Prologue

To remember a sin

Marlinja, 730 km south of Darwin, Australia

There's only one way of describing it. Horror, pure and undiluted horror. When He came home, when Tommy broke out of prison. I knew then and there, I was doomed. That he would come for me. I'll start at the beginning, when I remember when Tommy and I were best friends, we were friends for life. He might have been fifteen and I was ten at the time, I will never forget what he did. I will never forget the day it happened.

Night time, crickets croaking in the distant background, the noise pouring though the curtain draped tinted windows. The heat seeps through the cracks of the closed windows, like a deadly mist lingering about. The old television on, glowing, illuminating the room, the white lines of static flowing from the bottom to the top from the bad reception. I tilted my head onto my broad, square shoulders, my eyes staring out into darkness. My faint reflection gazing back at me. My arms rested against the arm rests on the crimson recliner. My plain blue tee-shirt and boxers sticking to my sweaty skin. I pushed myself out of the chair, unsticking myself as my pores clench, like their crying out "No! We want to stay!" I dragged my feet across the dirty wooden floors; my feet were black from the dirt outside and the floorboards.

Then I herd the sound. The crash. Pots and pans clanging loudly throughout the house. The yelling noises, echoing, vibrating the windows. The screams of terror ringing through the supposed empty house. I'm frightened. I ran toward my room, my blackened feet lightly thudding on the floorboards. I opened my door then slowly closed it behind me. I slid my wardrobe door open, my reflection looked scared, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. Consumed by darkness, not a flicker of light. I opened the door a fraction of a centimeter. Light streams into wardrobe. I pressed my eye to the crack and looked out. Nothing.

My bedroom door crashed to the ground. My mother flailing about on it. I watch her eyes withering in fear, from side to side like a washing machine. I placed my fingers through the crack and started to pull when a shadow fell onto of my mum. I watched as the person leaned over her, a kitchen knife brandished in their hand, then pressed it upon my mother's delicate neck, blood slowly oozed out of her neck. They lean over even further, only a whisper escaped their mouth. "Now!" said the assailant. I nearly fell over there. I knew that voice. That loving, that caring voice. Tommy. "Don't make me say this again! Where is he?" his husky voice said. A strand of his jet black hair fell onto my mums petrified face. "I…I… don't know." My mother spluttered, blood trickling from her mouth onto her whitened face.

"Well then, that's just too bad. Isn't it?" He replied in a whisper. I watched as the knife slid across her neck, the skin rippling then splitting and exposing the muscle underneath. The trickling blood started to flow faster down her neck, staining the wood underneath her. Big, fat tears started to slide down my cheeks. I watch as Tommy ruffles his black hair in frustration, a blizzard of white snow falling upon my mother. I'm thought that I should reveal myself, try to help my mother? Or hide away? "When I get you, you sniveling brat, I will kill you." He promised. Tommy howled into the night, raised his blood stained face to the ceiling. My heart skipped a beat. Why would he say that? I thought.
The windows in my room glinted with the colors of blue and red. I sore my eye staring back at me, my face deep in purple. Oh my god! I had forgotten to breathe. I heard Tommy leave the room. My lungs started to try and burst out of my chest. I let out a long breath of air and sucked in some more. I heard another crash as something fell on something or somebody else. "You have the right to remain silent!" ordered a voice. I heard Tommy scream at the police officers. I slid open the door and dropped to my knees at mothers side. My tears splashed onto her white face. I heard footsteps toward my room. A police officer loomed over me. "God damn it!" he muttered to himself. Then he noticed me near my mothers head. "Come on little one, let's get you out of hear." he said to me. I stood up and reached for his large hand. I looked up into the officers eyes. Security.

Now six years later, he breaks out of prison with only one thought. Kill Max Stevens. He's back and not very happy. This is when I realised that I had to confront him, to permanently take him out of action. Now I realised that the world isn't such a great place, when I found out the world is cruel.