There are people in this world, that struggle to succeed. In the same class of people there are those who put others before themselves without a second thought. This class of society has to help each other to survive, and surviving is what they barely do. Oscar was one of these people.

He felt the cool steel of the revolver in it's resting place wedged between his jean waist band and boxers. It was loaded and safety off, he was a loaded gun. He walked down HOPE LN., a place he walked often enough. Keeping to the railings and crumbling downtown homes, he made his way to meet Tommy.

Tommy was his best friend. Could he trust him? No probably not. They watched each others backs in this harsh world, that's all that matters. Left, right, down murderers Lane. Ah yes, murderers lane. Many lives had been taken in this dark, stank, garbage and rat infested ally. It was now known as murderers lane. Oscar let out a small sigh from the corner of his lips as he made it safely past this ally way, and around the last bend to meet Tommy.

"Ho there, rat boy!"

Oscar scowled, he was skinny but not rat, and this voice was certainly not Tommy's.

"I don't want your business, whether drugs, slaves, sluts, whores, or yourself." Oscar said smartly. He than slowly turned around, his hand resting on the cool steel that was his revolver. A dirt and grease covered man held Tommy with a knife to the throat, and was giving Oscar a wicked, toothless grin.

Tommy gave a dirty blonde haired wink to Oscar, and swiftly gave a frontward kick into the back of this strangers leg. With a shriek, the dirty stranger let go of the rusted hunting knife, and hit a sewer gate with a clang. Oscar shot twice with his revolver, and both slammed hard into the mans chest before the stranger could even plead for mercy.

Oscars friend lifted the grate, and Oscar kicked the limp, blood oozing carcass into the rank sewers below the city streets.

Tommy gave Oscar another wink "Let's get outta here, the police had to have heard your shots, I found a great abandoned apartment overlooking murderers lane - if it's not still abandoned, well make it that way."

A shake of there hands and they were off.

Oscar has once been sick to vomiting, he had once been pale and trembling, when that time came to kill, and the time after killing was done. No longer, he had discovered it was a way to survive, a way to kill, or to be killed, nothing less.

The door to the (hopefully) abandoned apartment swung high above slamming in the constant breeze. "We need to climb the fire escapes to get up there, they held yesterday, I hope they will hold today."

Tommy went up first, his footsteps echoing for many clanging seconds after his next step. Oscar waited awhile, than ascended after him.

The fire escape metal ladder was well rusted, that left a copper stain and flaked of metal biting in Oscar's skin as he climbed. The middle of the platform was rusted out as they reached there destination, and the faint small of marijuana smoke reached there senses.

Oscar looked at Tommy for any direction, but he walked in, fists clenched into balls. Oscar jumped over the rusted out middle platform, and entered the rooms doorway. The smells of urine, vomit, human shit, alcohol, and over-used drugs hit him full in the face in the blended aroma of everything putrid. Oscar staggered backwards, and his stomach lurched trying to expel what little it had in it.

A deep swallow held down the continents of his stomach. He was soon half-blinded with a thin layer of dust, and a hovering majoring smoke cloud. With what he could see, scattered around was blood stains, daggers, needles, drug stubs, crack pipes, broken alcohol bottles, empty bullet shells, used condoms, torn cloths, broken furniture, and thing too undistinguishable to mention.

Oscar walked over to the gunshot window that overlooked murder's ally. He saw black hooded figures crouching and slinking along.

"Looks clear in here, they seemed to clear out this morn...they may come back" Tommy turned to Oscar.

Oscar jumped to Tommy's voice, and a shiver went down his spine "Theres mikshel's in the ally....I'll watch the door. Oh tis home, tis home."

He sat himself on the floor in a semi-clean spot, resting the only comforting thing he had in his lap. That cool comforting steel...