Troubles Beyond Trouble Ch. 03

Daniel wakes surrounded by the stench of blood and vomit with the cold fluids pooling around his body. Awakening suddenly to the stench Daniel sits up and his world begins to spin as more bile builds up in his throat. Leaning forward as much as he can Daniel spews his stomach contents on the stained asphalt of the alleyway, blood and chunks of what can only be described as bone mixed in with what he last had to eat.

Slowly standing to his feet and using a near dumpster to steady himself Daniel begins to try and make the world quit spinning around him in fear that he feel throw up again even though he can't feel anything left in his stomach.

Dripping blood and vomit Daniel begins to make his way down the alley, his bare feet making slapping sounds that echo down the narrow path and his eyes seemed glazed over and he looks barely aware of where he is. The heavy smell of urine and trash that permeates the alleyway goes unnoticed for now but the trash he stumbles on and the paper sticking to his feet begin to become a nuisance. Catching a large piece of scrap wood with his right foot Daniel falls to the asphalt barely catching himself before his head has a chance to bounce off of the solid surface.

As he holds himself up on hands and knees the heavy scent of urine finally reaches him in his half daze and Daniel begins to dry heave in an attempt to empty his stomach even though there is nothing left to be purged.

The door to his right opens with a loud screech from hinges protesting their lack of oil and neglectful users. An average sized man steps out for a cigarette, his genetically tan skin marking him for some kind of Latino and the fleck of white powder under his nose marking him for a user of drugs much stronger than Marijuana.

The unknown mans' brown eyes scan through the alley after noticing Daniel and the horrible stench radiating from him so strongly that it is almost a physical barrier.

With his hand still on the door handle he contemplates just going back inside and using the front door to step outside and smoke a cigarette. As the thought crosses his mind Daniel looks up with his strong green eyes locking them on the smoker with a mix of depression and deep fear swimming through them.

Mario is about to turn and walk back inside when something in the kids' eyes stops him, something swimming around beyond the fear and depression. Even in this sad state the eyes of a predator stare back at Mario veiled deep beneath a chaotic ocean of emotion.

With a deep grin Mario turns back around and kneels down a safe distance from the smell coming off the boy in strong waves. Putting a hand over his mouth he begins to speak slowly to the boy; "do you want a job kid? Or how about maybe some clean clothes and a bath?"

With the last words he lets out a quiet chuckle and gently takes Daniels' arm and helps him up being as careful as he can not to get any of the filth on his pristinely clean clothes.

Daniel stands up hesitantly as the world continues to spin around him but with any offer of help Daniel feels a spark of life well up inside of him. Stepping through the door he finds himself in a kitchen, the sounds of pots and pans clattering filling his sensitive ears and the smell of so many different kinds of food helping his mouth to start watering.

Wide bright green eyes attempt to look in every direction at once as Daniel follows Mario through the kitchen and to a flight of stairs with a quiet whimper as the sights and sounds of food being prepared and cooked dwindle behind him.

Vomit drips from his shirt and every second that he wears the tainted clothes his own smell of filth grows in his nostrils and his throat threatens to tighten and release a new flow of bile.

Mario watches the young man a little worried about his health as he notices the pale skin and sunken eyes, eyes so bright they only exaggerate the caverns from which they stare. Maybe he was a crack baby? Or worse? Maybe he is already addicted to the stuff? These questions go unanswered as Mario steps in to a hallway clad in dark brown fake wood which cover the sheetrock and supporting studs. The carpet beneath his feet is soft even through the loafers and its' bright red clashes with the dark wood but Mario never thinks about such things.

Taking the door handle of a dark brown oak door he twists the handle and pushes the door open, beckoning for Daniel to follow him, which he does after a short pause.

A woman with a full head of long white hair sits on the couch centered almost perfectly in the room and facing away from an unused, windowless wall. The first reaction to grace that seemingly perfect face is one of mild satisfaction that Mario has returned so soon, the second is disgust at what he is dragging along behind him.

"What the hell is that, and what is it dripping all over my floor?" Judging from her face you could say she soon realizes what "it" is dripping all over her floor.

The once beautiful face scrunches up in disgust and she brings her hand up to hold her nose closed against the stench.

Mario turns to look at her as he motions Daniel towards the bathroom hidden behind a solid oak door. "What does it look like? It's a kid; you said you always wanted one didn't you?" A sly grin plays on his lips as Mario waits for the exaggerated reaction he knows is coming.

"A kid? A Kid! That isn't a kid! It's a street urchin! It's dripping with filth! How could you bring something like that in to our house?"

Mario hold up his hands and waves them down in a subtle manner as he tries to get the woman to quiet down, knowing the young kid is hearing every word.

"Shut up would you? He's right there in the bathroom, he can hear every word, besides, he's a good kid and you know you're going to fall in love with him once he's all cleaned up."

