Walking with my best buddy on the wrong end of the wrong street and everything went as bad as seemingly possible.

That miserable North/South arranged street was foul at the top (South end) and deadly at the bottom (North end). The city had recently undertaken some type of remediation of the sewage and filth at the street's edges. The men in machines had scooped out the soft soiled, muck filled, 3 inch deep dirt gutters- and made 3 foot deep trenches, and the muck and the pain went and filled it in seemingly from hell bottom up, There was a stench down there, and all manner of horrors of poor existence, all seeped in, toilet shit run off, overflowing grossness of slow demise the trash and wrappers were filling it in and topping it off down there about a foot from the top just below street's edge. Barely hell more than a gravel road, some tar and stone chip travel way, for folks to drive upon by dawn to their dull day, and back home again by dim light to that filth rage that did endlessly await.

As my friend and I walked up towards the better of the street from the dark hell of the North bottom the creatures emerged. 4 brutal beasts all misshapen with pain and rage and forgotten born selves, nothing to give but their history of pain. The leader's last name was indeed: Payne. The middle and lesser of his band followed him to break anyone that walked on that street at night's first dawn. The boy man in front, young Payne- suggested my mate and I jump into the ditch to avoid being thrashed. I jumped straight in, my mate raised his fists and into brutal fury he charged. My mate was pummeled and beaten with fists and kicks and then down on the ground no stopping now, they kicked him and smashed him and hollered aloud, humiliation their goal unto my mate with their all. I cried and I prayed with shit filled fists pressed tight to the bridge of my nose.

The beasts went away, all gnarly and better for their purpose was served.

My mate reached out and down to me there in that ditch, he reached out his hand, he hoisted me out.

And we then had learned lessons, and new tales to tell.