Unleash the Darkness within-(Open INACTIVE)

[evan2]

Smythe stayed in the shadows. That's where he was safe. No one looked into the shadows. No one looked in his home.

A fat man with fat pockets relaxed against a tree.

It was easy to sneak up to the man. "No one looks in the shadows no one sees us. "

"Kill him."

"No we slips our hand in, he feels nothing. Like Shadows we are. He won't notice til it's too late."

"If we kill him he never notices. And we gets more."

"We gets more? And he never notices never calls the cops?"

"Yes he never calls the cops."

"And he isn't nice. Not Like Mr. Cars. He fat and nasty. He deserves it."

"Yes."

Metal glittered and slid against the man's neck. Smythe cleaned off the blade and returned it to it's sheath.

"Now we can get nice things to sell to Mr. Fagin. We get money. Yes we need money."

Smythe started going through the fat man's pockets. So focused on his goal that he wasn't really noticing his surroundings.

[JEHANNE MARIE D'ARC]

Joan knelt in the grass underneath the tree, her forehead resting on her clasped hands. The wind through the branches soothed her, and helped to ease the hunger pangs clawing at her stomach. She had barely made enough today to buy a candy bar, let alone a decent meal. If she didn't get more soon, she'd have to go dumpster diving. The thought nearly made her sick. She shook her head, groaning as a wave of dizziness swept over her. She was so hungry that she could scarcely concentrate on her prayers. Rocking back on her heels, she stared up at the light filtering down through the leaves. "Please," she whispered, "Please help me."

The sound of voices made her raise her head. It was not her Saints, but someone else. She crawled closer to the tree and listened, straining her ears. A man stood several feet away, hunched over and talking to himself. Joan's pulse began to hammer in her ears when she noticed the other man lying still on the grass. A roaring filed her head and she jumped to her feet. As she began to run, she stumbled, crying out as her foot twisted beneath her. Whimpering, she sank to the grass, muscles tense. The stranger had to have heard her. Hands trembling, she made the sign of the cross and waited.

[evan2]

Smythe systematically removed everything of possible value from the man's person. Which did include, but was not limited to, several bills from the man's wallet, a gold watch and rings, and a packed lunch.

Smythe laughed to himself "The fat man has fat pockets." Then he studied the lunch. He had recently eaten so though he was hungry he knew he probably wouldn't be able to finish it. however he knew he wouldn't be able to keep some of the items without making himself sick.

And he couldn't afford to be sick. If he sought medical attention, he would be a perfect target for the Dark One.

The sound of someone falling near him snapped him out of his contemplation. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Spend so much time worrying that we don't pay attention. It came from over there it did. Could be a sneaky spy."

Using his stealth to the utmost, Smythe crept in the direction the noise came from. "So here is the sneaky sneak, who thinks she could spy on us?"

"We should wring her sneaky little neck. Then her sneaky little tongue can't tell."

"Yee.... NO! We can't do that. Perhaps if we shared our food then she wouldn't tell. Maybe then she won't turn us in."

"If she dies she can't turn us in. HE won't find us if there's no one to tell him sneaky tales."

"If we help her maybe she could help us. Maybe she can get more things for us to give to Fagin?"

Smythe stood over the girl with Precious in one hand and the lunch in the other.

"We can't trust sneaky sneaks she'll take us to HIM the first chance she gets."

"But she looks nice. She won't do that would she?"

[JEHANNE MARIE D'ARC]

Joan licked her lips and swallowed. Her mouth was dry with fear. She had opened her eyes when the man started speaking, only to realize he was talking to himself...and answering himself. Joan fought off a shiver. Clearly one part of the man didn't want to kill her. She tried not to flinch when she saw the knife. "Please...please I won't say anything. Please let me go. Please. I won't tell, you have my word." Her ankle was starting to hurt, but she pushed the pain from her mind. The man had said something else, something about Fagin and a Dark One. Did this fellow hear Voices, too? Perhaps his were not good voices, as hers were.

"I...I do not know who the Dark One is, so I, I cannot tell him where you are. But I would not, even if I did know. And...and as for Fagin, I..I do not know him either." Slowly, keeping her gaze locked on the man's face, Joan sat up. "Please, sir, I am begging you, spare me. I did not mean to see....I was only praying when I...when I heard." She clasped her hands, her words tumbling out one after the other. "Please I am only a poor girl. I cannot even read or write " Tears came to her eyes but she forced them back. "All I want is to sit under the trees and hear the blessed voices of my Saints. Please, if you let me go, I will not tell anyone."

