He stood looking at his hope in puzzlement. It didn't have the correct dimensions to wrap in a cardboard box, it couldn't be wrapped in gift wrapper because of the edges and it was to too big for a plastic bag.

He went through the house to search for a suitable conduit.

His search led him to the attic, where he found a trunk of expired dreams, he felt nostalgic and went through some of them.

He pondered with a smile at his naive dream of recognition, it used to be so bright and big, it sat now all dusty and shriveled, he polished it a little it then put it down again.

He picked next his dream of fortune, the thing was dead, it was oozing all over the place.

He grabbed a dropped page from his childhood memories to grab the thing without totally soiling his hands and he threw it out of the window to his garbage yard.

He noticed a flattened dream at the bottom of the trunk, it was his dream of happiness.

He pulled it out and tried to fill it with air, he blew into it repeatedly to no avail. he almost threw it away when he noticed that it was clinging to his arm, taking on its contours.

He grabbed it and ran to the living room where he left his hope to gather dust.

he wrapped his dream of happiness and it fit perfectly.

He stood admiring his handy work for a moment, then he grabbed the hope wrapped in the dream of happiness and left the apartment.

he reached the post office and sent it via land mail to a charity organization he watched advertising of on his mail junk box, they said they needed your discarded hopes for poor billionaires without any.

He felt good about himself and his charitable spirit.

Hopeless he felt light and went home with no worries.

How joyful, a baby boy is born.

He screamed "I don't like this, i want the black rest"

Entropy heard him and said "Not yet, you are the joy of your parents, you will live.

The baby grew and one day he fell hurting his head with a large wound.

He cried out "It hurts do much, make it stop, i want to close my eyes for ever."

Entropy was still around "Not yet, you are growing and you will discover the world, you will live."

He grew more and he tasted the bitterness of being left behind, the pain of loneliness amidst the crowd.

He mumbled between waking and sleep "I don't feel but pain, i wish i would die."

Entropy approached and said "You didn't yet experience love or the satisfaction of a doing a job well or earning the respect of others, you will live."

He reached the age of 16, his hormones were raging, his mind was confused and most of his efforts only garnered ridicule.

He sat in the darkness and scribbled on the walls "I hate my existence, i am less than a mote of dust, my life means nothing and my death will be the same, i just want to die."

Entropy descended from the rooftop where she was gazing at the stars "Life has yet a lot to give, you will know reason, fulfillment and will get your praise, you will live."

He grew into an adult, had a career and goals, but he was rejected and failed to find a companion to share his nights, over a glass of scotch he thought "Life is bitter when a man is alone, on most night i think only of dying."

Entropy drank the rest of his bottle and said "You will find your match, then you will know the joy of sharing everything, you will live."

He now has a wife, two kids and a cat, but he always had bitter discussions with his wife, and most of the time they turned into fights, he sat in his car and thought "If i just turn left, the car would turn over and i will die, this is not a life when all your time is spent fighting."

Entropy killed the radiator, causing him to stop the car and she said "You still have to enjoy releasing your kids as adults to the world, your fulfillment would be unmatched, you will live."

He saw his first grandchild, he felt the reality of life in her eyes, he held the baby and said "I have never expected that bliss comes in such tiny packages, i really want to live to see you an adult small one."

Entropy took off her mask and surgery gown and said "I just finished building your death, it comes for you this night, you had  full life, hope you treasured it."

I sat with her just like we do every day, and like every day we roasted our hopes on hot coals then we eat it for dinner to pass the night.

The last week she had a hope of salvation, sadly we started roasting that night too late, it was not totally cooked when we ate it. I thought it would have been excellent with white wine.

Today, I offered my hope for a better future, it was too small to feed us both, so I prepared a large bowel of salad to go with it.

she told me that she was afread of running out of hope, I hope this never happens.

We deliberated whether we can use other people's hopes, but we decided working as a prostitute or as a politician was not becoming.

Tomorrow she would cook a surprise hope, but I think I know what it is.

Tomorrow would be hope her for us to stay together.

She sips her wine leisurely while she lay on his lap; she looks up to his face and feels content.

He bends to kiss her forehead and she laughs. “Why do you laugh, it was a spontaneous romantic gesture.” He smiles down at her.

“You had this strained look, you’ve grown lazy mister.” She caresses his hand while talking.

“Who’s lazy? Is it me, carrying a head that must weigh a ton in a herculean feat, or you just lying there?” He laughs and pushes her away.

