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Him: Escape

"If you go out like that, you'll get your head kicked in!" It was the repeating, cutting tone his mother, Martha Smith, always took with Charles "Blade" Smith. He was ten, not more than a child. Blade muttered, "Calm down, take your meds." Martha flew at him, punching and kicking him. He pulled the dagger he kept in his left pocket, and stabbed his mother. It was a complete blur for him. He could hardly breathe throughout the ordeal. He noted the fresh rose from the constable in the vase as he said, "This one's for Dad, the guy who died and you STILL cheated on him. Tell PC Watts I said hi." Martha coughed up blood onto the painted green walls and all over the squashed carpet. Blade announced, "Mark, here." Mark "Dash" Smith came down carrying Gerard "Flash" Smith. Charles, or Blade, told Dash, "We have to leave, bud. Get your brothers clothes. I'll handle food." Dash was only six, and he carried Flash, who was just over a year old. Blade looked in the old, dusty pantry. It was empty. Like Blade's heart. He withdrew the knife from his mother, and he stared at its cold steel. He looked at the engraving on the blue wooden handle, "Charles." Blade sighed, he remembered his father, the sailor known as Jack Smith. He died when Flash was born, he was stabbed by a pirate. Though, Flash was on that ship, and he was brought back by the crew. Blade shook off his memories and sheathed his weapon. He took half a crown from his mother's meagre earnings as a waitress. Then, there was a loud knock on the broken wooden door.

"DASH, COME ON!" Blade screamed. The urgency was major: Blade could be executed.  The child ran down the stairs, carrying heavy bags and Gerard Smith.

"Wait, Charles!"

It was Martha. She was almost dead, all colour drained from her dark face, with hesitant breathing. Charles regarded her with true hatred as she muttered, "You are by all definition, Jack's son. He ran away, too." She laid down in her blood, and she died. As she faded away, she pulled out a creased monochrome photograph. She sighed and threw it to Charles. Blade nodded, and he left.

Then PC Watts opened the door.