Dream Taker

Introduction

What did you want to be when you grow up?

It was and probably still is a question that I cannot answer to this very day. I mean, when I was young, every time the teacher asked us this question, I couldn't answer it. Classmates wanted to be astronauts, politicians, lawyers, the list goes on and on. They'd know exactly what they wanted to be. Me? I didn't have a clue. One minute i'd be fixated on becoming an animator, a few days later I wanted to become a singer (despite me sounding terrible). Then I decided what I wanted to be...everything.

Everything? How can you do everything? It's simple. Dream. In my dreams, the world revolved around me. There was no wars, no unhappiness and no suffering. I had every job in the world. One minute I was an actor on the greatest TV show made, the next I was in a lab, discovering a cure for cancer. It made me happy. I didn't have to sit any exams to get where I wanted to be, I mean let's face it, exams are just a giant memory game, the better memory you had, the higher the chance of success. None of that existed in my world.

'A dreamer?', my mum would say.
'That's not a job, you don't get paid to dream, dream on!' she would cry. I couldn't. I grew up wanting to do everything. Going through collage, my grades were average across the board. All my classmates were getting A's in the subjects they wanted them in. I just couldn't get it. Why would you want to be stuck in the same job for the rest of your life? Nine times out of ten they would say the same answers.
'It's good money,' or 'It's a stable career,'. Stable? Stable means boring. What's the thrill of that? I just couldn't get my head round the concept of working for life in one job. By the time I'd retire I would be too old to do half the stuff i'd dream of doing. No. One job isn't me. I needed variation. Something to keep me intrigued. I wanted to dream forever. I know, why dream it when you could do it? That was the same question my parents and teachers kept asking me. I would simply reply 'It's not me'.

I turned twenty-two last month. Living in a run down flat on the outskirts of London. I didn't celebrate with anyone. Had no one to celebrate with. When I was leaving to get my funds up, I ran into an old man. A man that would change my life, for better and for worse!


Chapter One

The alarm clock was blaring on the side table next to my bed. I lazily reached out and turn the damn thing off. After a few failed attempts to hit the button, i gave up and slowly rose up. My back was against the headboard and I started to rub my eyes. I swiftly picked up the alarm clock and scanned it for the off button. After I turned it off, I threw it against the wall and saw it crashed onto my bedroom floor. I rotated around and placed my socked feet on the floor, elbows on my knees, and face in my palms. Another day. I had to go and rob someone. I know, I know it's kinda mean, but hey, times are hard. After five minutes of just sitting with my face in my palms, I finally stood up and took a long, need stretch. I walked towards the built in wardrobe. Well I say built in wardrobe, it was just a old, wooden wardrobe that I somehow managed to smash into the wall on a drunk night. Never really bothered to get it out. I opened it and sighed in a depressed state. Tattered clothes hanging of the rails. I didn't take long on decided on what I wanted to wear. I took out an old white vest and a black, baggy hoody.

Shortly after getting dressed, I walked into the living room/kitchen. I walked past the small coffee table and was careful not to sit on the springs popping out from the degrading, green couch. My ratty converses were already on the coffee table, neatly placed, see I can be neat when I want to. I slowly put them on both of my feet and then just feel back onto the sofa. Was I really going to go through with this again? Rob an innocent person just so I could pay the already due rent? Yes. Yes I'am.

I scanned the small room just to check if anything was misplaced, the lock doesn't exactly work you see. The blinds were still in place, letting in scattered glares burst into the room, one annoyingly into my eyes. The ripped rug was still there, just beyond the coffee table. The kitchen in the far corner remained, although, the sink remained buried by unwashed dishes. I sighed again. I was trying to get myself worked up, get the momentum going. After a few head rocking I got up. I went over towards the table by the door and picked up baby, the Glock 17C. Man this thing got me where I'am today. I put the gun into my hoody. I then picked up my trusted black balaclava which had a noticeable sliver strip going across it. I considered it my trademark. The sliver balaclava robber man. I grabbed my brown rain jacket and keys, like I actually needed them and opened the battered front door. I grimaced. This could do with a lick of paint considering the blue wooden door was starting to peel. Ah well, here's hoping a few grand could do me some good. I left the flat and slammed the door behind me, I was going in.

Chapter Two

Rain. Rain, rain, rain. It seems to rain everyday in this country. Rain means people stay indoors, only poor people walk around the streets. It's not that i'm complaining, it just means I have to mug more people. I was standing on the corner of Walker Street. Every so often a person would walk past, collars up, hood tightly over their head, walking a quick pace. As I was deciding on who I should go for, a black Rolls Royce pulled up on the other side of the road. It's not that I've never seen a Rolls Royce before, it's just that why would it be pulling up on a day like this. There's no mansions or corporate towers here. The car engine and headlights were still on. The back door near the pavement opened and a struggling man got out of the car. I couldn't see his face, he had it covered. He got out of the car, closed the door and slammed the top of the car which then pulled off. He was wearing one of those old fashioned hats, what are they called? Deerstalker, he was wearing a checkered white and black deerstalker. Similar to me, he was wearing a brown long rain jacket and black shoes. I looked up to his face and he was looking directly at me. I looked confused, why was this old rich dude checking me out? He smiled at me, turned and started walking down an alley.

