"Yo, Tom. How's it hanging?" Rick said as his bearish figure stalked into the staffroom.

He slapped Tom on the back, who was taking a sip of tea, causing it to spill.

"Down your mum's throat, you knob. You just made me spill my tea!" Tom bit back, putting the cup on the table, his gangly figure rising.

He used his hand to wipe the spillage off his uniform's front as he glared at Rick.

"That was a good one. I've never actually heard that before." Rick laughed, not breaking his stride and lumbering over to the tea machine, looking over his shoulder with his usual perpetual grin.

"I bet you haven't," Tom muttered, walking over to the paper towel dispenser on the wall and awkwardly wiping himself down further, his glasses nearly falling off as he looked down at his wet top.

Kayne, who sat in the corner filling out paperwork that Jayne, their manager, had asked him to do, smiled at the back and forth between the pair.

After pawing near the drinks machine, Rick turned around, noticed Kayne smiling, and grinned.

"What're you up to, Kanye? Writing your newest single?" Rick said as he gestured to the paperwork with a sachet of sugar that appeared tiny in his hand.

"No, Jayne asked me to do the paperwork as always. She would give it to you, but you can't read or write." Kayne bit back calmly, then looked down at his paperwork, filling in more details.

Being called Kanye was a running joke between them from when he first started.

He was paired with Rick to learn the job on his first day. Rick, being Rick, glanced at his name tag and must have thought it spelt Kanye instead of Kayne and proceeded to call him as such all day, making numerous jokes and song quotes.

It wasn't until the day after that Kayne had arrived in the staffroom for his second shift, only for Priya, their shift team leader, to explain the situation.

Rick had realised he had just read it wrong and admitted to her what he had done all day before. They all laughed at Rick's sheepish look as she told the story, but that didn't stop Rick from running with it anyway.

"I wouldn't want that old boot to give me anything but a pay rise." Rick quipped before turning around to finish making his tea and carrying on his verbal sparring with Tom.

He just tuned them out as he focused on his paperwork, the sound of this morning's news on low volume from the TV and his two colleagues filling the room with background noise.

The paperwork was related to stock counts and other mundane information, such as what shelves would stock what products, as the staffroom became a hub of flowing traffic.

The day shift appeared one after the other, having closed the store to the public earlier and beginning to clock off and collect their possessions before leaving for home.

Jayne liked the shifts to have a slight overlap to pass on any information or issues between them so it didn't get lost at shift change. It also allowed her to stuff him with the paperwork she should be doing.

Rick had told him she had tried it with the others, but they had all not been very good at it as they had not gotten asked more than a couple of times.

"Just do them shit a few times. I doubt she would bother asking you again. Don't be so shit that you get fired but don't be so good that you get shafted with the lion's share. That's my motto." Rick had preached to him back then with his usual easy-going smile as they worked.

In truth, he didn't mind the work as it gave him something to occupy his mind for a while, and he seemed pretty good at it. It was more the principle of Jayne lumbering him with it and making it out like she was doing him a favour.

He had heard that the total sales volume went up a few per cent after he started doing them, although there was no benefit to his payslip, not that he urgently needed the money.

Just as he finished his work, he noticed he was alone in the staffroom, everyone else having already gone out to get on with the work for the night.

Standing up, he stretched, preparing to head out and help his team before he heard talking. Before he could work out who it was, the staffroom door opened and in walked Jayne and Priya.

Priya, the night shift's team leader, walked in first, her big brown eyes meeting his and her friendly smile lighting up the room, looking like some kind of Indian Goddess. Following Priya was Jayne, or the 'old battle axe' as Rick liked to call her when she was out of earshot.

She was the opposite of Priya in every way, her face wearing a constant scowl topped by straw-like greying hair that always seemed to be pulled back far tighter than anyone should ever have their hair to a painful-looking degree.

He had sometimes wondered why she always seemed so miserable and condescending towards everyone, and it didn't help that she was the day shift team leader and overall store manager.

"Have you finished the paperwork yet? You seem to be taking longer and longer these days." Jayne moaned as she stood beside Priya, who looked like she was about to say something and stopped as Jayne cut her off.

"The form has changed again recently. I mentioned it to you the other week. That's why it's taking me so much longer than normal, as it requires more information." He said, trying not to let his growing anger or impatience show.

"That was weeks ago. You should've gotten a handle on it by now. Anyway, we're not here to talk about you slacking off." Jayne dismissively said as she played with her ponytail.

