Editing Kray (AW2E) (section)

=='''Kray, the Faceless'''==

"Once upon a time, it was me and Mammy, and life was good, or good enough at least. It was just the two of us, she looking out and protecting me, guiding me to the straight and narrow, me helping out at home, reaching things up high she couldn't get to, keeping the vermin under control.

Sure, she would get angry sometimes, and she was a mean drunk. There was beatings, and they left some scars so I would remember the lessons. Sometimes it went far, like the last night before our paradise split open. 

Mammy was drunk, and yelling at me. Kray, I told myself, she's just letting off steam, don't pay it any consideration, let it wash off of you like you learned. But she kept going and going, then whaling around with that bit of old wood she liked to swing when she got good and mad. There was some pushing and some shoving, I reckon she fell down a bit. An accident. Anyway, I left to let her sleep it off.

Next day she weren't waking up, and there was a lot of dried blood there. A lot. I don't know what happened, how she got that way, but she didn't look too well. I thought I better go find the Doc, see if he could wake her up.

So I packed my stuff, took the good chopping axe from where it lay on the floor still from last night's fussing and put on my 'go outdoors' gear to keep protected from the vermin and such.

Somehow I never made it to the Doc's, don't know how I got so lost. Somehow didn't seem important, couldn't get my head straight. I was lost for some time, got into some scrapes, scared and alone.

Then I found Mammy again, found her in a place I was staying. She was pretty plain looking so I painted her face up pretty like she liked, then took her with me. We're back together again, she keeping me safe and loved, cussing me out when I need it. Back on the straight and level again.

I'm still doing what I was, but I'm more social now, outgoing. Don't stay home like I used to, now I travel around and sell my services cleaning up vermin and critters causing people no end of worry and strife. Usual, people pass me some jingle for thanks, but really it just feels good using my hands, being useful to folk. Good folk anyway.

More lately, I made it to Chalice's one night, when the wind was howling through the streets, blown in with the tired old newspapers and grit. Little Bennie had got tired of old Kray being in his patch, liked his vermin just as they was, and decided it was time for me to exit the stage. Mammy warned me, but they still managed to push me out of a window and get me impaled on some old iron fence palings. I got away, had to tussle with a couple of Bennie's friends, and left. Mammy was screeching at me the whole time where to go, drunk as usual, andled me to Chalice's where they patched me up and didn't ask too hard about Mammy. I'm back on my feet now, but am still new around here, keeping my nose clean and head down."