Gangs of Merseyside ; Chapter 5 - A turning Point
Chapter 5 - A turning point
John shivered against the cold surface of the sink. Bile, thick and strong; soaked his throat, making his whole body convulsed violently. He looked up slowly; his pale reflection fading against his breath.
‘Why?’ He questioned; staring into the dead blue eyes that were his. He turned on the tap and forcefully splashed his face in darkening water in his palms. He stared at his blood caked hands before him, reading the stories of what he did engraved in the deep lines. He tried to wash them away - rubbing away till his skin burns - but his attempts were futile.
John collapsed onto the floor; his insides churned in disgust. He pulled himself tightly into a ball; he let the pent up tears fall freely.
~ ***~
Xabi could still feel his heavy breath on his skin. His wrist burns from the restrains forced upon him, although it has been days since that fateful night. He careless grasped his wrist, fingertips tracing the bruise imprinted.
A sudden knock on his bedroom door awoken him from his daydream; he sluggishly removed himself from his bed and slowly open the door.
‘Took yer long enough!’ His brother strode into the room without invitation. ‘Thought yer were dead?’
‘I told you. I’m fine.’ Xabi said curtly, watching Jamie pace around his bed. ‘What do you want?’ He added as he kneaded the sensitive spot between his eyes.
‘No yer not?! -‘
‘Yer have not been out of this room for days!’
‘Fuck Xabi, yer look terrible!’
Jamie watched as his brother agitatedly runs his hand over his face; he took as sharp inhale of breath when he noticed the bruising around his wrist.
‘What’s that? - ’
‘On yer wrist?’ He exclaimed, grabbing Xabi’s hands before he could stow them away.
‘It’s nothing! I fell down during the raid!’ Xabi said quickly, snatching his arms away from his grip.
‘Bollox! - The bruises are shaped like finger prints!’
‘Who did this!’
‘WHO! GODDAMIT!’ Jamie screeched when Xabi turned away from him.
‘What’s all this racket!’ Sami ran into the room, quickly followed by Javier whose pet ferret was slunk across his neck like a scarf.
‘Why don’t yer ask him!’ Jamie spat, throwing his arms into the air and walked out of the room still seething with anger.
‘What’s going on here?’ Dirk’s pale face peered from behind Javier, a look of utter surprise etch on his face.
‘Don’t ask me? No one tells me nothing!’ Javier sulked, absentmindedly stroking his ferret.
‘Shut up the both of you!’ Sami snarled under his breath. ‘Leave us! Go!’ He barked pushing them out of the room.
It was only when he had lock the door, did he return to face a beleaguered Xabi staring out his window. Seemingly deep in though.
‘What’s going on, Xabi?’ He asked quietly, clasping a reassuring hand on Xabi’s shoulder.
‘It’s nothing! -‘
‘But Jamie -‘
‘You know my brother! He can be a pain sometimes times. He’s just over reacting about this bruise on my wrist.’ Xabi interrupted Sami, showing him his injuries.
‘What? How?’ Sami spluttered, inspecting the bruise closely but Xabi snatch it away quickly.
‘Like I told Jamie. It’s nothing I fell over a crate and bruised it.’
‘But it looks like -‘
‘Sami, please! Just dropped it. I’m tired, can you please leave me alone!’ Xabi pleaded.
‘Alright I believe you.-.’ Sami sighed heavily and turns towards the door. Halfway through his stride he called back, ‘You know, you can tell me anything, right?’
Xabi only nodded his head wearily as he watched Sami left the room. He turns towards the window again; he knew if he told Jamie the truth, a war will break out. Knowing the history between the two families, he knew no one will be spared. Innocent victims will fall if they are in the way. He had watch his real parents die in one such fight, he was not about to witness another one again.
‘There must be a way to stop this!’ He thought to himself; pacing the room. He had toyed with the idea of talking matters into his own hands. Meeting; face-to-face to try to find a way to settle this matter without any more blood being shed.
‘Yes. That is the only way.’ He thought to himself and grabbed his coat from the chair beside him and ran out of the house.
~****~
John opened his eyes wearily, the bright lights blinding him as he got up slowly to his feet. He shivered uncontrollably from the cold floor; the incessant pounding on his front door growing louder and louder as he come to his senses.
‘Hold on! I’m coming!’ He shouted hoarsely, his throat parched from the purging. He grabbed his bathrobe from the hanger beside his dresser and put in on as he answers the door.
‘What do you -‘John managed to say before being caught by surprise by the visitors at his doorstep.
‘You’re a hard man to find Mr. Riise.’ A soft drawl raised on the lips of the diminutive figure. Two larger figures began to laugh gleefully behind him.
