What a long day, Ralph thought, as he closed the shop. He had many orders today, more than normal, from various gang members although he didn't like the fact that he had to sell to them, he knew that they were a good source of business than most other people.

He sighed, "I wonder how those kids days have been?" he said out loud. Probably better than mine, this is a better change of pace for children.

He made one last check before he shut the door and locked it. He left the shop and began walking home.

As he drew closer to home, he could see a change in people who were chatting and looking more cautious than normal. He was nearing home and was only one turn away from the street. When two men approached him, "Ralph?" one of the men called.

"Yes, do I know you?" Ralph asked cautiously.

"Come with us," we have many questions to ask you.

Before he could respond, the man drew his gun and hit him over the head.

When Ralph awoke, he was in a room that smelled foul. His clothes were no longer on and there was blood splattered everywhere, his arms and hands were chained and he was bounded to a table.

From what he could see, there were other people in this room besides him and they looked worse for wear.

A girl that may have just turned sixteen well-dressed but completely mismatched by any standards and out of place with regard to the circumstances was looking him over playfully. She had long red hair that ran down her back, a youthful innocent face and green eyes that seem to pierce the soul, she could have been a model, her hands look soft despite the tool she carried in one hand and yet she had a bear in the next.

"Where am I?" he asked her, but she continued to look at him without even responding.

Her voice was calming and sweet, despite what she was actually saying "It's been a long time since I have been able to play with someone new mister, too long and I have you all to myself, I think we will be best friends soon, right guys?"

"Yes mam," the people in the room said as one "Welcome brother, welcome home."

He tried to understand the meaning behind those words.

Before her hand gently touched his face, a place where he had been bleeding, he had not noticed it before. She looked at the blood on her hand as if in tranced.

"Beautiful," she said, "But this won't do," as she untied his feet and hands from the bed. He was now free, and she just stood there watching him.

"Thank you," Ralph said, looking uneasy not knowing whether to get up or not but as some time passed and he got no response. He sat himself up and his foot touch the floor.

"Well then, I think it's time we begin your initialization; we can't truly be friends without that," she said, as the men in the room got up and walked over to him.

Ralph looked around, as he felt himself being surrounded from left to right. He saw the door that he believed would lead him out of the room, he tried to rush towards it but was cut off by one of the men.

He felt himself being grabbed from behind and he struggled to get the man off him. The man was smaller than he was and by using his turn and force Ralph was able to throw him over the hip off him.

"Wow, Mister!" Cassandra exclaimed "Such wonderful technique; you truly are amazing, you will be such an awesome friend."

Ralph put up a fight for as long as he could but the others had already caught him and now they hit him in turn and with each blow he weakened until he fell to the floor, he tried to crawl away but he was being dragged back by his legs and when he tried to pull away, both of his arms were held until he was lifted into the air and brought right back to the table, right back to this girl.

She gave him and applause as she smiled at him, congratulating him for his efforts on trying to escape and bonding with his brothers. She handed one of the men a plier and the rest pinned him and held out his arm.

Ralph knew what was going to happen but what he didn't understand was why? She had not asked him a single question or give him a reason for what was going on. Was she even sane in the head? he wondered.

The men gripped him, he tried to struggle but it was useless they forced his face to watch as the pliers came inches of his fingers.

"Let's play a game Mister, eeny meeny miny moe." She said as she played over his hand, "That one," she pointed at his thumb as the pliers came on to it and as the pain registered to his brain, Ralph screamed in agony. This process happened again and again. Ralph begged for them to stop but it just continued and when his first hand was out of fingernails, the men let him go. Ralph's hand was shaking and dripping with blood, he was angry, scared and alone.

"We can't just do one hand and not the other she said to him, but you look pretty shaken friend so let's take a five-minute break, you want some water to drink?" "Get him a glass," she said to one of the men, who immediately came back with a glass and handed it to Ralph.

Ralph took it with his good hand, he knew he couldn't stay here, he didn't want to feel that pain again.