Born to Kill

CHAPTER ONE

When I was eight years old, my father used to hit me. A lot. He always had that glare when he came back from the pub. He would beat me and mom black and blue.

Then one day he came home and I was waiting...to stab him before the onslaught. My mother didn't see what happened. All she saw was my father, rushing towards me and me with a knife in my hand trying to defend myself.

When it was all over, I told my mother what I had done. She held me tight and shushed me. "It doesn't matter now Rick", she said. "Another useless man is gone. You did good".

It's been many years since then. Sixteen years to be exact. My mother is alive , healthy and happy. Her initial capital to start afresh was from a 'concerned citizen' who wished to stay anonymous.

But I knew the truth. It was a payment for doing something that came naturally to me. Killing.

That night, after my mother comforted me and the police came and took my father's body away, I was walking in the dark rainy night. Alone. I saw a silhouette appraoching from a distance. I looked fora place to hide. There was none.

The silhouette, whom I assumed was male judging by the structure, started tor un, realising I had noticed him. I turned around to run too. The ground was slippery from rain. Where I was standing was particularly muddy. I fell face first into the mud.

"Hey Kid", said the voice beside me. I lifted my head to see the man, dressed in a trench coat with a hat. Or was it a rain coat?

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? Where's your mom?"

I scowled. "What do you care?" I asked. "I care a lot more than you think. I know you killed your old man and I know you did it without the slightest bit of hesitation. You and I are both alike. We're both naturally born killers".

"Who the hell are you?" That wasn't how I was supposed to talk to adults. But for this man I'm sure mom would allow me to say even worse.

He bowed his head. "your mother will receive cash $20000 from concerned citizens. That plus the insurance should be enough to start over". He paused, took out a cigarette and proceeded to light it.

"Smoking isn't good for your health", I said.

"Then I should smoke more", he said. "I've killed many people and angered many more. I'll be lucky if this kills me before they do", he said. His hat protected the cigarette from the rain.

I got up."You can either accept the money as a signing bonus for you joining me or I could give evidence to the police".

I scowled. "You don't have any evidence", I said. He laughed. "you're right. We don't. But we know you did it and that's most important. We can create the evidence. After all we're simply tipping off the police to prevent a criminal from escaping".

He turned around and started to walk away. "Your response when you mother gets the package will tell us all we need to know".

I watched him walk away. I was only eight years old and I was being subjected to blackmail. What kind of world was this?

 I thought about whether I should tell my mother or not. Obviously they didn't want her to know. He might even decide to kill us both if I told. Besides my mother was already more  stressed than she needed to be.

I opened the door and my mother rushed to hug me, smearing herself with mud. "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick. I thought you ran away from home".

There and then I decided I wouldn't tell her and I decided that I would pretend to accept the payment, if just to buy time.

Reviews

[sohadtolba]

It is a nice start. It needs more showing than telling.... more how the mother felt and reacted... Also the son while he was in the park.... but good start

[Jared Grace]

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I have been trying to be more descriptive. Could you give me some tips on description that doesn't slow the pace of my writing and doesn't make it too verbose?

[sohadtolba]

example:" hen one day he came home and I was waiting...to stab him before the onslaught. My mother didn't see what happened. All she saw was my father, rushing towards me and me with a knife in my hand trying to defend myself." This is more telling, than showing the emotions and irritation going on with all the members in this scene.... There should be struggle, emotional and physical... Try to describe that, picture it and say it... :) read articles on show and tell, it will help you more :)