The Punished

12-year-old Curt Regis lives the carefree life of a beggar and a thief. Homeless since the age of six, he uses his guile and street smarts, as well as a glib, smooth lying tongue to reign as king of the street rats. So when he is caught breaking into a school and is sent back into foster care for the ninth time, he is quite confident that it will be a short stay. He is secure in the knowledge that he will be gone again in a day or two with a new set of clothes on his back and his bag filled with silverware, jewelry and maybe if he is really lucky, a Play station to pawn.& ;& ;However, this time his luck has run out. Curt is sent to what many in the foster-care system consider the perfect home. It is a home from which no one has ever runaway from. A beautiful home where not a word of complaint is ever heard, where in fact very few words are ever spoken and where the only real sounds that disturbs the stagnant air are the screams of the punished.& ;