“Hey, you just messed up with my hair do; I must have spent at least five minutes to do it.” She pushes him pretending to be upset.

“Sorry your majesty, here, let me correct my fowl dead.” He reaches to her head to ruffle her hair more.

“You have signed your own death warrant, I declare pillow war.” She jumps to hide behind one of the chairs grabbing a pillow from it and throwing it at him.

They charge each other with pillows for a few seconds, then he tackles her to let crash on the sofa and bear hugs her, then he steals a kiss.

“Not fair, you are three times my size! I should be the one stealing kisses.” She squirms between his arms.

“Ok, fair enough, but don’t you think it is time to go check on your roast beef, I think I smell deliciousness wafting from the kitchen.” He releases her while talking.

“Gods, you are right, I will jump to kitchen to check on my gourmet meal. Be right back.” She harries to the kitchen.

She opens the door of the oven to check on her work. The roast looks and smells perfect.

She pulls it from the oven to the kitchen counter, takes two plates and calls for him.

“Lazy boy, come to earn your meal, help me to carry these plates to the dining table.”

He comes running; she admires his body and how lithe it is, and his features which remind her of a famous soap opera actor. But most of all, she loves his casual tenderness.

They both carry the roast, a bowel of fresh salad, two plates and eating utensils and settle at the dining table.

She has some nagging sensation at back of her mind, but she can’t just locate its source or fathom what it is.

“My love would you like to watch a movie after dinner?” he asks her while reaching out to caress her cheek.

“Sure, you have anything in mind?” she swallows hard, now the nagging is more urgent.

“A classic, Sleepless in Seattle.” He talks between mouthfuls.

“This is my all-time favorite, how did you know?” she giggles.

The nagging sensation increases, it is almost as if an alarm clock is vibrating in her head.

“I only aim to please you my love.” He smiles.

The doorbell rings.

“Who could this be at this hour?” she asks.

“I don’t know and I don’t care, just ignore it” he kisses her.

The doorbell rings again.

She stands up and reaches the door. The door was opened and they looked out. She was very surprised. He looked very worried. They went quickly to find out more. She slowly picked up the object and it all finally made sense. It was a small screen with the logo of DReamON and a message flashing "Test run ended".

She removes the headset.

“So, how was your test drive of DReamON ultimate virtual reality simulation?” the sales man asks her.

“Sorry, it was not what I expected.” She answers sadly and leaves.

-1-

General Terror Umar gazed upon his troops covering the hills and valleys surrounding the White City in amusement. They were monsters, killers and savages, and he knew it.

Yet, they were unstoppable, when one falls; he poisons the land where he fell. Where one will succumb, ten will rise. And they had the ability to turn their environment to their advantage.

They ate anything and bred like rabbits. His troops were unbeatable and he was proud of them.

His aid rushed to his lair, an unidentified roundish hell of rotting flesh of the dead and dying people of the plains, the general liked to call it home.

“The white City guards are receiving enforcement soon, the outer perimeter trenches are under vicious attack, new magic, new enemy” he looked at the general in attention.

“Rays or fog?” asked the general. “Fog my general, but it also destroyed the dying city of REN, the allies of the White city are getting desperate.”

The aid took a chunk of flesh from his satchel and started salivating and munching on it.

This was the real cause of the war, hunger. The tribes of T. Umar were ravenous beings, and they marched on, eating everything in sight; until nothing is left. And they never stood hungry for long.

“Send the weak, injured and crippled units to the fog front. This will slow it down, and pile their dead bodies behind the trenches to further slow the fogs advancement.” The general ordered while walking towards the wall of his lair and plucking a mound of flesh to munch on.

“I will dispatch the order immediately my general.”

Then the aid severs one of his fingers on the spot letting his blood run to the ground. The blood pooled and as if it were sentient, it bubbled and raced out of the lair in the direction of the outer perimeter.

The severed finger was then replaced in its place and attached itself back as if it was never cut.

“How goes our dormant cells? And our hidden infiltrators?” the general stopped munching on his squirming meal to ask.

“New report arrives within 80 cycles my general, yet the last report from our hidden infiltrator zeta has great promise for the problem of princess Anima. Should fruit within 600-1000 cycles at most.” The aid idly licked his finger between sentences.

“Good, we wait, and we will feed.” The general opened his mouth at an impossible angle and swallowed the mound of flesh whole.

-2-

Princess Anima paced in her chambers restlessly. Her hand maiden Ocultata watched her through down cast eyes.

