It was a cold November night. Hoarfrost was already forming on the brown leaves on the ground. A rat scurried away as five silhouettes walked between the shadows of the dockland's warehouses.

" Are you sure about this?" asked the smallest one. Being about thirteen years of age he was the youngest of the lot. He nervously ran his fingers through his reddish-brown hair.

"You're thinkin' too much" Said the leader of the group. "All you 'ave to do is keepin' an eye out for the pigs, while we burgle the warehouse. Just go to your spot and keep on the lookout 'til you hear our signal." With that the lad was sent off.

" Right Alfie and Rodney will be wai'in' in the alley across while Fred and I wait for the bloke. We'll show 'im not to mess with us. "

This being said, the men quickly dispersed themselves preying on their target from the shadows .

The young lad shivered while trying to stay warm. Ugh, why did he sign up for this? He had never trusted this gang. He was picked for the job as he enjoyed a good reputation as lookout. He had agreed, it was either this or sleeping rough and eating out of bins. The thought of going back to the orphanage didn't even cross his mind. 'Hortense's loving and caring home for orphaned children'. Loving and caring? Pah! A dead donkey would be more loving than Mrs Hortense. Not that the orphanage would take him back now, not now he was growing old enough to stand on his own feet.

He sighed, his breath formed a cloud in the cold autumn night. The memory of someone cuddling him crossed his mind. He remembered being tucked in and a woman's voice softly lulling him to sleep. It was one of the few memories left of a warmer place. If only…
A bloodcurdling scream snapped him out of his thoughts. Bloody Hell! What was that? Did the gang run into someone during their burglary?
He thought over this for a moment. This gang likely wouldn't have any trouble getting rid of eyewitnesses. The idea of some poor sod accidently running into the gang wouldn't go off his mind. Perhaps he should help him before it was too late.
Deciding to help he darted off in the direction the sound came from.

Upon arriving on the scene he saw the others talking while quickly going through a motionless man's pockets before running off in different directions.
Oh God surely they didn't… He didn't hesitate for a moment and ran to the man on the ground. The man was wearing gaudy clothes. His forehead was covered in blood and he showed signs of being strangled, the used rope was still hanging around his neck. The lad immediately untied the rope to give the man the opportunity to breath.

"Sir, can you hear me?" the young man whispered hoarsely, feeling frantically for a pulse. Yes, the man was still alive, but needed medical attention. Now were could he find a doctor so quickly?
Suddenly a bright light blinded the lad. His dark eyes grew wide with fear when he recognised the all too familiar silhouettes.

"Well, well, look what we have here."

*Clang, clang.*
A ringing sound as if someone was slamming on a fence went through his head. "Ugh."

"Wake up sleepyhead ,your trial is due today."

He slowly opened his eyes to look at the barred door were a policeman had just woken him up. It was two nights since the incident and both nights he barely had any sleep. If the drunks in the other police cells didn't keep him from sleeping his own thoughts surely did.
A sense of dreadful loneliness came over him. He was familiar with police encounters, but those times he was locked up with other street urchins. Now he sat alone in a cell, bars being the only things to separate him from drunks and vagrants in the others.
Exposed to their taunting and jeering the only thing he could do was curl himself up in the corner most far away from them.
Footsteps came near. A key turned in the rusty lock, letting the three policemen in who would escort him to the courthouse.

As he entered the courtroom he couldn't resist a loud gasp. Last time he saw the court from inside it was much… emptier. It made sense since no one would actually have been interested in a chain trial of street boys being tried for minor crimes. But now at least half of the seats were taken. Somewhat shaky he took place in the defendant seat. Why…?