One Year Later – Or Thereabouts

Dusk was falling on a cool Autumn night in a quiet city on the outskirts of Bristol, street lights began to flicker and shine casting the dark streets with an orange glow, the night was blessedly silent…

"NO!" a boy screamed running through the streets breaking the once tranquil hush.

"How'd you think you'd get away with it?" one boy shouted from behind him.

"You had to know we'd find out!" another added panting with exertion.

The light available illuminated a gang of youths chasing another young man through the back alleys. Their feet pounded through puddles as they passed, the reflections rippling with snarling faces. The pack mentality flowing freely.

The boy being chased weaved through the streets trying desperately to outrun the gang but to no avail. They were intent upon catching their prey tonight. "NO!" he screamed again hoping that someone might hear his screams and intervene. "Please someone help me! They're gonna kill me!" the gang now moving closer than before. "No please!" he begged bursting into an abandoned warehouse. He ran through a corridor pushed a door open and arrived at a large echoing space. The boy hesitated only a moment thinking he was trapped when he spotted a set of metal stairs. Wasting no time he ran at them at full speed, grasped the handles on both sides taking them two by two …..it didn't matter though as he was half way up when he was finally snared.

One of the members of the gang grasped the back of his t-shirt roughly and yanked with all the strength he could muster, even with both of his hands on the rails it didn't contend with momentum and the other persons strength. He fell backwards onto the stairs rolling until he hit the bottom the gang merely laughed at the boys pain and began to drag him into a dark corner…one of them pulled out a phone and began to record. The boy was begging and screaming, telling them he wasn't anything to do with the people they were interested in, pleading with them not to hurt him.

One of the boys, as not one of them could be older than twenty stepped forward and stomped on his head silencing his word. He was tall with an arrogant stance. Cold green eyes which glowed with menace, he was obviously the leader. He knelt down, ensured the camera was on him, smiled then punched the boy in the face.

The boy wrapped his arms around his head trying to find some way of protecting himself. "No…." he moaned.

The leader grasped the boys hair and yanked his head up, "This is us sending a message out there!" he snarled. "You hurt one of us." He gestured around with his free hand. "We hurt one of you! And if you are stupid enough to get caught on our patch then you deserve all you get!"

"But I didn't hurt anyone!" he protested. "I'm not part of any….."

The leader hit him again, "We aren't stupid! You're wearing their colours! We know they send spies in only this time we caught you!" he cocked his head and motioned someone over. "Spoorsy, stand up front!"

A young man came forward, his had jet black hair styled impeccably. He was very tall for his age, towering above some the boys older than him. He had moss green eyes which look almost clear. Although unsure about what he was about to be asked to do he hid it behind a mask of cocky arrogance, he'd had to fight for his place he was getting there though. Tonight could be his night if he played his cards right, "What do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice sounded different to everyone elses. He'd been unable to drop the accent he had due to growing up in a more affluent area then the other members of the gang.

The boy on the floor heard the voice, glanced up and seemed to recognised him, he leaned up a little and inhaled deeply, "…."

He never got the chance to say a word as the leader him in the face again. "SHUT UP!" then he stood up and handed Spoorsy a knife. "Do this and you are one of us." The leader smirked eyes shining with blood lust.

Spoorsy looked at the knife and for a moment he couldn't breathe, he painted on an indifferent face and took the blade. Felt the weight of it in his palm and his indecision increased. This boy in front of him wasn't a member of a rival gang like everyone thought, long ago, what felt like a lifetime he had been a friend…a good friend…..the best….

"Spoorsy!" the leader demanded getting impatient with the lack of results.

Spoorsy looked at the sea of expectant faces around him and felt the expectations, the pressure upon him intensified and his hand closed around the handle of the knife automatically. It felt heavier than before somehow.

"Please I'm your friend!" the boy beseeched to Spoorsy, tears in his eyes.

"Go on Spoorsy, you can do it!" they all chanted, the expressions on their faces almost fanatical.

Spoorsy released a quick breath shook his head then began to slowly kneel down. He fisted the blade tightly and spun it until the sharp end was toward the boy, he was about to plunge it down when he looked into the boys eyes and hesitated. The knife quivered in his hand and he found himself unable to move it. He felt eyes boring into his neck and tried to find it within himself…when that proved to be useless he began to think of two people he had never met, two people he hated, two people who had ruined his life! He stroked that anger hotter and pretended that it was them below him, it had the desired effect and with menace on his face he raised the blade….

"HEY!" someone shouted. "What you kids doing in here?"

Spoorsy dropped the knife with a clatter, his head snapping up looking for the source of the voice. In the next moment there was chaos everywhere, everyone scattering as a beam of light slashed through the room searching for its target. Spoorsy stood up to run a second after everyone else but it was a second too late. He was grasped tightly from behind.

"Hey! Lemme go!" he demanded fists flailing.

"Please help me!" he boy on the floor pleaded. "He was gonna kill me!"

The security guard shone his torch on the ground. The blade Spoorsy had dropped lay there accusingly. The guard tightened his hold. "You're in big trouble lad! I thought you were only breaking and entering. This one is gonna land you time!" then he began relaying all the details into a hand held radio.

Spoorsy stopped fighting, knowing it was no use. He was alone, taking the rap for everything; his so called friends deserted him. He hung his head and closed his eyes. He was such a screw up, he couldn't do anything right!

A/N Very quick introduction to 'Part 2' of this story, so who is this spoorsy then? x