Flashback (3)

So apparently, he and I mean Harry was in that corner because he was hiding from someone he had beaten because the person promised that he was going to pay for what he did.

Also I found out that Harry was an orphan like myself and that he'd been on the streets since he was eight years old.

He survived by picking pockets but as he got older, picking pockets began to grow old on him so he found a job at a factory when he was thirteen and he had been working there since then.

Did I mention that he bought me some food <awkward laugh>. When we were talking my stomach decided to expose me by grumbling so loud you could hear the sound two streets away.

He asked what my story was and I told him everything from how I used to live, to when my parents died in that tragic accident over a year ago, and how I'd been going from one orphanage to another, how I was so sick of it that I decided to escape and so on.

After I poured out everything, he simply stood from where he was squatting and told me to follow him.

"aren't you afraid of getting caught? "

"nah, if they try to come at me then I'll give them a piece of my fist" he said palming his knuckles.

"oh" my mouth forming an O shape, I followed him into the street.

He was surprisingly pretty calm for someone who was going to be ganged while I on the other hand kept looking over my shoulders trying to spot any suspicious looking person coming our way.

"you're going to get a stiff neck if you keep doing that" I turned my head to face Harry staring at me with his hands on his waist.

I hadn't even noticed I had stopped walking, I was busy concentrating on a group of guys around the dark corner of a house. They looked pretty much like people  in a gang.

"come on, we gotta move " he grabbed my hand.

He must have noticed what I saw too, the guys had gotten up from where they were sitting and were now walking towards our direction.

It took everything in me to keep up with Harry's calm pace and not run.

"uh isn't this the part where we walk a little bit faster " panic clear in my voice.

"if we walk faster, they'll know that we know they're coming for us"

"wait, are they coming for us? "

"well technically it's just me but since we're together, then you too"

Oh man, I'm seriously trying not to freak out right now. I couldn't help but take another peek at them only to discover that they were already gaining on us.

"I really think we should speed up a little "

"don't worry..... "

"HEY!!!!!!!" one of the thugs called out, interrupting.

I tried to turn my head in their direction but Harry spoke up then.

"they're not gonna do anything "

"HEY, we're talking to you!!! "

"can't you see I'm having a conversation with my buddy here" he places his hand over my shoulder to emphasize the buddy part.

"humph, the only conversation you're gonna be having is with our fists"

"oh come on, give me a break. Do I know you guys? "

"of course you don't. You beat up a pal of ours "

"OH! that dude? " he raised his voice a pitch higher in a way to provoke them. But why he did that I wouldn't know.

"now you remember?"

"of course. I never forget anyone who's gotten a taste of my fist...he got away with a little scratch though"

"are you kidding, you completely destroyed his face! "

"what?! I did?. I thought it was just a scratch"

"don't worry, we'll show you what a scratch looks like. Come on guys, let's get him "

"really dudes, you don't wanna do this?"

"oh, we'll see "

"OK, I didn't want to do this but if you insist, then I will "

The thugs were already closing in on both of us.

"you might wanna stay back for this next part " he said to me.

What part was he talking about? Guess we're about to find out.

The first attacker rushed forward...and fast too but Harry dodged him like as if he was running in slow motion.

The guy stumbled forward and fell. A second guy thought it an opportunity to strike as he dashed forward with a knife. I hadn't even noticed they had weapons on them.

I guess we're not dealing with just ordinary thugs.

Well, Harry dodged that as well and counter attacked the guy by using his elbow to hit the guy in the face cracking his nose.

The guy dropped the knife to attend to his broken nose and Harry picked it up. Then he used the knife to slice a third guy at the back of his knee making the guy to crash down with an 

inability to move. And then, he struck another guy on the neck with the back of the knife.

All the happened like a flash,'gosh was he fast'.

"listen, it doesn't have to be worse than this. Just give up. None of you can defeat me" he was talking to the leader of the thugs.

"don't get too sure of yourself, we're just getting started " he replied.

The leader launched for Harry with a clear intent of murder written all over his face while had just stood watching his with an expressionless face. He was too calm for fucksake.

When the leader was close enough, he shifted his body to the side a little then he slammed his elbow to the spine of the guy.

Ouch, that must hurt like hell. The leader fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

"this is gonna be your last chance to get out of here" he said to the remaining thugs who took to their heels before he even finished the sentence. They left dragging their paralyzed leader with them.

"damn! What a waste of time" he dusted his hands with his clothes while I just stood there staring at him as if he'd grown an horn overnight.

"come on, I don't plan staying on the street by nightfall "

"...."   since I couldn't get any words out, I just followed his lead.

We took different unfamiliar turns before we got to a place with more of abandoned buildings than completed houses. A worse definition of the ghetto.

We kept walking until we got to a house. It was more of a room attached to a shop.

The room was occupied by six other guys.

"you sure took your sweet time getting home huh " one of the guys said

"sorry, got held up by something "

"of course you were...did you bring dinner though? " another one asked.

"I couldn't, shit took time "

"ugh!! " they all grunted in utter frustration.

"who's the new kid? " the first guy asked probably just noticing me standing there when I thought I had blended with the wall.

"he's Cole "

"picked him off the streets? " another one asked.

"no "

"he gonna be staying here? "

"where else would he stay?"

They signed, inwardly but still noticeable. Guess I'm about to face yet another chapter in my despicable life.