"Jesucristo, vamos Raphael," one of the older boys hissed, turning around in the dark alleyway. The entourage of figures paused for a moment to look at the straggler, separate from the group.

The younger boy, the smaller more fragile boy, stumbled behind, tripping on garbage and the uneven pavement. He looked up ahead and the pale moonlight that lit his face illuminated the fear in his expression. His eyes were wide and his skin shone with a slight, clammy perspiration.

"Estoy viniendo, I'm coming," the boy named Raphael mumbled in a shaky response. His breath came out as small, smoky white puffs. It was spring but the air still held the winter's chill.

"Bueno."

The others turned and continued in their procession toward their destination, the eerily deserted Hotel Dumort.

Raphael wasn't sure why he was here. He'd always been afraid of Hotel Dumort. The disappearances, the howls at night, the terrible stories of shadowy creatures. All of his childhood fears had been caused by it. Maybe that's why he was here: to prove he wasn't a small frightened child anymore.

He looked down and grasped at the gun in his belt loop. They had had their knives and rifles blessed by a priest this morning as an added hope that they would provide the needed protection. He felt uncomfortable and out of place with it, like a little boy playing make-believe. Still, the weapon gave him a sense of control and power.

Raphael's brother, José, fell behind to talk with him. José looked at his sibling with brotherly concern.

"You afraid, hermanito?" José asked him with a wicked grin.

Raphael wiped his clammy palms on his jeans and shrugged. "Un pocito," he responded honestly, staring at the littered ground to avoid looking into his brother's eyes.

"Don't worry 'bout it," José said. "After this you'll be able to stand up to anything. You'll be a man."

Raphael looked up and smiled; that was just what he was hoping.

Note: I'm just playing around with this concept. . . I'd like to get more in depth into Raphael's history. Review, please, and tell me if I should continue.