Prologue
How long had he been running? He didn't know, he didn't care. As long as he got away. That's what mattered. He had to escape from that brute…
He stopped once he reached the relative safety of an alleyway, his heart pounding furiously, sweat and tears mingling as they coursed down his face. He squeezed his eyes tight shut to try and stop the tears…he never cried. Never.
The boy sank to the cobblestones, arms wrapped tight around his knees. He was beginning to rethink his decision; where could he go? How would he live? He couldn't spend the rest of his life in this alleyway, could he? He staggered to his feet again, mopping his brow with his cap.
He kept running, or trying to, for a few minutes more. He kept stumbling and staggering, having to grab at anything within reach to keep his balance. His legs were shaking beneath him as he collapsed once again, thankfully onto a set of steps rather than the grimy alley floor, not that the steps were any less dirty.
The ten year old glanced up at the structure to which the steps belonged and gave a little gasp.
London Bridge.
He'd never been here before in his life, he had no reason to. But now he was here he couldn't help but be glad of it. This must mean he was far away from the man he called 'father'; the drunkard, the bully, the monster.
Bill Sykes smiled weakly to himself as he slipped quietly into unconsciousness.