A Wannabe Assassin

The Prologue

"I want the rent paid in seven days," the houseowner shouted.

Joey looked around, and flinched. The houseowner was yelling at his doorstep, so loudly that almost all the neighbhors were watching them, either from their windows or doors.

"Okay okay, I'll get it paid." Joey said, scratching the back of his neck, in deep embarassment.

"You had better," the houseowner glared, and stomped away.

"Hope that was entertaining enough for you," Joey shouted, at everyone, slamming his forehead onto the lintel of the door, as he turned to go inside. His height was something never had control of. Standing at seven feet, Joey was as scrawny and clumsy as can get.

"Now that was entertaining," the houseowner sneered, the moment he heard Joey shout.

Reddening at the further embarassment he caused himself, he went inside. That went very well, he thought, sarcastically. He so wanted to kill him.

It was a breezy afternoon in mid-September, and having nothing to do, Joey wrapped his jacket around, and stepped out. He headed to the Salt Lake, and started skipping stones. It was his favorite hobby.

Joey never realized he was being followed. An old man dressed in rags stealthily followed him, right from the time he left his house. 

"What is it I hear you mumbling about, " the man rasped, in an eerily spooky voice.

Startled, Joey turn around only to stumble behind, and fall into the water.

The man had only one eye. He gave his hand to Joey, who hesitatingly took it, as he raised himself up. The man surprisingly had too much strength for a fragile man, and when Joey completely stood up, the man appeared to be a dwarf.

"What do you want," Joey sputtered, looking down at him.

"You see, you and I are not that different," he said.

Joey scoffed. "At least I'm not half blind."

The man smiled sadly. "That's probably the least of all insults I've gotten."

Joey immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry. That was rude. How may I help you," he asked, politely. 

"Correction. How may I help YOU," he said. The mysterious man handed him a flyer, and bid him adieu. 

Joey shouted out his thanks before checking it out. 

It was an ad from an assassin agency. The Smolders.

And behind it, was a note from the man himself.