I came up with this idea when i read an article about season two of TM. That there will be episodes about the past of the characters ( we've already had Red Badge, Throwing Fire, etc.) but what i was thinking; will there ever be an episode about why Red John became such a cruel bastard and what drives him, you know?
So this is what i wrote about the mysterious antagonist of my favorite show:
The little boy just stood there, watching reluctantly how his father beat up the man with his fists. Blood streamed on the floor with such a speed the man wouldn't have long to live anymore. No, he would have been collapsed on the floor already, if he wasn't held up on his hair by his very own brother.
'Family is a man's weakness', his father used to say. And no, it didn't affect him much to see his uncle getting beaten up, he never liked the man. But although it wasn't the first time either he had to watch his father doing his stuff, there was something, something the boy didn't worry about when he was younger. He was wondering about reason of this sinister actions.
"Son, come here!" The boy rushed towards his father obediently as he had learned he had better not make him mad, and grabbed the knife from the ground to which his father had pointed to with – where used to be – his index finger.
"Give him the final strike, Johnny."
He didn't move. He clenched his fist around the hilt of the knife as he looked in the eyes of his terrified uncle.
Did he really deserve this? Certainly, according to his father, - "He cut off my goddamn finger. He's gonna pay for it!" - but he wasn't sure about it. Was his uncle's life worth less than one stupid finger?
"Johnny? I know you can do it!" Yes, of coarse he could. He was only wondering why, just why?
"Father, why kill him? Can't I just cut off his finger? Then you're even."
"No," a bitter voice replied. "No, Johnny. Remember that you always have to pay them back more than you suffered, because those bastards know they deserved the same as you. People don't suffer enough under the punishments they know they deserve, so do more."
Okay, seemed logical. And besides, you never doubt the wise words of your father. Another thing he had learned in all those years.
The boy sighed. Was he about to do it? His first one. He stepped forward and closed his eyes as he raised the knife.
"Stop!"
He looked up at his screaming father, holding the knife above is head.
"You never ever close your eyes when you do it, son. Never!" he raged in fury. "You have to see the death in his eyes, Johnny. Don't be scared. Don't let your emotions take control of you and be a man! Don't show any weakness to your prey. They are weak and that's your strength, your power. You are the ruler, Johnny, don't forget!"
The boy nodded and stuck out his chest. Yes, he was the ruler! He clenched both hands around the knife and in a quick movement he brought it down in his uncle's neck.
As he was instructed to the boy kept looking in the eyes of the dying man in front of him. A flood of blood streamed down his hands and spatters of the warm liquid stained his face. Finally the damaged man collapsed and kept lying on the ground motionless.
"I'm proud of you, son," his father whispered.
Proud? Was he really proud of him? It was the first time he ever heard his father saying that. He swept away some blood from his face with the sleeve of his shirt and grimaced uncertainly before he got overwhelmed by the sudden devilish smile he got in response.
He had never forgotten that smile, the ominous smile on his father's blood stained face. For the first time he felt like a real person, a significant person. He wished his father could see him right now, see the notorious man he became. He knew his father would have been proud after every time he killed a person, but he only got the smile just once. The first, but also only one.
And whenever he had been looking into his victims eyes to see their lives drifting away, he always felt the urge to recall the happy memory of his pride father, and draw the image of the certain smile on the wall. So that he'd never forget...
Could it be something like this? I would never ever justify Red John's horrible actions, but I think he had - as many characters from TM (who of them doesn't actually?) - an abnormal childhood. (cliché, i guess, but who knows?... Oh i forgot, it's Bruno Heller who knows, of coarse...=) - (And tousand times thanks to that man! why don't we ever give him a bunch of cookies ;) he deserves it!)