7 Sins | Anger

— Stop! Stop! Please!

— Now you're gonna beg for mercy? That's not what you were saying a minute ago, you fucking asshole!

It was a lonely street, blood soaked into the grey flannel of the man and from above the blurred smile of a young man was masked after each blow. An eye containing the blood about to burst, a broken nose and several teeth on the ground made a perfect picture of pain for that unfortunate subject who made the mistake of confronting the wrong person.

— Over here! Hey, you stop!

— Tsss.... you're saved.

The police sirens sounded closer and closer and closer and for that young man he had no choice but to leave his job in the middle. It was just another day feeling like life was worth shit. Rapid steps through alleys and fences, on his way he cursed the moment when that man confronted him just for looking at his girl. If it had been a normal person it might have been him who would have ended up that way but no, if anything he had learned it was that hate can be an infinite feeling that is capable of leading you to commit any objective.

— Are you in trouble again, Rod?

— Fuck you.

Rod kept running, barely hearing the voice of the old park just as he passed in front of the Hotel Ruby. It was not that he was known but many people in the neighborhood knew what he was capable of and preferred to stay out of it, some others had lives as dark and troubled as his and had no problem greeting him, it was a common feeling in that place, of course, not everyone knew how drastic Rod could become.

"When he was twenty years old, he decided to leave home, his mother, a woman dedicated to the home, praiseworthy and with a good heart towards her three children, did not want to accept this fact and asked her little one not to abandon him. Her son asked her to leave him alone but she insisted. It was at that moment that Rod did what no son would have been able to do. All that remained from that moment was the memory of his mother falling down the stairs on the upper floor and a happy smile on the young man's face as he felt free from what was a great weight on his back."

A total misaligned man, from that moment on he took off and began to live a life of daily quarrels and few friends.

— It's twenty euros, sir. Hey! Sir!

In the car market Rod decided to take some things: some chewing gum, a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers, then crossed the bar as if nothing had happened and left the place. His life was fast, he did not skimp on doubts and made hasty decisions.

— Wait! Thief! Thief!

— You miserable... You still chasing me?

A few yards away they were separated. The gasping of their lips was already noticeable, they had run a lot and ended up in an alleyway.

— Return... what... you stole...

The auto market employee squirted sweat from his forehead and leaned slightly forward as his arms stretched out on his thighs, while Rod was on his back with his eyes fixed on the wall. In his left hand he carried the beers, gum and the pack of cigarettes.

— Goddamn it.

He took a deep breath and slowly placed the beers on the floor, then put the same hand in his pocket and dropped only the crate, pulled out his hand again and, coming closer to his mouth, tightened the gum wrapper and after a little "pop" one of the candies fell into his mouth.

— You already opened it, you must pay for it!

— People shouldn't mess with me, you know.

He chewed with his eyes closed and turned his body to face the young man in the store just before opening them again.

— When I want something, I take it. It's simple. What are you gonna do about it? Take me? Try it. Try it.

— You have no way out....

— And what do you think an asshole like you can do?

— …

Rod spat out the gum and then bent down to open a can of beer.

— You'll have to pay for that too!

He was starting to get angry and his face was turning red. He stretched out his arm more and took the beer, the sound of the gas as it was uncovered was clearly heard in the silence in that alley. His throat sipped one drink, then another and then another and then another.

— I told you you'd pay for....

— I fucking heard you!

The boy had fallen to the ground and the blow from the can still half full had struck him right in the right eye.

— Don't tell me what to do and what not to do! Do I tell you how to do your job?! Look at you! You're fucking miserable!

If the boss found out that his merchandise had been stolen from the store again, he could be fired, but for a second he forgot all about it and was terrified to see that figure approaching him, forcing him to crawl quickly in search of his escape. Unfortunately Rod was faster.

— Are you planning on running away? Don't fuck with me! You're the one who came looking for a party!

Then he took it by the flannel and picked it up in one blow.

— Excuse me! You can take everything but let me go!

— People like you disgust me.

Rod struck his face and a scream of pain echoed through the place.

— It's not my fault this happened! You came to me! You had to stay in your fucking tent! Asshole! Asshole! Asshole! Asshole!

One after the other Rod was hitting that young man's head. He was starting to bleed from his nose and his front teeth were starting to loosen. As he watched the thick blood coming out of his body Rod would fill up with more adrenaline and start hitting faster, harder. He bathed his fist in that liquid and struck again.

— Ba... stop it.

Are you still talking? Look at you.... you disgust me. People like you disgust me. Playing the hero. You should have stayed in that tent....

— Just...let...me...go.

— I hate them praying... I hate them begging for mercy...

Rod dropped the young man to the ground. He could barely move. Blood was coming out of his nostrils and there were no longer many recognisable parts of his face. He had beaten the boy almost to death. He wiped his hands and put them both in his pockets. From one of them he took out a small lighter and from the other, the cigarette packet.

— Do you smoke? Um... I don't think you can do that right now.

The lighter lit up the tip of the cigarette and a cloud of smoke came out of Rod's mouth. He was a bit tired, had forgotten why he was there and looked for a second at the body of the boy who struggled to stay alive on the ground, moving his arms and legs in a melody of pain echoing in the breeze. Right, the kid tried to stop him for shoplifting.

— It's too late now. I have to go to the bar. It might be a little busy today.

Rod walked a few steps forward and took the remaining beer, then returned and placed it right next to the boy.

— Maybe you'll be thirsty, see you later.

His steps moved away from the alley and Rod looked like someone else. The dim light of the sunset was fading. A second later a young man remembered words that fluttered in his memory just before he gave his last breath; "In the city we all know, but no one has ever dared to face that demon... you must do the same. Never look at him, never speak to him and if possible never be near him, whatever the case his hatred and anger towards you could fall...."