The Sin of Love

Chapter 8

Sam had in mind to teach the landlord a little lesson and had started to observing him a few days ago. The more he learned about this man, the more disgust he felt. Obviously alone in his personal life, he had no friends and was simply working from his house. As soon as someone came down the stairs, he would come out to his door. Sam had noticed that he only stayed in the gap when a young woman like Rosalie walked past him. Plus, he was staring at these women with a disgusting gaze, which made Sam all the more angry. However, since Julian had never been to his house, he could only observe this pervert when he poked his head through the door to see if any prey was nearby. His unsettling gaze, reminded him of the event that had happened before his eyes many years ago ... During one of his nocturnal walks, more than 100 years ago, he had witnessed a sexual assault, in the middle of the street. Or more accurately its end, he had barely seen the scene when the man fled. He had bumped into him, had caught his eye, his expression of satisfaction and anger at the same time. At the time, Sam's anger towards women was tremendous, his aversion for love and sex was a poison that burned his veins. This scene had not marked him all that much then, since he was convinced of the completely unhealthy and putrid side of the world at this time. But when he saw that similar expression again, especially when it came to Rosalie, that image, those memories brought back a terrible taste to his mouth.

As the whole family was coming downstairs to play at the park one day, Sam asked Julian to drop his ball in front of the landlord's apartment, while the door is open. All he had to do was put the tip of his foot in it for the room to light up for Sam's eyes. He was going to be able to walk into his living room on his own terms and become an incredible nightmare to him. His brain was swarming with ideas: Turning on the light in the middle of the night, or even the TV, opening the fridge ... perhaps he would also feel, like Louison, a shiver when he put his hand on his shoulder? Sam was rejoicing already.

However, there was another concern Sam wanted to sort out: Steve. He had talked a lot with Julian to make him understand that the situation was not normal, and had shown Julian how he could defend himself: Mainly raising his arms to ward off a blow and eventually push back his assailant. The atmosphere at school was getting heavy and Sam had observed several groups of children just as scared as Julian, and these children's discussions were quite... scary. They were stressed, kept looking around ... It was not a life a child would want to live. Sam thought back to his childhood.

"These choices and voices, they're all in my head

Sometimes you make me feel crazy

Sometimes, I swear I think you hate me like uh "he sang.

Sam had always wondered why his parents had given birth to him, if it was to ignore him afterwards. Lots of loneliness, he felt he didn't have to be there, he felt like a burden. His childhood was not enviable, for any child. Steve and his gang had to understand that this situation couldn't go on. But Julian was still very shy, besides being a child. The task was therefore not going to be easy ...

***

One day, at school, during recess, while Julian and Sam were quietly chatting, Steve and his henchmen approached. It had been a while since the last altercation and Sam had spotted some sort of pattern in these little boys. They had a sort of order in which they were going to collect the kids' treats, and from time to time, would put a little pressure here and there to make believe in the randomness of their choices and thus let fear set in.

- Who are you talking to, blondy? -Steve asked him.

- Don't say anything,- Sam told Julian.

- You aren't answering? -Steve asked again. - Your candies, now!

Julian took the few treats he had kept in his pocket and handed him. Steve slipped them into his pocket, barely looking, then took a step forward towards Julian.