Homecoming Pt1

Adrian walked down the now unfamiliar dark street towards his old home.

After living by his own for more than 8 years, everything he experienced and all the things he had to do to survive, Adrian was used to fear, cruelty, betrayal and dissapointment but nothing prepared him for the upcoming moment.

His homecoming.

In his analytic brain he ran all the possible scenarios, he acted responses, tried to find the appropiate feelings and the mood he should be in. His mother would be so happy to see him, his little sister, if she still lived with his parents would be upset but happy.. but his father.. the reason he ran away. He would be the problem.

As he stepped closer to the house at the end of the street he tried to decide what to do if his father was overly aggresive to his return. Should Adrian turn back and go away again? Should he stand his place and fight trying to appeal to his father's unknown soft side? Should he cry or have his head up high? All the different choices were almost overwhelming as fear crept up and clouded his judgement.

As he approached his childhood home an important question came to his mind: Why was the house dark? Maybe they do not live there anymore.. maybe they went out for dinner somewhere or maybe something happened? Could Charly and the boys know he was coming back home to his family and beat him to them?

Adrian quickened his step full of worry. Sure, Charly threatened everyone when he got pissed, he even heard he actually did what his filthy lying mouth spewed once.. but he surely would not have the balls to do it to him! Adrian's feet were now leaping as his sprint became a run.

The house's front door. Open. Blood close to the doorknob, a blood trail on the floor going into the house.

Adrian froze for a second, he could feel all his blood drain from his body and he felt a chill going up his spine. His heart began screaming for his family: Mom! Dad! Aria! but he knew better.. his current life, the one he desesperatly tried to leave behind was helping him now to kick his instincts on overdrive and to stay quiet.

He slowly unholstered his P226 and circled around the house paying close attention to the windows.. the living room window was smashed in.. meaning that at least one attacker might be inside.

The house was still dark but he saw some light flickering over the yard. He could see the backyard light dangle from one side to another hanging by a cable that went from a nearby lightpost to the house. What got his attention right away was the sole human figure standing motionless in the partial and interminent darkness.

It was then that the smell hit him the hardest. Death.

Adrian stealthily approached the figure and in a quick tackle he brought it to the ground, Adrian quickly put his gloved hand over its mouth and nose to avoid it alerting the others and hopefully knock him out. The man below Adrian trashed around and tried to bite him but his leather gloves were thick and resistant. After several seconds the man stopped. The smell.. he could not put the smell out of his mind. He turned the man around.. it was Vinny.

Vinny was one of Charly's men, he was unconscious now. Adrian quickly disarmed him and stashed Vinny's pistol in his spare holdster, he then dragged Vinny into the shadows to prevent the others seeing him and that is where he found the source of the smell. Mom...

He suddenly saw some slow movement to his left.. a man was crawling towards him.. Adrian's eyes opened wide as he recognized the bloody and tattered body that tried to reach him. The man opened his mouth and said: "Welcome home, son."