Well, I enjoyed doing last weeks challenge I thought I would do another. This time the challenge is:

A secondary character says this somewhere in your story; “He’s the cutest little boy. Makes it that much sadder, doesn’t it?”

I’ve taken a bit of a liberty with the language that would normally be used by the characters in this little scene. There would be much more profanity but I don’t want to use that in this kind of forum, which might take away the edginess from the story – let me know if you think I should be more ‘realistic’. So here we go. Done in one go, only editing has been spell checking (I hate to publish anything with typos):

________________________________

Robbie turned as he heard the car screech to a halt behind him. It had stopped only a few feet from him, but he had been oblivious to it right up until the last few seconds.

Before he had time to react, the doors on either side swung open and two men who looked to be in their early twenties jumped out and made straight for him. He stood rooted to the spot, not understanding what was happening.

The one who came from the passenger side ran right up to him and pushed him in the chest. He was short, but stocky and his hair was shorn so close you could see scars in his scalp. Robbie is not small, but the attack took him by surprise and he stumbled backwards. No words had been exchanged.

The driver by now was right in front of him. His face only inches from Robbie’s.

“You’re that little shit Andy’s brother, aren’t you?” he demanded, spitting his words in Robbie’s face.

Robbie was a few inches taller than his assailant, and he gathered himself and made himself as tall as he could. “What is it to you if I am?”

“He owes us, and he owes us big time.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” said Robbie, although he had a pretty good idea what they meant. His brother had been involved with the wrong crowd, and it had ultimately cost him his life. He had been stabbed in a fight last week and had been buried that morning.

“You better know, because now that he’s gone, his debt passes to you.” Robbie felt a think finger poke him in the chest.

“I don’t know, or want to know, so get the hell out of my way.” Robbie made to move away from them.

“I don’t think so,” the passenger now forced his way in front of Robbie. “Your scumbag brother had stuff that belongs to us, and we want it, and we want it now. So you better find it, or you’ll end up the same way as your kid brother.”

“Just leave me alone. We had nothing to do with Andy’s friends, or enemies. His baby is an orphan already, don’t you think you have done enough harm?

The driver stood in front of him now, and quick as a flash pulled a switchblade from behind his back and held it to Robbie’s cheek.

“Now you listen here, and listen good. You are going to get us our goods, or Andy’s little bastard boy is going to come to some serious harm. You wouldn’t want that, would you? It’s going to be tough for a kid to grow up with a scar running across both his cheeks. I’ve heard he’s the cutest little boy, that makes it much sadder, doesn’t it?” The hatred in his voice was almost overpowering him as spittle formed on his lips with every word.

Robbie stood stock still, the blade of the knife pushing against his cheek. One false move and it would cut him.

The driver snarled at him. “It’s up to you, sort it out or the kid will get a scar to match his uncles.”

Robbie hissed back, “I don’t have a scar.”

In a flash, the driver dragged the blade down Robbie’s check, splitting the flesh so quickly that Robbie didn’t immediately realise what had happened.

“You do now.” The two thugs laughed as Robbie lifted his hand to his wound to feel blood streaming out. They turned and went back to the car. As they got in, the driver shouted over to Robbie, “We mean business, sort it, or you won’t have to worry about scars when you’re in a box six feet under.” They slammed the doors and sped off, the tyres squealing in protest as the wheels spun.

Robbie looked at his hand covered in his own blood, feeling the warmth of it running down his neck and said to himself, “Thanks brother, I really hope you aren’t resting in peace.”