Ocultata’s fingers twined and curled as she stood waiting for the princess to speak.

“But are you sure the war stops if I do it?” the distraught princess asked.

“Commander Prodito is about to take over the Umar tribes, and I believe he can end this war” answered Ocultata while her fingers untwined and her hands moved in a sinuous fashion through her attire.

“But, what about the White City guard, they would notice my absence.” Anima’s voice trembled.

“Not necessarily, one of the shifter Umar would replace you for the day you will be gone.” A tinge of hunger passed over the face of Ocultata for a moment then disappeared before Anima could notice. “

Anima knew she could not be harmed by the Umar, not directly. Death of her citizens on the other hand could end her; she would go to the great unknown if all defenses of the realm fell.

This is why she entertained the proposition of her maid. A quick journey to meet with Prodito, an aspiring usurper according to the information supplied by her maid, to receive a portion of her light would end the war.

She understood the ramifications; too much light taken from her would threaten the forces of the White City, as she weakens so would the forces.

Prodito would gain enough power to taken on T. Umar, but he could just use it to crack the walls of the White City.

The light, the gift that identifies and grants the force of rulership, it is her birth right and identity.

“I will go Ocultata; I need to end this war even if it means it weakens me for the rest of my existence.” Anima looked at her maid in the eyes.

“I will smuggle the shifter tonight your highness, I will make preparations for the journey right away.” As Ocultata turned, a smile crossed her face.

-3-

“How fair Hepar?” the leader of the white guards raised his head from the visor to address his second.

“The city of Hepar is on the brink, not from the barbarians, but rather collateral damage from the recent three ray enforcement from the Outside allies.” The second bent a little as he answered.

“And Cardium?” the leader stood up to look at his second.

“For the time being, alright”

“How many Phages survived the last assault?”

“Around a hundred thousand”

“We lost a lot my friend, we have to change strategy.”

“I agree, but what can we do?”

“You know what we can do friend, it is our last resort.”

“I don’t like that plan leader, not at all” the second was fully aware of the desperate plan the leader was talking about. The princess would gather all the forces and move on to Cerebra.

The High City of Cerebra had the strongest walls in the entire realm, they were impervious to attack.

It was desperate because it would dim the light of the princess over the rest of the realm. And it would force the people of Cerebra into seclusion.

They would have to shut the city to the rest of the realm. The High City of cerebra would lose its main function as the main communicator with the other realms.

This might mean the loss of the war or the realm. The Outside communicated through the High City of their enforcements. This meant either the enforcements would stop or be increased unhindered.

Either way, the realm would die.

-4-

“We have been walking for a long time Ocultata, and we are moving towards the center of the camps of the Umar” Terror seeped through the words of Anima.

“We are not far your highness, soon we will be there.” Hunger unhindered was tinging the voice of Ocultata.

Anima was feeling a change in Ocultata, and she was terrified of it. She no longer had a down cast demeanor on her, and she seemed to be growing bigger.

“I can see the lair of T. Umar up ahead, are you sure we are in the right direction?”

“Sure princess, this is where we will find Prodito”

Anima walked in silence. All around her the fires of the Umar were heating everything to an inferno.

Yet, Anima was shivering.

-5-

“Mom, my head hurts a lot” the small boy lying in his bed complained.

“Peter my love, Nurse Mary just gave you the injection; it takes some time to get the fever down.” His mother caressed his head and smiled wanly.

“I know mom, but it is different from any other time. I feel like my head is falling.”

“It will pass honey, it will pass” She leans down to kiss him.

-6-

“Welcome princess Anima, welcome to my humble abode.” General T. Umar beamed at Anima upon her entrance into his lair.

Anima turn to flee, to find the entrance sealed. “Calm down princess, I control my home by my mere presence in it. There is no way out.” The general sat down on a mound of quivering flesh.

“Ocultata, you miserable retch! You betrayed me.” Shouted Anima to her maid. “How could you betray our people, how could you!”

“I never betrayed your people princess” Ocultata seemed to change, she looks more like of the Umar than one of the people of the realm. “I am an Umar, always was, always will be”

“But you were with me since the beginning, how could you have been one of them?” Anima held her head in anguish, she felt as if her head is going to fall off her shoulders.

“I am a shifter, the shifter if I may for I am the mother of all the other shifters.” Ocultata answered in defiance.

General T and his aid Prodito watched in silence. Amusement crossed the face of the general, his triumph was at hand. Just one more push.