[evan2]

Smythe heard the woman confess that she didn't know who the Dark Lord was. "He stole us. He brought us here. He did...things...things to horrible for pretty ears. He is always watching. Always seeing."

"He won't get us if she doesn't talk."

"No she won't talk."

"Dead men tell no tales."

"NO WE WON'T HURT HER."

He handed some of the food over to the woman. "If she is our friend she won't betray us. Friends don't do that, do they?"

"If she betrays us?"

Smythe thought it over. There was something about this girl that radiated goodness and innocence. It was hard for him to concieve that she would do such a thing. However the darkness in him, Gollum pressed.

"IF SHE BETRAYS US?"

Smythe squirmed like a pinned insect. He began a hacking coughing fit that lasted a few minutes.

"If she betrays us then we'll cut her throat." He admitted quietly hoping the girl didn't here him.

[JEHANNE MARIE D'ARC]

Joan took the food and set it beside her. Her stomach twisted at the thought of eating a dead man's lunch, and she struggled to keep her expression blank. "Thank you." She ducked her head. "I will not say anything, you do not have to fear." Joan looked up at him again. Someone had hurt him...perhaps that was why he was the way he was? "I am sorry that someone hurt you and...and thank you for the food."

She rocked back on her heels and glanced around the park. The strange man had called her a friend, but she wasn't sure if he said that for her benefit or for the other side of his personality that wanted to kill her. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself. Turning her gaze back to the man, she cleared her throat. "May I...may I go, now?"

She paused and then blurted, "You seem like you want to do good. To be good. I will pray for you and perhaps it will get better. God is always watching, too and He is stronger than any Dark One." In spite of her fear, she felt a rush of pity for the man. Something terrible had happened to him. That was why he acted as he did. "You do not want to hurt people, I can tell." She bit her lip, wondering if she'd said too much.

[evan2]

Smythe looked away uncomfortably, ashamed that the nice girl had seen his struggle. "Your welcome." He began to eat his share.

When she asked if she could leave Smythe shrugged his shoulders. "We don't tell people what to do. Especially no t friends." But he did often steal from those who had and he even killed, mostly when he had to.

When she began talking about God and how he was more powerful than the Dark One Smythe shook his head. "What has God done for us? Show us that, so we can know that he is real. But We know the Dark Lord." He brought his scarred arm into the light. "He did this personally, we know what he can do."

Smythe continued eating. "We do what we must to stay alive."

[JEHANNE MARIE D'ARC]

Joan nodded. "It is good to know." She rocked back onto her heels again. "I cannot show you God, only evidence of Him. Look around you. The beauty in the world. It is glorious, no? And...and God sent His Son, Jesus, for everyone. To forgive their sins." She glanced away, wondering if she had upset the strange man. "Anyway, I am sorry for you. I am sorry that you were harmed. And...and thank you, again, for the food."

Joan allowed her gaze to roam around the park. This fellow had said that they were friends. Perhaps they could be. She did feel sorry for him, and she wished to help. "Please, I...I want to do something kind for you. Please. You have spared me and I...I wish to be your friend." She managed a faint smile.

[evan2]

"Your welcome." Smythe was feeling better. There was something about the girl which helped him keep control over his darker side.

When she said that she wished to be his friend Smythe nodded. "We would..."

"NO WE DON'T LIKE HER CUT HER THROAT NOW."

"No. She is good she is our friend." Smythe shook his head. "I would like to be your friend."

"NO. NO. SHE JUST PRETENDS TO LIKE US BUT SHE IS TRICKY. KILL HER NOW!"

Smythe fought for control. The lady was nice and he wanted to be her friend. He gripped his sandwich so tight that the peanut butter and jelly almost mashed out. It would be better to mush the sandwich than to kill the nice girl. "I won't let you."

[JEHANNE MARIE D'ARC]

"Yes, I do want to be your friend," Joan said quickly. "I do. I would never lie about something like that." She eyed the bag of food again. Maybe if she ate some of it, it would ease his fears. And convince him not to hurt her. Though the thought made her ill, she could see the man's knife from where she sat.

She slid the food toward herself. Unwrapping her sandwich, she took a bite. forced herself to swallow. "It's good. Thank you." Joan thought about telling the man not to hurt her, but she was afraid to make him more upset. He seemed about to lose it anyway. If he hadn't already, a small voice whispered in the back of her head.