Errick never knew how much his life would change the day he found the switchblade knife. It was laying near a trashcan in the alley near the apartment he shared with his dad one day on the way home from school. He pocketed it since he liked the way it looked, having no idea how the knife would come into play much later that night.

He was sitting in the ratty armchair that his dad loved so much, channel surfing. He zoned out before too long and began to think about how he got into the situation he was in in the first place. Errick and his older brother Austin stayed with their mother, not sure what to do or think after that. But it wasn’t long before his dad got another job and demanded that he had custody of Austin, his golden child, the prized boxer in the divorce. He didn’t really have a stable job and due to the nature of the way he lost his old job, his request was denied. Errick rebelled of course. He was upset because of his parents splitting. He started getting in fights at school and talking back to his mother. She got so fed up that she sent him to live with his dad, calling him an uncontrollable kid. So that is how he came to live with his dad. The drinking never ceased only seemed to get worse, so everyday Errick had to walk on eggsgells around his dad, due to his short temper.

He must have been deep in thought because next thing he knew it was dark out and his dad still wasn’t home. He heard the scraping of keys against the door shortly after, signaling that his dad had made it home. He hopped out the chair, knowing that his dad would be livid with him for sitting in it. He put it back in the sitting position and rushed to the door to let him in. He undid the dead bolt and was slammed into the wall as his dad stumbled into the room. Johnathan Kraven was a burly man. He was once a nice looking man, who took care of himself, but during the divorce and much after it, let himself go. His binge drinking caused him his high paying job as a diesel engine mechanic. He now worked as a repairman at a local motor repair shop.

“What the hell are you doing hovering by the door, boy?!” He heard yelled at him. His heart sunk, hearing the slurred words and smelling the strong scent of booze emananting from his dad. It was rare for him to come home sober and Errick was beginning to miss his old dad, the way he used to be; fun and loving. Errick leaned against the wall, not sure what to do, a few tears ran down his cheek. He was upset at his mom for doing this to his dad. It was her fault he was in this state.

“I was trying to open the door for you.” Errick replied, but was immediately backhanded. He cringed as he felt the sting of the slap on his cheek. His dad trudged past him and into the living room. Errick didn’t move, he stayed there, with his eyes closed, breathing in deep, doing his best to remain calm. “God damn it, Errick! How many times have I told you to stay out of my chair?” Errick’s eyes shot open. “Huh?” He walked down the hall slowly, trying to figure out how his father knew. “I-I wasn’t in your chair.” He stammered entering the living room, where he saw he left the tv on. Damn, he thought glumly to himself. His dad stormed up to him and grabbed him by the collar. “You’re lying to me boy!” Errick gulped. “I wasn’t in it long, I-” He didn’t get to finish because he felt himself flying across the room. He hit the wall hard, knocking a picture off the wall onto his shoulder. He grunts upon impact, still trying to catch his breath since the wind was knocked out of him when he hit the wall.

“I told you to stay out my chair! It’s mine, not yours. I come home and want to relax, and here you come sitting in it and changing my channel. Why is it so hard for you to listen?!” He came over to where Errick now stood and poked a finger into his chest. “You’re only here now because your mother didn’t want a problem child like you. No one wants you, so you better clean up your act.” Errick frowned feeling his father’s stubby finger poke him in the chest. “Don’t.” Errick managed to get out, pushing his father away from him.
“Oh, you’re getting ballsy now!” He laughed out loud. “Don’t forget, I’m bigger and stronger than you.” He delivered a swift punch to Errick’s stomach. “You listen to me and you listen good-” He started poking Errick again. “What I say goes. And even if I have to bust you up to get that through your thick skull, then I will do it.”

Errick groaned, feeling the wind knocked out of him again. He grabbed his stomach and doubled over. He watched his dad waringly, not sure what to do or say. He moved away from him and tried to make it to his room to hide but he was grabbed by the back of his shirt. “Look at me when I am talking to you.” John roared. Errick gasped, suddenly choked by his shirt. He stopped and turned, trying to wriggle his way free from his dad’s grasp. Finally breaking free of his dads grasp he falls to the floor and lands on his ass feeling the hard handle of the switch blade knife that he had forgotten was there. Errick jumps to his feet and sticks his left arm out in front of him to try and guard himself from his fathers next attack. He slowly reaches in his hip pocket and retrieves the knife and keeps it hidden behind him. As John makes a lunge at Errick, the young boy stiffens his arm to try and hold off the massive form of his father. As soon as the force from the attack hits Erricks arm he quickly brings the knife into play and pushes the small silver button on the black handle and the blade springs out.
“Get off of me!” He cries out trying to push off the weight of his father. “I have a knife, and I am not afriad to use it.” He voiced, utterly terrified to be completely honest. He never picked up a weapon in his life. The fact that his father didn’t move made matters even worse.

John grabbed Errick by the shirt. “You’re bluffing, you wouldn’ do nothign to me. I’m the only place you ahve to go, your only source of food-” He didn’t get to finish waht he was going to say before he felt the sharp pain as Errick shoved the blade deep into his stomach. Errick shook,the blade dug deep into the gut of the older man. “I said I had a knife.” He said, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn’t beleive what he had done. He panicked even more as John grunted and began to slump over him more, the warm feeling of blood gushing out the wound and covering his hand. Errick let go of the blade and put his hand to his dad’s chest, his other hand followed suit as he pushed past him and let him slump to the floor. He looked down at him panicked, a look of pain etched on his dad’s face. “I got to get out of here.” Errick said outloud. He rished to his rooma nd grabbed his backpack and threw as much clothes in it as he could. He walked slolwy back over to the still form of his father. He lifted hm upa nd took the money he had out of his wallet and took the knife out of him. He cleaned it on the man’s shirt and walked out the apartment without a second glance.
Errick never stayed in one place too long after that. Afraid that things could be tracked back to him. Now, 4 years later, he finds himself stepping off a bus into the streets of Hathian. Looking for a new start and hopefully a place to settle. All those years alone in the streets hopping from one place to another has taught him how to look after himself. He’s used all means possible to get what he wants, his looks and his charming wit has also helped. He doesn’t enjoy getting poked, it brings back bad memories of how his dad mistreated him growing up. He doesn’t trust women very much due to his relationship with his mom and the fact that the girl he did open up to tried to kill him via poison didn’t help matters at all. He’s a smart ass and doesn’t really have a brain filter, he speaks without thinking which gets him into lots of trouble, especially with the ladies. Most find him crude and horrific. Which suits him just fine, in his opinion women can’t be trusted, due to past experiences.

Moving to Hathian has changed Errick lots. He’s joined a small gang of pickpockets and moved in with the gang leader. After a few bouts with the wrong people, he’s hardened and enclosed a wall around himself. Some what paranoid and not really friendly towards those he doesn’t know. He’s one of the few loyal members of the Renegades and has been in it from day 3 of his arrival of Hathian.

A few months back, Errick made what he thought was a anonymous call home from a phone booth, to check on his mother after being gone for 4 years. But Errick’s older brother Austin had connections and had the call traced back to Hathian. The greeting from Austin after seeing his long lost brother wasn’t a pleasant one. It was actually a broken nose. But he healed up and got over that. Austin comes and visits randomly, always letting Errick know when he is in town. Errick isn’t quite sure why Austin has been coming to Hathian so much. Most of the time he doens’t even know he is in town until he day he is leaving. He figured it had to do with a girl he had met that lived in the town, but who knew.

((more to come))