“Princess Anima, if you would be so kind and surrender some of your light, I would be obliged to let you go unharmed” General T. started at Anima.

“Never! I would never surrender my light to you” Anima cowered away from the general.

“You and I know you can’t be harmed directly, but your subjects can and would. Bring the prisoner”

The lair unsealed and two Umar grunts drag in a child, Anima recognized his features, he is a REN.

“Start with the legs, do it slowly” smiled the general to Anima.

-7-

A resounding scream rolled over the camp, never to be noticed or acknowledged.

Screams of the dying was an everyday duty to the Umar.

Most of it was caused by them.

Princess Anima cried “Stop, please kill him and stop this, this is too much”

“We prefer our food fresh princess; we only eat the dead not to waste.” The general emphasized his point by grabbing a chunk of the extremities of the boy and swallowing it.

-8-

Two men in white coats stand in front of a door marked by the number 14.

The older man holds a sheet of paper “Peter Richards, aged 7 suffering of ALA, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, we started chemotherapy for him 2 months ago. He was misdiagnosed by the family doctor, and his treatment was delayed around one year. His prognosis is not that good; he is your responsibility from now on. His mother rarely leaves him though, so you will have to council her as well.”

“Why a psychiatrist was not demanded from the start?” asked the younger man.

“The mother refused, you will have to deal with that as well.”

“Ok, I understand”

The younger man knocks on the door, after being invited in, he enters. “Hi Peter, Mrs. Richards, I am Doctor Yassin Adnan. I am a psychiatrist; I am here to help both of you.

“Sorry Doctor, I don’t believe much in psychiatrists, never trusted them” said Mrs. Richards.

“I will just do my best, and hope to change your mind about psychiatrists” smiled Yassin.

“Are you here to give me more injections?” Asked peter.

“Not at all, in fact, I am here to tell you a story”

“What kind of story?”

“The Story of Princess Anima and The white City”

“Anima! I know this word, my father taught me some Latin, it means soul!” peter started excitedly.

“Well, this soul is very special, and her city is magical. And it is all inside of your body”

“In my body? How come?”

“It sure is, they are so tiny. In fact the white city is made up of cells. Which is at war with General T. Umar, you know him simply as ALA. It is what makes you sick.”

“His name sounds like tumor, is this right?”

“Sure is, and I am here to tell you the story, so that you can help princess Anima”

“I can help her?”

“Yes of course, if you think of her and keep fighting, her light grows strong and finishes the forces of Tumor.”

“Light, what light?”

“Princess Anima has light that can destroy the ALA, all you need to do is be strong, have happy thoughts, and send them to her”

“How do I send them to her?”

“Just think of sending your strength, thoughts, and happy memories to her. She will fight for you then.”

“And the leukemia will go away?”

“I believe that you can do this, you can make the leukemia go away”

-9-

The music wafted through the plains, and for once, since months ago, there was sun shining over the valley.

Even though the plains were devastated, child laughter could be heard in the distance.

Anima was chained in the lair of the General. Yet she felt the music, heard the laughter and felt the warmth of the sun.

For days this was what kept her from succumbing to the horrors exacted by the General.

Then, came the voice. “I can do this, I can win this war. Princess Anima, I need you to heal me. I need your light.” The voice was but a whisper, yet she heard it as if shouted by giants.

She felt it in her core. And with it she felt another thing that left the plains, she felt hope. She felt the light growing inside of her.

She felt her chains chaffing her hands, but she knew, she will not be chained for long.

From the lair came a low moan, and light was breaking through.

One day, fluffy the bunny went out to play.

“Playing needs a license; you should know better.”

So, one day, Fluffy the bunny went out.

“I’m not sure I can allow this; I mean, where is his permit to go out?”

To start again, one day Fluffy the bunny stood in his hole underground.

But he will not stay underground forever.

And he will not stay a fluffy bunny forever.

One day he will rise to be a wrathful lion.

North

Ashgan stood totally still; she was one with the river, one with rocks that scattered in the river bed.

Water flowed all around her, she moved her right hand slowly as if caressing a secret lover, then she twisted her arm slowly and the river slowed down.

She moved her left hand even slower still, her arm twisted and the world changed.

Time stood still, she stood up slowly and stepped on top of the now hard surface of the river.

She took 7 steps, and time started rushing back knocking her out of the river and into the bank violently.

“You moved your left foot in concordance with the stream, you are not focusing Ashgan” screamed the older woman sitting on a cushion of ferns by the far bank “I'm starting to doubt that you will ever be capable of Using time streams any efficiently ever” she shook her head in disdain.

