fights taking all.

The unknown man smirks and steps forwards. "It is my turn to show you how it's done." He says with sheer confidence.

Some of the men bellow with laughter. "Well come on then, pretty boy. Show us how it's done." One of the men says.

The man grins darkly and shrugs his leather jacket off. He then pulls off his plain white T-shirt, and soon finds himself standing shirtless in the middle, facing his opponent who is as equally as bare as he is.