"I just told you I'm not slack…" He tried to repeat before he got rudely cut off.

"We need you to cover for the day shift tomorrow as some people are calling in sick, leaving us short-staffed," Jayne said, gesturing to herself and Priya, ignoring what he was trying to say.

"I can't work the day shift tomorrow. I'm working tonight, and I need to go home and sleep. I'm also quite sure it's illegal for someone to work so long." He said as he tried to remember the working hour regulations in case she pushed further.

Before Jayne could say anything more, Priya must have noticed his rising irritation at Jayne and interjected on her behalf.

"This isn't a demand; it's just an ask. I've asked Tom and Rick, but both have plans and can't do it. I've agreed with Jayne that if you say yes, you will get paid for tonight and tomorrow for helping out, and we'll also send you home now to get some sleep. The three of us should be able to manage without you." Priya offered to him calmly as she stared at him with pleading eyes.

As the team leader, he knew she would be on the chopping block to cover the shift if he said no. It was also true that they could cope without him.

He started at ten o'clock, and the four of them on nights usually got all the work done by two in the morning at the latest and then spent the rest of the night in the staff room playing cards, watching telly or sleeping and waiting for the day shift to arrive.

He didn't need the extra money but could not see any reason to refuse. He didn't have any plans, and if it kept Jayne off their back for a while, then it was worth it.

"Okay, I'll do it then. What time am I starting?"

After getting his timings, he grabbed his coat and headed out of the staffroom, grabbing a few salt sachets as he left the room. He walked towards the side exit of the building, making sure to pass by the area he knew both Tom and Rick would be starting work in to say goodbye.

"Alright, guys, I'm off. Doing that day shift tomorrow, so I'll probably see you in the morning." Kayne said as he walked up next to his two colleagues to say goodbye.

"Abandoning us for those heathens on the other shift?" Rick joked as he turned slightly away from the stock he was working on, giving him a side-eye.

"Nope, just abandoning you. I like Tom and Priya." He said with a little grin as he decided to nestle Rick a little in payback. Rick snorted and returned to work with a grunt as he walked past and slapped him on the back.

"See you both in the morning then."

As he passed behind Rick, he dumped the contents of the sachets into an oversized cup of tea on top of a food pallet behind him. He noticed that Tom had caught the act of sabotage, but he just grinned and nodded as Kayne walked on.

"See you later, mate," Tom said with an outstretched fist, and Kayne returned the bump as he walked towards the exit with a nod of his own.

Just as he reached the end of the aisle, he heard a shout from Rick, causing him to smile.

"Gah… Come on, man. You don't mess with a person's cup of tea. Is nothing sacred anymore?"

He just shook his head at Rick's obliviousness to his actions from when he spilt Tom's cup earlier.

Walking outside, he checked the time on his phone, noticing that it was around half ten before putting it away in his jacket pocket and wishing he had his gloves as he rubbed his hands together.

This time, he decided to take another route home, hoping to avoid a repeat of the previous night.

He crossed over the poorly lit but empty store car park, reaching the other side onto the long street that took him on a longer route that led most of the way home. He opened his legs out in longer strides, hoping to get home faster and warm himself up from the exertion.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It wasn't raining, but there was still a chill in the air as he breathed into his hands and rubbed them together.

He debated putting his headphones in as he went, deciding to give up on the idea as soon as it reached his mind, not wanting to overstimulate himself before bed.

Not that he was tired anyway, having just slept hours before in preparation for the shift he now wasn't even working.

It was getting late, and the road he was on only saw a little traffic. He did notice a couple of people about as a few cars passed him, one with obnoxiously loud music that rattled his bones as it passed.

As he got about halfway down the road, he spotted a small group ambling towards him across a bridge that went over a canal. Kayne noticed they were on the same side as himself.

As the gap closed between him and them, he could see that the three guys who were, judging from their unsteady gaits, wild gestures, and the fact they looked to be carrying beer cans in hand, seemed drunk.

He debated crossing over to the other side at the sight of them to avoid any more trouble, but deciding that such a thing would be no guarantee anyway, he just carried on towards them.

As he got within earshot, he could see the bald one on his right messing around with something in hand as he leaned towards the one in the middle, a lighter of some kind based on his actions.

"It's not fucking working!" moaned the scruffy man in an accent Kayne placed to be from somewhere in the northeast as he was still fidgeting with the lighter. Looking up, the man must have spotted him.

"Let's ask this guy for one."

Kayne groaned internally, not wanting to deal with the trio, his mind already set on just getting home into his comfy bed for the night.

