Kharis hit the dirt hard, his head pounding from the impact. He knew he shouldn’t have stolen today, not in his current state. A hard boot collides with his ribs and then his nose, sickening cracks betraying the extent of his injuries. Blinking back tears he attempts to curl into the foetal position to protect his head, resulting in another harsh kick to the ribs and the pull of his hair, tearing some from the scalp.

“Please..” he murmurs, blood pooling from his nose onto the ground below.