The Gangster

By Lynette Rodrigues

Thunder booms from the ashen skies shattering the peaceful veil of the sleeping city. A silhouette, five
foot seven, stealthily entered the narrow deserted alley of Montiago, pulling along with it a black leather
bag with the imade of the grim reaper printed on it. The figure disappears through the broken window
of the abandoned opera house at the end of the alley.

‘THUD!” the sound of the heavy rain startled him as it had been doing so far for the last five minutes.
“ I must find some shelter,” he thought.

He frantically hurried through the lonely street, his scarlet scented tail coat swishing behind him as
he went. He could feel his asthma getting the better of him and stopped, fragile and lethargic leaning
against the stained soddened wall. As he was about to continue on his walk he noticed a dim flickering
light coming from the end of the seemingly deserted alley. In his desperation he forgot his fear and ran
towards it. The light was coming from the inside of the window with broken bits of glass dangling at its
top.

Upon entering the opera house, the figure crept along the wall, finding her way. She lit a candle and
sunk down besides it. Red hair crept out from under her black cap and as she removed her rain-soaked
jacket, tattoos of different horrendous species could be seen covering her arms. Slowly she got up and
began removing the contents of her black bag.

As he entered the room through the window his leg hit something in the darkness. Possibly a vase for it
fell down with a crash and broke. The sound of the thunder however smothered the sound of it. After
the shock of the crash wore out he stood up and began feeling around for something to hold on to. Then
he saw it. The flicker of the light that had first attracted him seeped through the cracks and into the
room again. He followed it as though it was his only hope.

She sat up suddenly erect, her senses taught. Soft footsteps could be heard approaching the room she
was sitting in. She listened. Then rushing to the table she blew the candle off, leaving the room in utter
darkness. She could hear the footsteps fumbling uncertainly in the adjacent room as though unsure of
which way to lead themselves. She crouched in the corner of the room ready to pounce on anyone who
dared enter.

Slowly he opened the wooden paneled door of the opera’s backstage room and entered, unaware of
what was to come. The light he had thought he had seen was there no more, instead darkness engulfed
the room like a never ending void of emptiness. Suddenly a figure leaped at him. He felt a hard punch in
his stomach and someone pushing him against the wall. He stumbles trying to get away.

The thunder and rain had stopped by now and a thin silver ray of moonlight crept its way into the dark
room. The moonlight as though trying to make amends for all the cruelty in their lives, softly touched
her. Danny saw it, he saw her- the famous Phinx from the feared ‘Devil gangster’ group of the area.

Although she quickly moved away from the light, one second was enough. Memories suddenly reeled
through his mind as though a broken recorder had been fixed.

“Pen-n-y??”

“ Pe-n-n-y, Pen-ny, Danny, Danny,
Mummy, Daddy, don’t be weary,
We’ll be together even as faries!”