“But, Mistress Lida; I did not move my foot in the direction of the stream. You, pushed time at me” stood the indignant Ashgan facing her mentor while nursing the bruises on her back and thighs.

“You are a rebellious child, I think you are the worst student I ever took.” shouted Lida back, yet secretly she was admiring the determination and the growing sense of time weaves her student is developing.

Of course, Ashgan didn't make a wrong move and yes she did push time at her.

It was all part of the tradition of the honorable Guild of Users.

You can't be a real user unless you can counter pushed time.

To the outsiders, the Guild is just another of the magical and mythical guilds that provides services for wealthy (for a hefty sum of gold).

A wealthy farmer would like to ripen his crops earlier, or prolong the rain some days.

Or a playful lord to prolong his “playfulness”.

But, mostly it was ladies, buying youth time to prolong the beauty some more years.

In reality, the Guild was one of the Dark Bay Guilds. The Dark Bay Guilds were formed 10 centuries ago to face the threat of the rising of the Dark in the West and the fall of the old civilization of mankind to the onslaught of the Dark forces' growing army of Darklings. Hence, the name Dark Bay, because they were created to keep the dark at bay. After the grand priest Amous shown the world the prophecies of the mad monk Theovar, the need for these guilds was immense and unavoidable.

She remembered when she was picked from her village to join the guild, great honour and all glory it was.

She realized the truth after her initiation into an adapt, this is when she was allowed to read the Incomplete Codex; which in reality was only 4 pages from the original Prophecies.

She was extremely terrified and she worked hard and long to achieve the rank of master, just to be able to protect her loved ones.

This was one hundred and some years ago, the curse of the longevity and youthfulness comes with the trade of using and storing and archiving time, making her purpose nonsensical only using is left.

Ashgan disappeared, she flicked her fingers and was in extended time.

Amazing, thought Lida.

Her student was a few paces away she started to move her arm to push time at her student again when she noticed the black shape flying above.

A Shade.

Only Shades can move freely in extended time.

She ran forward shouting to her student and wove her hands as if washing them and a ripple ran through reality.

Ashgan stood in mid stride, the shade looked as if it was in stop motion.

Lida rushed towards them, flicked her arm as if saluting and a flash moved upwards from her hand towards the shade.

Sparks cascaded over the shade, which looked like it was losing substance.

Amid the rolling vapour that was the shade stood a short grim looking man, he started moving faster yet far slower than her and he suddenly had a sword of cranias in his hand. Lida swore under her breath, she stood almost as if embracing her student.

She wove her hands as if knitting and a bubble started to form around her and her student.

The dark shade rider snarled, then rushed towards them.

Lida wove her hand again and bubble transformed into a shield. By the time the cranias sword was hitting the shield, Lida was waving both arms.

The sword and its bearer suddenly were sucked into the shield.

She threw her assailant 50 years into the future and fainted.

Ashgan was pushed out of time and felt that her head was buzzing. She looked at the body of her mistress who laid still next to her in puzzlement.

Then she noticed the black mark that looked like an imprinted hand that covered her mistress arm, and screamed.

South

Radhy was moving as if carrying the weight of the world, slowly, shuffling his feet with hanging arms.

He hated doing errands for his mother, it was humiliating.

It was two days to his naming day; he would finally reach the age of manhood.

He moved long the tortuous alleys, sand always pushing in his sandals and the constant scorching sun casting long shadows to his strides.

Two hot, long, and boring days.

Then, he would join the Guild of Traveling merchants, and see the world.

He would travel beyond the deserts of Kasah, his nation’s home.

He wanted to be of renown like Imam Abou Khatwa his hero, who was a peddler who went further than any other human.

The man who went past the Sahara, crossed the great Sea of Turmoil, and even went to the fortress of the Guardians far in the West, he even ventured into the Dark lands past the fortress.

His mother mocked him and told him that his hero is just a children's tale spawn by the Guild of peddlers, who had no life or income, to enrich their vaults using tuition gold payed by foolish dreamers who wanted to follow the steps of Abou Khatwa.

He, on the other hand knew that she is saying this to keep him from fulfilling his dream, she wanted him to join the Guild of Glass-makers like his late father.

His father died because his Cranias furnace lost essence and exploded in his face.

Another reason for why to join the Guild of Peddlers is to face the makers of Cranias in the North and punish the idiot who made his father's furnace.