After a moment of hesitation, I jogged across the road and followed him down the alley way. He kept his speed and walked down. I put on my balaclava and pulled out my gun. I quickly ran behind him and went to reach his left shoulder. As soon as I touched his shoulder, he quickly grabbed it, bent over and flipped me right over himself leaving me flat on the floor looking up at the smiling old man. I was about to raise my left arm with the gun in my hand but before I had the chance to, he stepped on it and kicked the gun away. Who was this guy?
'You know son, looking directly at me, then putting on the balaclava defines the point of actually having it,' he smiled at me. I didn't know what to do. I waited a few moments before replying.
'What do you want granddad?' I said, he simply smiled back. He removed his foot and allowed me to get up.
'Get up, your getting wet,' he calmly said. I was just in shock. I slowly rose to my feet and looked at him. If I grabbed my gun I could easily wipe that smiling....
'Don't think about it son,' he said.
'Think about what,' I replied, how the hell does he know what I'm thinking?
'The gun, it's not where you think it is anyway,' he said, with a blank face. I turned to my right to see where the gun was, it vanished, I turned to face him and to my shock, he was standing there, pointing it straight at my head, he smiled again, how irritating that was getting.
'Who are you?' I said, getting quite scared for this situation I've found myself in.
'A victim,' he said. I was yet again confused.
'What do you mean a victim?' I said.
'I need to know if you have what it takes to join me,' he said, before he had a chance to reply, I saw blood start to form directly on his left shoulder, you could see the pain in his face but he was trying to contain it. This guy was nuts, I started to slowly walk back. I heard police sirens in the background, how the hell was he doing this? He threw the gun at me, which I caught and then he collapsed to the floor. I couldn't process what was happening. A few police officers appeared at the entrance of the alley way looking directly at me. I looked at the old man. He smiled and simply said 'Run'.

I took his advice and darted it the other way down the alleyway.
'Get Him,' I heard the police saying. I turned around and could see about four officers chasing me down the alley. I looked towards the front and turned left. I could see a fire exit a few meters above a dumpster. Suddenly, four officers darted around the corner, this was my only chance to get this right. I jumped onto the dumpster, off the wall and grabbed the ladder of the fire escape. Before the officers had the chance to grab my ankles, I pulled myself up and started darting up the stairs, having no time to look down below me.
'Don't let that guy get away,' one officer cried. I managed to make it to the top of the roof. I ran towards the middle and looked across the rooftops for a path. Before I had a chance to make my move, the door on the roof flung open and the old man was in the frame, leaning against it, smiling.
'You know, a lot of people have messed that jump up before, I had a feeling you'd make it,' he said. I started walking up towards him.
'Who are you?' I shouted. He raised his right hand.
'You haven't got time for questions, you'd best be going,' he said. He was looking behind me, I turned around and could see a police helicopter descending from the sky. I turned back and the door was closed. I ran up to it and tried opening it, to no use. Without further delay, I sprinted towards the left of the rooftop.
'SURRENDER AT ONCE,' the intercom off the helicopter said. I ignored it and approached the ledge of the building. I had no chance to evaluate the jumping distance, I just had to go for it. I took a step onto the ledge and jumped across. The helicopter above just observed the leap of faith. To my dismay, I wasn't going to reach the rooftop ledge. I started to scream however, instead of splatting against the wall, I smashed through the window. I landed straight on a table and went straight through it. I couldn't believe it. I SURVIVED. I was smiling and started to laugh. I guess i was still in shock.
'I hope your planning on moving on,' a familiar voice said. I slowly turned to my left and saw the old man sitting on the couch sipping a cup of tea. I tried to force out words but I couldn't, my energy was drained.
'Don't waste your energy son, the last thing you want is to waste energy. He placed the cup of tea on the armrest and got up and walked towards the bathroom door, he turned back and smiled at me and went in. He closed the door and I could hear it lock. I had to move, god knows what this guy had planned next. I stood up and brushed myself down. I walked towards the front door of the flat however, just before I opened it, a note was tapped to the door. I didn't bother taking it off, it simply said 'Duck Now'. I wasted no time and went down to the floor. What am I doing? I started to get up before bullets sprayed across the flat. I stretched across the floor, and covered my head. The bullets were coming from the window, i'm guessing a mounted helicopter. The onslaught lasted for a few minutes, then it finally stopped.

I didn't know if I should go but the note fell in front of me. I turned it over and it said 'Get Out Of There'. I quickly got up to my feet. Just after I did that, a smash could be heard from the window. I turned and saw a grenade bounce on the floor. I didn't hesitate at all and quickly swung the door open and firmly closed it and leaned back into it, waiting for the explosion.
'Please don't be big' I whispered to myself.
'There's nothing there'. I turned and saw the old man walking down the corridor towards me. Cautiously I opened the flat door. Just darkness. I slammed the door shut and looked at him, yet again he smiled. I wasn't in the mood at all. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at him. He showed a sarcastic scared look.
'Please don't shoot,' he said, he dropped the act and said 'It's empty anyway'. I shoot the gun and it clicked. I threw it onto the floor and started walking towards him.
'Who are you?' I asked, desperate for answers.
'Sam, I'm your father' he said, staring straight at me. I looked confused.
'What?'. He bursted out laughing and slapped his knee.
'I'm playing with ya son,' he said and laughed again. I wasn't in the mood. I walked towards him and he started to calm down.
'Where am I and what do you want' I said, I know he could sense the anger in my voice.
'Questions, questions. Your just full of them,' he smiled. He walked up to me until we met in the middle, with just a few center-meters between us. He was slightly taller then me and his dark brown eyes were staring straight into mine.
'I need your help,' he said.
'Help? Why do you need my help?' I asked, confused.
'We're in grave danger, everyone you know, they aren't what they seem, they're moving in on us,' he turned and started walking down the corridor.
'What do you mean they?' I asked.
He stopped but didn't turn around.
'That doesn't matter at the moment, but what does matter is getting you ready, which as I've seen, your a mile off, now follow me son,' he said and continued to walk down. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't walk back, god knows where this place goes off too, I had no choice and followed the mysterious old man down the corridor.

Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 coming on the 31st of May. Please leave reviews and possible improvements, thank you.