THE DIRT WITHIN

CHAPTER II

The snowfall had begun. The roads of New York wore a carpet of snow. In the dimly lit room, which was the Hall, Julio stood before Asher looking at his axe, moving his fingers on its cutting edge. Meanwhile, Asher was struggling on the chair, trying to move but couldn't. The strong knots would not open easily.

Julio stared at Asher with a smile on his face. "Looks like, you love late nights" He said, giving a creepy smile that made him look more awkward and scary. "Yeah, late nights are better then early mornings" He replied back to Julio. "I see, so your soul hates the sunrise, thank God I am on time" He looked at his watch and then gave a deadly stare. His intentions were not clear, but he sounded very strange.

He continued "I heard that you joined my gang and gave my information to the FBI" Asher looked at Julio as they both exchanged smiles "Why got scared? Ya I gave it to expose you and your drug cartel" He continued "You are destroying the youth with this scrap" Julio moved around the chair with measured steps, while moving his fingers on the cutting edge of his axe.

"Do you know what's the most expensive thing in business?"

"No"

"Trust, difficult to gain and easy to lose"

He looked at the window. The snowfall continued. The snow on the window pane was fluffy, creating a beautiful contrast against the glass. The "I love the snow when it is red" He continued "Will you help me to paint it?'' He gave a serene smile.

As Julio raised his axe, Asher's eyes widened. The axe swung towards him as Asher screamed to his death, blood flowed down the blade, Julio had completed his task "Rest in Peace, Asher" He said and left the building.

Several people waited at the subway platform. Dressed in different styles, some in casual clothes and others in business attire. The platform was well-lit with advertisements and signs which displayed the train schedules.

Julio entered the Metro train, the seats looked clean and comfortable. He took a seat and grabbed his wallet out from his pocket, it contained his father's photo. He hated his father for his behavior. He leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes trying to recall his past.

Julio's father, Luiz Rodrigues, an authoritarian figure, maintained a strict attitude that spread through every dimension of family life. His constant battles, both internal and external, cast an extensive shadow over their home.

When Julio turned twelve, the already fragile family structure crumbled further as his parents divorced. In a seismic shift, Luiz gained custody, changing the course of the boy's adolescence. The weekdays unfolded in the stern shadows of a once-shared home, with Julio's mother, Janice Dias, relegated to weekend visits. The separation became a sad emblem of fractured familial bonds, with Julio caught in the emotional crossfire.

Living under his father's roof, Julio encountered a different side of parental influence. The strictness that had previously spread through their household expanded, leaving a permanent impact on Julio's formative years. The father's custodial role became a source of tension, shaping Julio's worldview in complex ways.

Weekends brought temporary reunions to Julio with his mother, a rest from the regimented routine of his father's home. The comparison of these two worlds created a painful duality in Julio's life. Navigating the emotional terrain of divorced parents, he learned strength and adaptability, yet bore the weight of fractured familial ties. The echoes of the divorce resonated through his upbringing, a complex tapestry woven with the threads of custody battles, weekend visits and the enduring challenge of reconciling two different parental realms.

When Julio turned twenty-four, he didn't have many opportunities to meet Janice. While living with his father he began to indulge in late-night parties, overspending money and gamble at the club. .