My first attempt at a thriller. Is this considered a thriller? Again, I was given the topic. Of all queerness, it was sort of inspired by Casino Royale , "Phantom" by Susan Kay (which is documenting Erik aka The Phantom from The Phantom Of The Opera's life) and also Sin City. Yeah I stole two lines from Sin City. Or four. I edited them though, but if you've seen the film you can most definitely spot it.

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“Please sir! I know nothing.” The little boy cowered, retreating into the darkness that enveloped the room, shielding himself against the blow that was to follow.

“Is that so?” A man, nearly twice the boy’s height stepped forward into the moonlight. He was tall and of a large build. A deep scar ran across the right side of his face. “Roman, hand me the whip.” A smirk curled his cracked lips as he spoke. A hand reached out for the worn whip which a shorter man handed over.

“No! I know nothing! Please sir!” The boy huddled against the wall, as he tried to grope his way to the door, which he hoped would lead him out of this Hell, and bring him back to earth. He shut his eyes as Hagen raised the whip. Please let it be over. He prayed for mercy. Drifting around on the streets, he had heard stories that the human body could only take pain to a certain extent before the person lost consciousness, and after which, pain would turn to pleasure. Then there would be no more suffering…

A loud crack resonated in the room as the whip hit the cold, hard ground. The boy peeked up, wondering if he was already lost in a state of delusion, where he felt no pain. No… the whip hadn’t hit him after all…

“Perhaps it would do better to keep you alive, little brat… There is no point in spilling the blood of another, yes?” The moonlight did not soften Hagen’s hard features. The boy huddled into the corner of the room, retreating into the darkness.

“You could be of use to us…” Hagen continued, pacing the room slowly and meaningfully as he rubbed his chin and contemplated an idea. “Look at me when I talk to you, boy! It is something we call ‘manners’. Yes, that’s better now. Do you know what a bargain is?” Hagen raised his eyebrow quizzically as he stared hard at the boy. The boy stared back at him, not knowing what was going to happen now. A minute ago he had been expecting death to welcome him with open arms, and now… “Yes.” He responded. Perhaps death could wait a little longer. Perhaps he would live to see the sunrise of the next day. “Well, a bargain is an agreement between parties. It fixes obligations that each party agrees to carry out.” Hagen lit a cigarette and exhaled. “For an exchange of your life, you prove your worth to us. We would not keep a worthless street rat, would we? With your size and agility, we could make a lot more money.”

The boy sat up, listening intently. In his eleven years, his concept of righteousness had been twisted. Distinguishing right from wrong had not been his forte. Here was a ticket to survival… If only he would accept it. He had stolen many times before, of course, to ensure his survival. His innocence had ended long before the other eleven-year-olds. Yet Hagen and gang were not to be trifled with. The years spent roaming the streets of this city had not prepared him for the underworld.

“Why would I want to live to help you rob the rich?” The boy blurted out, without thinking. Yet in the back of his mind, he knew. He knew that Hagen would not kill him. He was now a prize, probably even Hagen’s ticket to fortune. Hagen sneered. “Ah. You do know what a bargain is. You know, I could kill you in a various different ways with this simple piece of rope.” He twisted the whip in his big, rough hands. “I advise you not to waltz with death. It would be a slow, long process you would not enjoy.”

“I’d prefer death to helping you.” The boy retorted, testing Hagen’s patience. Hagen stepped forward towards the boy, his eyes burning into him.

“Don’t try my patience, brat.” He towered over the boy, growling.

“Bargain, you say. I want profits.” The boy stuck his chin out in defiance.

Hagen’s eyes narrowed into thin slits as he bent down to the boy. “Learning fast, I see…” His voice dripped sarcasm, the sound of it sending chills down the boy’s spine. Hagen stroked the whip meaningfully, as he pondered. “Fine… I suppose that can be negotiated… A bit of the loot can be… shared…” He paused as he stroked his chin. “Fine. That can be arranged. So, my dear boy,” Hagen shot the boy another look, “what do you say?” He took the cigarette from his mouth and threw it on the ground, extinguishing it. He bent low, as a servant would, in a gesture of mockery.

“We have a deal.”

An old man dropped his weapon. A young boy lived.

The bargain sealed his fate. And that, was truly the end of innocence.

XXXXXX

The night after Hagen had discovered the young boy in the home of the Count, he had thought him to be a thief from another gang. He was wrong. From then on, the boy was under Hagen. He was swept into the vortex of the underworld of crime and vice. Hagen was wary of the boy at first, giving him simple tasks such as breaking in through a small window before opening the doors for Hagen and Roman. But the boy was a smart lad. The boy was already a skilled pick pocket, which proved to be highly beneficial.

Both of them kept their end of the bargain. The boy stole, picked pockets, and opened the doors of houses for Hagen and Roman. Hagen had to part with some of the loot for the boy, at least, enough for him to buy food. He knew, right from the start, that the boy was smart. Having wandered around on the rough streets for his whole life had taught him the rules of survival. Hagen knew the day would come when the boy would overpower him, and the bargain would be done with. He had witnessed the boy’s defiance, and the boy clearly set out to provoke Hagen. His wit and sarcasm did not sit well with Hagen… It was clear that both parties did not like each other. The boy could not escape, he knew that. Hagen made sure of that. He knew that he had to get rid of the boy before the boy had the chance to get rid of him... He would do that… Once he had sufficient money…

The boy bloomed under Hagen. He became skilled in many areas of crime; stealing, pick pocketing, opening locks... He became jaded and cynical through the years with Hagen. He had to break free one day. He hated this lifestyle. It was the key to his survival but he had thought it to be a challenge to become a skilled thief. He had thought them to be quite geniuses. As a young kid, he had seen people losing wallets to skilled pick pockets and he had thought them to be quite the magicians. He was intrigued by the seemingly easy task. With time, his hunger to learn, and his quick mind, he picked it up, and a great other tricks that deluded the normal human eye. Wandering around, he learnt about astrology and mythology from gypsies. Had he been born into a wealthy family, he’d have been governed by the best tutors money could afford, and would have been able to change the world with his brilliant mind. He knew he was wasted here as a little thief to a brainless man. He wanted more out of his corrupted life… Thus he plotted fresh ideas of escape every day. He would strike when the time was right...

After four years… the day had finally come. For both of them, it was the end. A gunshot. Two. He clutched at his heart, as he fell onto the ground. The blood flowed steadily out from his stomach as the world spun around him. “Had it not been for me,” The gunman walked closer, peering down at him, “you would not have survived these years. Be thankful… Give thanks to the Lord… But you won’t see his angels for the sins you have committed.” He knelt down beside him, and Hagen felt a sense of déjà vu, as he lay there, at the mercy of a young lad he had helped nurture in his warped way. “A bargain is an agreement between parties. It fixes obligations that each party agrees to carry out. Do you remember? We have fulfilled the agreement. We kept our end of it. You spared my life and I gave four years of it serving you. It is time,” He raised the gun once more, this time to Hagen’s head, “that we end it.” He pulled the trigger, and Hagen caught a last glimpse of the boy whose life he had spared, whom he had plotted to get rid of just a few hours ago…

A young man dropped his weapon. An old man died.

The bargain is over…