‘May we come in?’
John shivered against the cold surface of the sink. Bile, thick and strong; soaked his throat, making his whole body convulsed violently. He looked up slowly; his pale reflection fading against his breath.
‘Why?’ He questioned; staring into the dead blue eyes that were his. He turned on the tap and forcefully splashed his face in darkening water in his palms. He stared at his blood caked hands before him, reading the stories of what he did engraved in the deep lines. He tried to wash them away - rubbing away till his skin burns - but his attempts were futile.
John collapsed onto the floor; his insides churned in disgust. He pulled himself tightly into a ball; he let the pent up tears fall freely.
~ ***~
Xabi could still feel his heavy breath on his skin. His wrist burns from the restrains forced upon him, although it has been days since that fateful night. He careless grasped his wrist, fingertips tracing the bruise imprinted.
A sudden knock on his bedroom door awoken him from his daydream; he sluggishly removed himself from his bed and slowly open the door.
‘Took yer long enough!’ His brother strode into the room without invitation. ‘Thought yer were dead?’
‘I told you. I’m fine.’ Xabi said curtly, watching Jamie pace around his bed. ‘What do you want?’ He added as he kneaded the sensitive spot between his eyes.
‘No yer not?! -‘
‘Yer have not been out of this room for days!’
‘Fuck Xabi, yer look terrible!’
Jamie watched as his brother agitatedly runs his hand over his face; he took as sharp inhale of breath when he noticed the bruising around his wrist.
‘What’s that? - ’
‘On yer wrist?’ He exclaimed, grabbing Xabi’s hands before he could stow them away.
‘It’s nothing! I fell down during the raid!’ Xabi said quickly, snatching his arms away from his grip.
‘Bollox! - The bruises are shaped like finger prints!’
‘Who did this!’
‘WHO! GODDAMIT!’ Jamie screeched when Xabi turned away from him.
‘What’s all this racket!’ Sami ran into the room, quickly followed by Javier whose pet ferret was slunk across his neck like a scarf.
‘Why don’t yer ask him!’ Jamie spat, throwing his arms into the air and walked out of the room still seething with anger.
‘What’s going on here?’ Dirk’s pale face peered from behind Javier, a look of utter surprise etch on his face.
‘Don’t ask me? No one tells me nothing!’ Javier sulked, absentmindedly stroking his ferret.
‘Shut up the both of you!’ Sami snarled under his breath. ‘Leave us! Go!’ He barked pushing them out of the room.
It was only when he had lock the door, did he return to face a beleaguered Xabi staring out his window. Seemingly deep in though.
‘What’s going on, Xabi?’ He asked quietly, clasping a reassuring hand on Xabi’s shoulder.
‘It’s nothing! -‘
‘But Jamie -‘
‘You know my brother! He can be a pain sometimes times. He’s just over reacting about this bruise on my wrist.’ Xabi interrupted Sami, showing him his injuries.
‘What? How?’ Sami spluttered, inspecting the bruise closely but Xabi snatch it away quickly.
‘Like I told Jamie. It’s nothing I fell over a crate and bruised it.’
‘But it looks like -‘
‘Sami, please! Just dropped it. I’m tired, can you please leave me alone!’ Xabi pleaded.
‘Alright I believe you.-.’ Sami sighed heavily and turns towards the door. Halfway through his stride he called back, ‘You know, you can tell me anything, right?’
Xabi only nodded his head wearily as he watched Sami left the room. He turns towards the window again; he knew if he told Jamie the truth, a war will break out. Knowing the history between the two families, he knew no one will be spared. Innocent victims will fall if they are in the way. He had watch his real parents die in one such fight, he was not about to witness another one again.
‘There must be a way to stop this!’ He thought to himself; pacing the room. He had toyed with the idea of talking matters into his own hands. Meeting; face-to-face to try to find a way to settle this matter without any more blood being shed.
‘Yes. That is the only way.’ He thought to himself and grabbed his coat from the chair beside him and ran out of the house.
~****~
John opened his eyes wearily, the bright lights blinding him as he got up slowly to his feet. He shivered uncontrollably from the cold floor; the incessant pounding on his front door growing louder and louder as he come to his senses.
‘Hold on! I’m coming!’ He shouted hoarsely, his throat parched from the purging. He grabbed his bathrobe from the hanger beside his dresser and put in on as he answers the door.
‘What do you -‘John managed to say before being caught by surprise by the visitors at his doorstep.
‘You’re a hard man to find Mr. Riise.’ A soft drawl raised on the lips of the diminutive figure. Two larger figures began to laugh gleefully behind him.
‘May we come in?’