"if you're slow," he said carefully, looking me in the eye, "they'll walk all over you."

i couldn't hold the pressure of those eyes, staring at me from beneath a mask of filth. i turned away, muttered "yeah" primarily out of politeness. liberated momentarily, gazing at some innocent gutter a safe distance away, my mouth started to work, disconnected. "like snails underfoot, shells cracking and snapping."

the boy tossed the cardboard sign away, actually stood up, the aura of his stench rising with him. "you know then," he said, reaching a dirty finger-nailed hand up. "you get it."

i stepped away, nervous. "get what?"

relentlessly, those penetrating eyes searched me out, pinned me down. "you know what happened," he whispered raspy. "you know what's going to happen."