Now he had to go to Rakheem the herbalist to buy rodent repellent herbs, his mother constant complains of a rodent problem in her grain store.

He shuffled his legs forward muttering curses under his breath.

Arriving in the thriving ever crowded Zohour plaza, where all the florists, herbalists and apothecaries held shop.

He stood in a cacophony of color, smells and deafening noise of the ongoing bartering and selling,

He noticed weird commotion, a larger mass of the crowd, only standing still not

waving their arms and shouting at lungs end in the ancient proud process of “Trading”. The crowd was gathered towards the south end of the huge plaza.

He went towards the commotion, as only curiosity would lead a boy, fast.

A man in strange robes with disheveled hair stood on a wooden box holding a gnarled staff and shouted at the crowds waving his arms in erratic movements.

“And, Lo and Behold, the prince of night shall ride his green stead upon thy lands. He weaves the air to blister the skin of the infidels, he looks upon the land and fire burns your crops. He sets the false prophets and their false tomes to fire, he saunders the land he visits, he will bring doom to the worshipers of the false Light God.” He shouted in a deep voice “Thus, spoke the mad monk Theovar declaring the end of Light and the rein of Darkness. But, the Prophecies of Zonn tells of a savior, the one born of no man and a master of power. He, shall come forward at the hour of our dire need, he will break the world not to fall under the dark. Seven shall follow him, and seven will oppose. He shall rule the fourteen nations and unite them. He shall face the prince of dark and on the last dying sun, and he will conquer the dark hordes. From his eyes the new sun shall be born, his blood shall be water to parched earth, his liver will bring new life upon your scorched earth and the light will prevail.”

Radhy shook his head as if coming out of a trance, another omen of doom and harbinger of death. The fifth, just this month in the city of Karkara. He moved slowly towards the shop of Rakheem.

Suddenly the earth erupted in fire, Radhy jumped back. Something came out of the earth and leaped past him, he felt as if a thousand furnaces exploded at his side and he fell in pain.

Through the haze of pain he saw the Shoukrat, a creature from the horror tales often told by his grandmother to keep her grandchildren from mischief, charge towards the old man, who turned around in a violent manner and stroke his staff on the ground for water to rise from where it stroke and arise as a wall facing the enemy.

The robes fell, so as the years that the older man carried, his face changed and his hair looked like a hollow of light.

It was Harod the immortal, Radhy couldn't believe his eyes, and Harod started twirling his staff faster than the eye could see.

The wall of water engulfed the enemy and started to darken then Harod pointed his staff to touch the ball of water and a strange flash passed through it to the water. Radhy, screamed, he felt as if the flash went out of his body as well. Harod turned, looked at Radhy, then the water became a ball of light and exploded into a million sparks. “Child, you have the gift of light casting, come to my home in the wilderness, follow the light flies” Harod knelt over him, spoke these words and disappeared. Radhy fainted from his pains.

He smiled in comfortable silence while he watched his four years old son playing with his peers.

His wife sat to a side with two other mothers; all packing bags with the usual necessities for small children.

He turned his head slowly, surveying the perimeter of the children's playground.

His senses from long hours working as a policeman were matching those of a guarding dog’s.

He might look human to the unsuspecting eyes; but the terrors he learned to accept on daily basis dropped him down the primal food chain.

He is rough, prone to violence and always sleeps with half open eyes.

His child jumped around him happily demanding his attention.

He carried his child and stood laughing.

Just for a moment, he loses his roughness and regains a minuscule bit of humanity ; he hugs his child and turns in circles to let the child fly in the air.

The child squeals as only those possessed of total innocence can do.

While turning around, he saw him; a man standing silently at the far corner of the playground.

The senses of the guarding dogs took precedence over his humane moment.

This man doesn’t belong in the picture.

He registered him as a snapping wolf watching the playful sheep.

He started to lower down his protesting child, and he noticed what the wolf is pulling from his pocket; a cylinder that he knows all too well, pointing towards his child.

He turned to face his wife with a silent scream in his eyes.

He drops his child down, turning to cover the child’s body by his own, his back now is facing the pouncing wolf.

He moved, but his feet were nothing more than discarded old tools.

The first bullet hits his thigh.

He knelt down on his child.

The second bullet hits his back in the middle.

He looks at face of his child with the same smile that comes to him whenever he sees him smiling.

Far away screams that should pull his attention just fade to silence.

He falls.

A moment in time to memorize the smile of his child before the light dies in his eyes.