Kids

                “Hey, let´s just skip school and visit the old scrapyard.” Cried the kid in his high pitched voice. The other two looked at him vaguely. They didn´t share the enthusiasm and continued their way over the grass. They weren´t supposed to step on the grass. There were signs alerting them to avoid threading on the newly mown grass and using the pavement instead. But kids were kids and they felt thrilled with the idea of breaking rules. It was a way of life. A way of feeling in control of their own decisions. A way of thinking themselves as “grown up”.

                “You guys are such pussies” Said the stout kid who quickly climbed a wall that gave up to a private property and sat on it. They have done it before. Done it a hundred times. None of the other kids saw the prospect of a new adventure in the scrapyard as something exciting.

                “I don´t want to get myself dirty. Last time I came back home like that, my mom scolded me. Besides, what the hell is there to be done? The place is a dump. It smells of shit and piss!”
                It was a dump for sure. But you could find many unexpected things in there, as when they found a mechanical leg and a dildo – but nobody dared to touch that thing – it could have been already used and it was gross. Sometimes beggars would sleep there. The kids would sneak in unbeknown to the homeless person and throw things at them – rocks, toilet paper, waste, even feces – you name it.

                The scrapyard was a no man´s land where you were free to do all kind of evil and go unpunished.

                “I heard they dumped new waste there. We might find something interesting… like a gun, or a naked woman”.

                “Shuddup, dickhead! No one gets rid of naked women”. They laughed. “Besides, as I told you, I don´t want to get dirty”.
                “I am going anyway, whether you want it or not. You´re a bunch of chickens.”

                The older kid, who was sitting over the brick wall, jumped down raising his floppy pants up to his lower belly. He was a stout kid with redish hair and freckles on his face. His hair was messy and his face carried a sly smile on him that showed his yellow set of crooked teeth. He smelled of sweaty clothes and garlic.

                The other kids were somehow younger. Not that much younger. A couple of months to one year younger. But that was a huge gap when you´re barely in your early teens.
                Once the bigger kid headed to the scap yard the others followed. Kids just do like that. There is little to none need to reason with them. They will always followed the alpha kid and do what they think the older kid expect them to do.
                They crossed an abandoned terrain where the unkept grass had grown up to their knees. It was a wasteland that smelled of dry grass and rotten dead animals. Actually, the place was festered with dead animals and it was easy to come across dead dogs and cats. It was a clandestine cemetery to the poor, where they could discard their pets once they died or were too sick to be tended. It was a horrid place, but was a shortcut to the scrap yard.

                The scrap yard was and old abandoned manufacturing plant, surrounded by an old wrought-iron bar fence. A broken gate was the main passage inside the place. Parts of the building were crumbling over the cement pathway where weed grew freely. The smell of rusty and thick grass filled everybody noses.

                They followed through a familiar path that led to where the new waste was dumped. They laughed and told jokes to each other as they went. The day was bright and no clouds could be spotted in the sky. As soon as they arrived at the place, they saw an unexpected character. At first it seemed just a regular homeless person crouched by an old car. He held a long white beard and his hair was carefully parted to one side. His clothes were clean. He wore a spotless army jacket, grey pants adorned by a shining buckled belt. He wore thick shining boots that looked brand new. He was certainly in his 60ies and his wrinkles were so deep that looked like scars. Even though he presented himself in a dignified outfit one could say he was a homeless. He had a defeated attitude. Eyes downcast and a curved spine. He saw the kids approach immediately and made not a single movement. He wasn´t surprised or taken aback by the new arrival. He lifted his small sparkling eyes to the newcomers and greeted them without a word. His eyes spoke for himself.

                The kids stopped, hesitantly. They were used to homeless people idling about the place. But they usually avoid any contact whatsoever. That old man had a strange feeling to him. He smiled at the kids without moving himself from his place still crouched like an old frog. The fat kid, who was always wanting to impress the other ones, approached the old man defiantly.

                “What are you doin´ in ´ere, old fart? This place belong to us.” Said he putting his hands on his hips in a futile attempt to intimidate the old man. The kid was big enough to physically assault the old man. Though he was about fourteen, he was already 5´11 and was strong. The old man sneered at him waving his hand in disdain.

                “I didn´t mean to invade your property, young man.” Said the strange figure. “I heard from a very trustworthy source that there was a very special thing that was dumped here just the other day.”

                “Whatever is here it belong to us”. Went on the defiant kid.

                “It may be enough for us all. And, besides, I know where it is.”
                “Show us then!”
                The old man smiled. His teeth were missing and the ones visible were rotten. His gum was red with blood. It was a sight that scared the other kids. But the older one didn´t seem to care. The homeless stood up and made a sign with his hand. “Follow me, it is right there inside the building”.
                “Please, don´t go!” Said one of the younger kids. He was skinny and was shaken by the morbid character in front of them.

                “Don´t be afraid, pussy. I could beat this old man to the pup.” The old man was indeed small – about 5´5.

                They all got inside the building, following the old man who limped slightly from one of his legs. There was a rusty metal staircase that led them onto the first floor where old machines were left to rotten. The kids followed him silently. Once there were upstairs, the bigger kid asked. “Where is the stuff you said we´d find here?”

                The old man smiled gently, leering at the boys. He slowly reached to his pocket and pulled out a small knife.

“You´re my prize. Be nice to me and I shall be nice to you, kids”.
                One of the smaller kids panicked and tried to flee going down the staircase in a hurry where he lost his balanced tumbled over the steps and felt, hitting his head against the concrete floor, making a shallow noise. They all looked down at the boy lying on the floor. The red shining blood started to flow and encompass the perimeter where the young man lied motionlessly.

                “He´s dead! He´s dead” Cried one of the kids in panic.

                The homeless stood paralyzed. He certainly didn´t expect that to happen. And kept holding the knife dumbfounded trying to decide how to escape from there.

                The bigger boy, after the shock of seeing his friend fall and possibly die, was assaulted with anger. His faced went red. His muscles quivered and with his lips flattened he threw a punch on the old man´s face. At first the old man just stared with protruding eyes at the unexpected reaction. The second punch came even stronger and made the old man lose his balance and fall over his knees. He meant to use his knife, but the kid kicked it out off his hand with such strength that the man´s hand broke and fell limp. Taking advantage of the fact that the man kept on his knees with his face up to the kid´s leg, the boy kicked hard the old man´s face. His mouth exploded in a blood splash and with his rotten teeth being scattered all over the place. He tried to escape crawling to find refuge on the edge of the staircase, but a kick on his back took him by surprise and he felt, exactly the same way the boy fell over the staircase. His body rolled over the steps and he hit the concrete floor face first. The body laid almost over the kid´s while the blood spilled like from a broken tap.

                The kids looked at the scene with popped eyes. They were pale and shaken all over. Not a word was said as they stared aghast at the two bodies there bleeding profusely on the floor.

And silently they left the place. Not knowing whether they should call for help.

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