As he got within a few feet, he glanced to his right, noticing a path down towards the canal and flagging it as a possible escape route should he need it before pulling his shoulders back, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

"Mate, you got a light?" asked the dopey one in the middle, taking an unlit cigarette out of his mouth and holding it out a little in front of him with shaky hands.

The man's voice came out in a higher pitch than Kayne was expecting, throwing him off from answering for a second before he gathered himself and stopped.

He quickly looked at the trio just before they spoke, noticing the one on his left wearing a red beanie hat, with his face masked by a beard. The one in the middle wore a dozy look on his face, with his two eyes placed close together, doing nothing to help the look. The bald one on the right, fiddling with the lighter, looked like his loose, messy clothes were about to fall off him.

Kayne's eyes scanned the man's face as he got asked, not having as much time to fully take in the others.

"Sorry mate, I don't smoke," he replied, the words leaving his lips without thought. His fingers moved on their own accord to his empty pockets, patting them down in the universal gesture of 'I don't have it'.

He didn't miss the disappointed look on the man's face. Kayne was just about to walk around them, thinking the conversation was over, when the guy on his left, who had been silent until then, spoke up.

"Hey, I recognise you," he said in a raised voice, pointing an accusatory finger.

"It's the fucking hero!" He then chucked the half-full can of beer he had been carrying at Kayne, and it bounced off his shoulder, sending droplets of beer spraying all over him.

Kayne's mind seemed to short-circuit for a second, not expecting to run into the group again. He wasn't easy to recognise with his increased facial hair, and he hadn't got a great look at them anyway in the dark. It seems that wasn't the case for them.

Before the trio could react further, he decided not hanging around was the best course of action and shot off, heading towards the path on his right that his brain had already tagged for a quick escape route.

The men must have gotten their bearings around the same time as the bald one on his right attempted to shove him as he ran past, connecting ever so slightly and trying to knock him off his feet.

Nearly losing his balance and stumbling for a few steps as he tried to run, he managed to get himself back under control, his years of going out running in uneven fields coming to his aid in righting himself.

As Kayne attempted to flee, he heard one of the three men shout.

"Get him!"

Another beer can flew past his head, sprinkling more all over him before hitting a tree just ahead.

Instead of running straight down the path connected to the canal footpath, he quickly cut down the bridge's side.

He knew a clear, muddy shortcut existed there, trodden down as an ad hoc shortcut that people had used in the past.

He planned to cut under the main bridge and cross the footbridge to the other side. From there, he could lose his pursuers in the short, winding streets on the other side as he headed home.

As adrenaline flowed through him, he continued to run, pumping his arms and legs as fast as he could manage, feeling the trio not far behind.

A sixth sense, like someone breathing onto the back of his neck, washed over him, letting him know not to slow down even one bit.

He reached the corner of the bridge's underside and used his right leg to quickly pivot and change his direction, throwing him under it and causing his ankle on the same foot to cry out in agony as he felt something pop.

The thrill of pursuit allowed him to push his body onward without stopping or letting the pain register. With his momentum carrying him around the corner and forward, he got his first look under it.

A faint hint of light came into it from the nearby lamp post canalside that overlooked the small bridge. This light allowed him to spot two figures sitting atop a large stone block to the left.

He couldn't make out any precise details of the two, just that they were males around his age and looked to be drinking. The pair, who looked to be in the middle of sitting down and chatting, both stood up at the sight of him barreling around the corner, cutting their conversation short.

He turned away, ignoring them as he planned to run past. His mind was now laser-focused on the footbridge he was not far from reaching when he heard a shout behind him.

"Harry, stop him!" One of the trio shouted.

He thought it might have been the bearded man, but he wasn't too sure. He didn't have time to work it out as the pair of men stepped into his path from where they had been.

Realising the two men in front of him belonged to the same group as the ones chasing him, he dug deeper, planning to blow through them and across the footbridge and stuck to the same escape plan.

The closer of the two men, now in his path, reached out in an attempt to grab. He moved to the right slightly and narrowly avoided it, getting level with the rear of the pair in an instant.

Just as he thought he was clear of them, he felt something hit the side of his left foot as it raised mid-step, knocking it into his right and sending him crashing head-first to the ground.

His nose hit something hard under him as he fell, causing a burst of white-hot pain to scold him. Instinct kicked in, and he knew he couldn't stay here as the trio would be on top of him at any moment. He used his hands to lever up, trying to get to his feet, when he felt a foot slam into his left side.

