They are in the apartment quad together with Tommy. Tommy has stolen an unhooked padlock from somewhere. Strangely, the unhooked part has a sharp point on it.
“Check it out.” And he pokes Stephen’s hand.
Stephen starts to cry.
“Why did you do that?”
“I thought it was cool.”
“It wasn’t.”
He punches Tommy in the stomach.
“Ow!”
He punches Tommy again, and now Tommy runs. The boy doesn’t chase. Instead, he goes the other way around the apartment block and sees Tommy again. Tommy is wearing shoes, but the boy isn’t. No matter. He kicks Tommy in the stomach and punches him in the shoulder.
Tommy runs again. Again, the boy does not chase but goes the other way. He meets Tommy again with a flurry of kicks and punches. Tommy is crying now, and he retreats toward his own apartment.
“I’m gonna tell my dad and he’s gonna beat you up!”
“My dad will beat your dad up!”
The Living and the Dead, by Gordon Laws 