"Mario! This isn't some stray puppy you're bringing home! It's a person! What if somebody is looking for him huh? What are you going to do when its parents come looking for him and slap abduction charges on you? You of all people should know how things are these days, there are pedophiles everywhere and they're going to think you are one!"

Mario only shakes his head in response to her loud lecture and steps past her to sit down. The leather couch creaks slightly with the sudden weight as Mario falls down on it, trying only to think of some way to combat the loud debate that is still echoing in his mind. Mario knew for sure that he couldn't just say "I like his eyes" without sounding like a pedophile.

"The kid has promise, I can tell, now will you drop this? He needs a home and I'm going to give it to him."

The look in Mario's' eyes is that of pure determination and the woman's mouth opens for a moment but soon shuts with a "humph" and she falls on to a couch cushion next to Mario.

"You know Alice; you can sometimes be the most understanding woman in the world, when you're not being a complete bitch." With a playful laugh he leans in close and presses his lips to her own in a deep kiss, their tongues entwining and a quiet moan escaping Alice's lips.

Daniel stands quietly in the bathroom, their words had gone unheard, drowned out by the images flashing past his minds eye. The scenes of blood and torn flesh racing through his mind as if it were all happening again and Daniel's eyes widen in horror as he watches everything over again.

New images flood in to his mind, those images depicting the brutal slaughter of two nurses and three security guards, those images he had missed while he was cowering in the back of the beasts mind.

Falling to the floor Daniel begins to cry quietly, the hot tears streaming down his face until the fall to the floor and begin to pool up. Curling up in to a fetal position Daniels' crying begins to strengthen and soon becomes deep sobs that easily penetrate the thin walls of the bathroom.

As Mario is interrupted by the resounding sobs of Daniel in the bathroom he lets out a disappointed sigh before reluctantly pulling away from Alice and standing up.

With a few steps Mario is standing at the door to the bathroom and slamming his fist against it wondering if even that would get past the loud sobs of the boy inside. "Hey! Kid! You alright in there?"

Alice strides up next to Mario and places a hand on his shoulder to gently push him to the side. "Be quiet baby, I don't think he really needs anyone yelling at him."

Mario is about to speak in protest that he is only trying to help but Alice puts a single finger against his lips as she steps closer to the door, her face almost pressed against the cold oak surface.

"You alright in there baby? I really didn't mean what I said, no one is going to hurt you here, you're safe here."

The words Alice speaks can be heard through the sobbing but still they pass over Daniel unnoticed. Even as the door creaks slowly open Daniel does not stir, he only lies there coated in drying blood and vomit, the stench filling the bathroom so completely that Alice almost gags as she steps in.

Thinking quickly she reaches towards a towel rack and pulls her hand away clutching a pristinely clean and white towel to drape over Daniel. As she kneels down Alice drops the towel over Daniels' shoulders before pulling him up and wrapping her arms around him pulling him in to the warmest embrace Daniel has ever felt.

With a hand reluctant to feel the filth in his long shaggy hair she begins to gently stroke his head as she hums a quiet song in to his ear. The sobs racking Daniels' body begin to slow and his eyelids become heavier with every passing second. The last words Daniel is able to mutter before falling in to a fitful, nightmare filled sleep are filled with sorrow and meaning only known to Daniel himself. "I'm sorry, so sorry mama."

Mario stands at the doorway leaning against the frame and watching Alice with a kind smile. The smile soon turns to a curious frown as he strains to hear Daniels' words and after hearing them he tries to figure out what they could mean.

Shaking off the curiosity he finally steps in to the bathroom and kneels down beside the two using a single finger to brush away a few strands of clumped up stray hair. "You know, he's going to have to sleep in here, if he sleeps in any bed there will be no way to get the stink out."

Alice only nods in response and continues to stroke Daniels' head not worrying so much about the filth gathering on her hand. "Could you get him some blankets? Can't just let him sleep on the hard tile floor."

Mario nods and steps out of the room only to come back a few short moments later with two blankets and a comfortable looking pillow. Alice and Mario set up his bed and carefully lay him down in it so as not to wake him up.

For one more night Daniel will have to endure his own filth, but the moment he wakes up Daniel will be forced to take a shower and his bright, glorious new life in the drug trade will begin with his clean slate. In normal situations his past may have caused problems with that but he is able to fabricate one that meets Mario's approval. I hope you have enjoyed these last three chapters and I will begin another the moment this one is approved, until then Daniel will hang in limbo for a short time, but I promise, in the fourth chapter things will begin to speed up and Daniel will have new, exciting dilemmas to resolve and the beast will be back. Please, vote for and/or leave a comment on this story, I love reading feedback and watching my rating bounce around, that way I know whether or not I am doing a good job and can change my writing habits accordingly.