The wind knocked out of him and caused him to turn onto his black as the air left his lungs in a wheeze. Painfully sucking in air, he rolled to his left, avoiding a stomp and kick by the pair and noticing the trio arriving as he moved and tried to get up again.

Fear tied his guts in knots as he fully stretched his arms. His legs were now under him, ready to push up before a stomp landed on his back. It forced him down flat again as the weight of someone's foot buckled him, causing his arms to give out from under him.

"Let's see you try to run away now, you prick." A predatory voice came from above him. This time, he knew who the voice belonged to as the bearded man stamped down again, causing pain across his lower back.

"Get off me!" Kayne shouted, trying to slide out from under the heel that pressed down on him. Terror had him in a vice-like grip; all he could think of was running, escaping.

He pushed up with his arms only to be met with a kick to the side of his face by one of the other group members, sending his world spinning for a few seconds as more blows landed from all around him to various parts of his body.

A second kick to the face finally removed the blanket of numbing anaesthesia the surging adrenaline had provided. As it faded, it gave rise to a quickly building dread and inexorable pain as the unrelenting torrent of blows continued.

He wasn't sure when it happened but had come to be in the foetal position with hands covering his head, his primal instincts protecting him where his logical mind couldn't.

Kayne wasn't sure how long it had been since he tripped and his escape got cut short, his only escape now being an attempted mental disconnect from the overbearing pain and taunting jibes his assailants provided.

His consciousness grew dimmer as the help he had cried out for had long since failed to materialise, those cries now prevented by his many injuries.

Why is no one helping me when I need it?

His breathing became more challenging, each inhalation causing a sharp stabbing pain on his left side, letting him know something was seriously wrong.

With the enormous pain covering his body, he wasn't sure if the attacks were still ongoing or had long since stopped. It didn't seem like it was still happening, but he was in so much pain that it was hard to tell. There were voices in the distance, and he struggled to make them out clearly.

Kayne reached his hands out in a press-up position, trying to force himself up. As he did so, he felt his left arm give way, and his mind went back a little earlier to when he had tried the same thing, and one of the attackers had stomped down on it, leading to a horrible cracking noise and more pain.

He tried to look over at his left arm as all his weight was put onto the right, realising that he couldn't see out of his left eye. His right eye had blood running into it he couldn't wipe away at the moment, giving his vision a faint red hue.

Glancing over at his left arm, he couldn't see much through the long sleeves of his coat, but he could see his hand in an unnatural position to the rest of the arm, leaving him wondering if bone might be sticking out somewhere.

He tried to close his mouth and swallow, trying his best not to cry out in pain but failing to do both as he reached the kneeling position.

His lower jaw would not move and hung there as he tried to swallow, feeling something hard move down his throat and realising it was most likely a tooth.

He reached up with his right hand touching his face, and the fact he could just feel his jaw hanging loose and unresponsive solidified in his mind how bad he must look and how injured he must be as he panicked.

Before Kayne could judge his condition further, someone appeared in his half-vision, standing over him with a vicious smile hidden amongst a scraggly beard. Malice-filled eyes met his.

"Like to play the fucking hero?" The bearded man grinned as he waved a brick, using it like a fan on a hot summer's day.

"W-aa-tt?" Kayne tried to say, but it came out unintelligible even to his ears.

"I thought I'd give you a taste of what we do to people who stick their noses in our business by flattening yours." He laughed, his face suddenly morphing into a deranged look as he slammed down, hitting Kayne on his forehead and knocking him backwards.

His head collided with the ground as he fell off his knees, his world going black momentarily. His mind struggled to understand what was happening as he lay on the ground.

"I think that's enough now. Come on, man. Let's leave it."

His vision slowly returned, but the left side of his head felt numb. He looked up at the faintly lit underside of the bridge with his failing eyesight as his eyes settled on a bit of white graffiti on a steel beam.

He tried to focus on it, but his working eye struggled to adjust, making it difficult to read.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on his chest and looked down to see the man with the brick straddling him.

Despite the growing calls from the others surrounding them to stop, the man raised the brick again and slammed it into his nose.

Kayne watched impassively as the brick descended and felt his vision gladly fade to black for the final time that night.

The violence and chaos surrounding him faded into a purple-coloured nothingness as the gem on the amulet he wore against his chest started to glow brighter.

His mind slipped into darkness as he finally realised what the graffiti he had been trying to read had said. The sound of the word echoed in his mind as he finally slipped away.

"Peace."