A Monster Arises

Chapter One

"Go kill yerself, yer little thief!" Raymond spat as he held Tom by his collar.

Tom stayed quiet, for he was surrounded by Ray's minions who would surely beat him up if he even dared to breathe too loud.

"Cat got yer tongue, Tommy eh?" Ray teased as his salty breath lingered on Tom's face. It reeked of cheese and onion crisps as it crawled into the poor boy's nostrils, making his hairs stand up.

Without warning, Ray abruptly dropped him, making the young orphan fall to the concrete ground, carpeted with litter.

"Now empty your fookin' pockets boy" he smirked as he watched Tom tried to scramble onto his feet, using the begrimed, brick wall to stand himself up, off of the floor littered in rotting apple cores with maggots inhabiting it and sandwich wrappers filled with stenching mold.

"N-no" Tom stuttered as he backed away from Ray, his spine pressing up against the skip, brimming with debris.

"aw is yer scared then?" Ray mocked stepping closer to the quivering boy he enjoyed bullying. He cocked his head to his good for nothing friends, as they surrounded Tom, who was visibly shaking by the fungi infested bins. 

SMACK!

Tom's cheek was bright red as Ray brought his hand down back to his side as he smirked when Tom brought his hand up to his cheek. He put his finger against it before flinching at his own touch, knowing it was going to leave a nasty bruise like the times before. He was grateful that Ray'd spared his nose as he'd broken it several times before because of him.

"yer hurt? fookin' wimp" Ray sneered as he cocked his head to the exit of the alleyway, as his 'friends' walked out and waited for him.

"Hey Raymond!" Tom called back, his fists clenched.

"What the fook yer be wanting?" Ray yelled at him, turning around to see the enraged Tom who had clearly had enough of his bullshit. 

"You're a bloody dick" Tom said before punching him square on the face. His nose twisted and blood oozed out dripping onto his peach lips. He staggered backwards and his mouth gaped open, looking at the boy in shock.

"Yer'll pay for that one-" Ray started as his fist escalated backwards.

Tom edged backwards and screwed his eyes shut, ready for another beating. He already had scars all over his frail body from the older boy's previous thrashings.

However before Ray had the chance to jump the little boy, he was thrusted backwards by some invisible force, making him descend to the cracked concrete.  

"What's going on here?" the voice of a lady said from behind Ray.

"Fookin'-" Ray started as he tried to help himself up off his feet. He brushed his decrepit clothes and was startled to see the woman standing there.

She was a pretty woman probably in her late 20s with curly brown hair and caramel skin. Her hazel eyes looked almost brown in the bad lighting. She wore a yellow undershirt with toffee coloured dungarees. Tom gazed at her then to Raymond as he registered how bad the situation looked.

"My my" she gasped, bringing her hand up to her mouth in a posh manner, seeing Raymonds bloody nose and Tom's red face, "Where in god's name are your parents?" she asked, her kind face full of worry. Tom stayed silent and looked up at her with his pleading brown eyes, as if asking for help.

"Orphans ain't we" Ray sneered as he looked to his friends behind her, "Oi! Rob, Al!" he called to them as they replied with a prompt, "hm?"

"Oh my word, I am sorry, I didn't realize," the woman said as she brought her hand up to her heart and gave them a face of sympathy.