It was raining outside; heavily and noisily.

The sky was dull.

The ground littered with burnt orange and sienna looking leaves, some still crisp enough to scatter as Carlo run through them.

Not many people where out; Carlo passed two jogging woman in haste, catching up with a bright yellow fancy that cruised down the quiet road.

He looked forward towards the car as it stopped at a red light, reducing his speed as he caught up.

As his run began to reduce to a brisk walk, he slicked back the umber hair that clung to his forehead and pulled up the hood to his grey hoodie.

He crossed the road, moving behind the car that rested alone at the lights.

He entered into a side street.

The car turned down this same street once the lights changed, around half way down the street that harboured big semi-detached properties before it stopped.

Carlo sprinted from the top of this street t great speed whilst awkwardly holding onto his hood.

The car shut off and the door flung open. A large green shiny handbag came first, followed by dark stiletto shoes, and then bouffant dark red hair before finally, a glamorous woman in a pencil skirt purple suit emerged from the car.

She moved from the car doorway and slammed the door shut; she instantly winced and looked towards her partially clenched hand, which she then turned around as if inspecting her bright pink shiny nails. The woman then threw the keys into her open bag which hung from her elbow, yet just as she made an effort to adjust the strap to bag back up and over her shoulder, the leather strap flew out her grasp – along with the bag it supported.

The lady watched her big green bag disappear down the street underneath a grey hoodied man.

*

Carlo then woke up!

*

Rising to a seating position, Carlo sat and looked around the grey and empty room, he shuddered and hugged his large and firm arms, however, he the removed his hands from his triceps

"I'm not even cold" he said to himself.

He looked around the square room until he caught the sight of a wall radiator.

*

Carlo lay with his arms behind his head, looking up at a camera lenses in the corner of the room. The silence halted with a load of noise coming from his right side; he turned to the right and watched as a large and heavy looking door crept open; a police officer in uniform along with a man in a grey suit entered into the doorway.

"Carl is it?" the man in the suit enquired.

"You can call me Carl" Carlo answered.

"Good, I hoped so" the man stated before the then took a few steps forward. He stopped towards the middle of the room and extended his arm, offering Carlo a hand to shake as he introduced himself "Franklin Kicks, your lawyer".

*

Carlo's mother sat on a plastic chair at a table, she looked around at the scene surrounding her; florescent lights, high ceiling, high windows, depressed faces, particularly the lady sat at her neighbouring table.

"It looks like a school canteen in here" she said to the sad looking woman who either failed to hear or ignored.

Carlo's mother turned away from the woman with a look of 'suit yourself then'. She chose to instead look towards the doorway behind a set of bars. She tapped her fingernails on the table and created a melody as her gaze remained on the opening. However soon, her hands came together and her vacant expression soon lightened up, Carlo appeared through the door.

Accompanied by a combat suited guard, Carlo made his way over to his mother, sitting opposite her.

Carlo's mother offered a small smile, which Carlo hesitantly matched, she then spoke...

"How could you be so stupid!" she yelled as her mood switched.

"I, sorry" he replied sadly as he looked to the table.

"Seriously lad, it's bad enough ya mugged a woman half ya size, but how could ya miss a bright pink acrylic nail? Of course ya were gonna get caught"

"You the one who let them in" Carlo defended as he frowned slightly but continued to look towards the table.

"Boy! They hammer the door down" she yelled.

Carlo's face softened, though he remained silent.

"Honestly, what were ya thinkin'?" his mother continued "You stand out like a sore thumb and she only lives five minutes away, 'course ya were gonna get caught".

"Sorry" he drew out quietly.

"It's not good enough, not this time" she snapped "Ya know what, I regret, I wish I'd never taken you out this country, it's only..."

"No mother, this my fault" Carlo interrupted as he grasped her spread finger.

"No Carlo, really, I never liked that place, I never liked being a housewife, I never liked their old attitude to family and work, but still, I left 'cos I trusted him" she began to weep.

"Dad left us and it my job to..."

"No Carlo, it's not your job to take over everything" Carlo's mother interrupted, she snatched her hands out of his and held a finger up as he was about to speak again and continued "I always knew the move could turn out bad, but now, you're a foreigner in your own country, working cash-in-hand, with an entitled useless wife and a third and forth kid on the way".

"But we manage, we always do" Carlo assured.

"I don't know this time? The babies are due before you're in court, she's useless at the best of times but even I can see this pregnancy's been a tough one for her, so it's just me!" his mother rushed.

"Sor..." he stopped himself and looked nervously towards the table, before uttering "Thank you".

"No point thanking me! I can't take on your load alone" she said with sternness.

*

Time had passed and an worn down looking Carlo hugged his distressed looking mother before he was escorted out the room.

He walked beside a guard; prisoners in matching clothes too walked in pairs beside officers.

"Yo Carl" a voice from behind him sounded.

"Hello Rich" Carlo replied over his shoulder.

"Dude, I heard the lot, ya had a lucky escape mate" Rich said.

Carlo failed to speak in response.

He did however, nod his head.