hilary - Using sense data

  Using the five senses        

The fist made contact with Josh’s cheek without warning. He felt a searing pain – like a scream-  go through his head and into his stomach. The next blow hit him in the solar plexus.

“Don’t -  think – you – can - leave – my  -friend.” Josh could see that his attacker’s face was contorted with the effort of making sure that each word was accompanied by yet another blow as Josh tried to escape the continuous beating from Sigmund.

Josh tried desperately to cover his face and head as the other gang members surrounded him. One, he recognised Raoul, kicked him in the groin. He could taste a mixture of blood and vomit as he bent double with the pain.

“ Please, what do you want from me?” he gasped. “ I have no money for you Sigmund. Do you want to kill me is that what you have to do?”

He suddenly remembered Carrie and saw her standing transfixed outside the gang who had surrounded him.

“ Run Carrie!” His voice sounded too small for his head, but thankfully she began to back away, then quickly turned to flee in the direction of God knows where. But at least she was away from this. He saw her fleetingly as yet another blow rained down on him from one of the gang members.

Sigmund, by now taking a breather as the others strode in, turned and looked at Josh. Josh saw that he was smiling at him as he produced a small flick knife from the back pocket of his jeans. He was still smiling as he toyed with the knife. Tossing it from one hand to the other and back, his gaze remained fixed on Josh, who by now was writhing on the dirty pavement in agony.

The wet pavement was cold and the smell of dirt and rain mingled in Josh’s nostrils, making him feel even more sick. He gave in and vomited, spitting out the resulting mess along with a tooth.

Josh could hardly see as one eye was nearly closed. Blood covered the other lid, pouring from the gash which had been the result of the boot that had kicked him as he was bent double, finally making him fall to the ground. All he could take in was the sound of the heavy boots which strode toward him. He could hear the chains from Sigmund’s belt chinking as he made his way across the now bloodied pavement towards Josh.

“ This is just a small warning to you, you snake in the grass. I will see you again – very soon.” The blade of the knife appeared to slide across Josh’s arm as the trickle of blood appeared in its wake.  “ Don’t let me down will you? ”

He quickly snapped the knife shut as he stood over Josh by now crying like a child in pain. Then – as quickly as they had appeared the group dissipated.

 Josh rolled over, he looked at the work of Sigmund’s knife. The shape of the triangle was unmistakeable. He was definitely a marked man now.