Filth

Chapter 11

The final chapter! Enjoy x

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The scene unfolded before me: the crowds of people shouting and yelling, almost falling over each other to see the sight. The March. We snaked our way through the crowd, ready to walk in protest. I smiled nervously to Tommy; he returned the smile before searching for his mother.

Sammy and I had decided to attend the march before we left. I had promised Tommy and at least I would get to say goodbye. We had packed our bags and we knew that straight after this we would be leaving. I had not really spoken to father since his apology but he hadn't been drunk. Maybe he really was changing. Maybe when we got back, he would be a new person. Just maybe.

Tommy spotted his mother a few rows of people in front of us and held on to my arm. Knowing this march could help, even a little, I felt alive. My heart was racing in my chest as we made our way forward. Suddenly a hand grabbed my arm and I looked up to find Mr Howard staring down at me, 'Don't do it, your father -'

Coldly, I tore my arm away, glaring at him, 'you, of all people, don't get to tell me what to do. Never talk to me again.' With that, I whipped round on my heels and followed the direction Tommy had walked in. I searched the masses of people for his face but as I weaved my way through the marching bodies, I couldn't see him.

Then, suddenly as though out of nowhere, the yells of the march became screams. The air filled with barks of dogs. Wildly looking around, I began to feel more panicked.

'Tommy!' I screamed, 'Where are you?' My voice was drowned by the agonizing screeches. I pushed ahead, shoving against people and being shoved against. Making my way to a space in the crowds, I found Tommy squaring up to a police officer. His lips were set in a determined line, however the police officer looked less than inviting. His wide stance and repulsed expression displayed the hatred he felt for the defiant boy in his way.

The police officer stepped forward and I could see his fingers twitching around the baton in his hand. 'Boy, step back.' Without a word, Tommy stood with his chin in the air. 'I said move.' With that, he gave Tommy a shove backwards and he fell into his little brother behind him. I ran towards them, the sound of yells and screeches still filling my ears. I wanted to stop him squaring up to man of such power but it looked as though this was one of his little victories. Having been unable to really stand up to people, maybe this confidence is what he needed to know that he could make a difference.

Opting to stand behind, I watched at his lips twitched in victory at the fury on the officer's face. That look was wiped away as he pulled out handcuffs and Tommy's face contorted into one of fear. I immediately jumped forward, throwing my wrists in front of him.

Though I was shaking, my voice came out bold and strong, 'If you arrest him, you'll have to arrest me too.' My eyes bore into his and I registered the irritation flicker through his eyes.

'Miss, this is no place for you. Go home.' His low voice was full of authority and as his arm twitched, I recognized the tell tale signs that he wanted to hit someone. After all, I had seen them enough times.

'No,' I answered, not moving from my power stance, 'Arrest me too. I insist.' With a growl, the officer shoved me to the side. Losing my footing, I tripped and fell onto my arm, crying out in pain.

Tommy rushed to kneel beside me, 'Dani! Are you okay?' I nodded and stood up once more, clenching my jaw.

We stood shoulder-to-shoulder, linking arms and walking past the officer to join the march. As I scanned the scene, it was far from the idyllic march that I had imagined. I had thought we would walk and people would stare, open-mouthed and wide-eyed but the sight could not have more different. Police were yelling, hitting, hurting. Dogs were let loose into the crowd, ripping into people's flesh. My face was one of horror as I saw the pain consuming the people trying to march forward.

We kept walking, facing resistance in the form of police officers but as young people, the most we got was a shove or a hit here and there. Letting out the occasional noise of pain, we did not stop moving until we heard a yell from behind us.

'Attack!'

Thinking nothing of the scream amidst the constant rumble of noise, we ignored the sound. Until suddenly a strong force jumped onto Tommy's back, throwing us both to the ground. A feral growl tore through the air. We scrambled to face the attacker to face the sharp daggers of a dog. With malice in its eyes, it sunk its teeth into Tommy's stomach. He let out a piercing scream as the dog ripped his teeth out and attacked him with his claws.

'No!' The scream tore through my lips before I could stop it. Without a thought I tried to shove the dog away but it swiped at my arms, slicing through my flesh like butter. His eyes fixed back on Tommy with a terrifying intensity. It had locked its target and it was not going to stop till that target was eradicated.

Tommy's chest was rising and falling rapidly as he clutched his stomach. The dog leapt onto him once more. He fell back and hit his head against the concrete, groaning at the pain. My head clouded with pain and noise, I stood up without a thought and aimed a kick at the wild dog. As my foot connected with its side with all the might I could muster, my anger coursing through me, it howled in pain and fell to the side. I immediately fell to my knees beside Tommy, his breath faint.

'Tommy? Tommy, answer me.' My voice was shaking, a mix of pain and fear and anger. Too many emotions were flowing through me as I grabbed Tommy's head and shook it.

His eyes fluttered open and I could see a tear trickle down his cheek. His voice barely came out as a whisper, 'Dani, I'm okay.'

'You're not okay!' I whipped my head around, trying to grab the attention of someone, 'Help! Someone, help! Please!' My voice began to crack as I began to get more panicked. I registered the gash in his stomach as the blood pooled on the floor. I pressed my hand to the wound, ignoring his wince of pain as I tried to stop the bleeding.

An officer passed, his eyes set on someone in the crowd. I grabbed his leg without a thought, 'Please help! I think he's dying, please.' He shook my hand from his leg and though I thought I saw some sort of sympathy flicker through those cold eyes of his, I must have been mistaken as he left without a word. 'No! He needs help, someone!'

'Dani, it's okay. Just... just stay with me.' His voice was broken, a stream of tears mixing with his blood on the floor. His red blood, the same blood as mine, the same as anyone's. He wasn't filth; he was human. He was beautiful.

I frantically tried to stand up, 'I need to get you help, I ain't gonna lose you. You will be fine, I'm o-ordering you to be fine.' I broke out into sobs. 'You have to be fine.'

He clutched onto my hand, his watery eyes staring into my own. 'Don't leave me, Dani. I don't wanna die alone.' His broken voice struck me and I sat down, defeated. The sounds around us faded into the back of my mind as I solely concentrated on his warm, brown eyes, staring into mine.

With his head in my lap, I started to sing his song. My voice was shaking and fragmented through my sobs but I kept singing. I kept singing as his breath became shallower. I kept singing as his grip loosened on my hand. I kept singing as his eyes dulled and began to flutter closed. His chest stopped moving and my sobs overtook my singing but I powered through. The last sound he heard had to be his song, our song.

'You're not filth, Tommy. You are not filth.'

THE END

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I'M SORRY. It had to be done, don't hate me please.

How do you feel about the march?