The moons shadow }} Dylan

Mark Antony




My eyes open, not to a sound, peace, silence. Two things I enjoy much of. Five a.m. as usual. Luck me last night I feel asleep and dreamed about many things. Family mostly... family, most important thing to me. Still in bed, contemplating weather or not to get out of bed today, at five, like I do, every day. A deep sigh escapes my lips. I throw back the blanket, exposing my naked body. Simultaneously sliding outta bed, grabbing my shirt and a pair of jeans. One after the other the clothing comes on. Socks. Shoes.


Walking out of my room, the silence in the house stands. I go from room to room, re tucking in my siblings. I always do Flavias room last, because she is always awake when I am. "Flavi-" I cut myself off as to see shes asleep. Odd, never once has this happened in 3 years. Even as a baby she would be wide eyed and ready for me to rock her to sleep. This came off as a sign that today will be a bad day. Or it could be a good day. But it made me uneasy, maybe staying home with my family would be good for the day. No, I need my morning walk.

Walking back out Flavias door she mutters in her sleep the same thing I say to her before, "Te amo parvulum" roughly translating to: I love you little one. How odd is it that when I am in her room she would repeat these words. Even when she is asleep. I step out of her room and close the door. Turning around to face my mother standing crossed armed behind me, first sight of her I jump. I calm myself and tilt my head. " Mother?" No answer just a woman standing there. Staring into nothingness it would seem. I step away from her. My mother is a dangerous person. I know this. She is psychotic. When I was younger she once tried to burn me with a heated pan. Before I leave I make sure all the kids doors are locked from the inside. Then I walk out the door.

Its very cold. I don't like cold. It brings wind, and interrupts the silence of the world in the morning. Following my usual rout, walking down an ally, through the square, then down one more street to the fence. Once at the fence, I walk along it for a few hours. That is my route. I plan to stick to it today. As I enter the ally way I notice on my left, an old man passed out drunk against the wall. Thinking nothing of it, I push on.

The next thing I feel in a cold arm around my neck. I cant breath! The old man is choking me. Loosing time to get air to my lungs I throw my weight into it and slam his back against the wall, on impact he loosens his grip and I take my one chance at getting out. I grab the arm wrapped around my neck and pull away from my body, leaving a big enough gap for me to slip my head out. I turn and face the man. Almost instantly I drop my dagger outta my shirt sleeve and with a swift motion my arm swiping from left to right leaving a bloody gap in his neck. The man stands stunned holding his neck as blood pours out and he falls to the ground with a few bloody gurgles and dies.

"If you wanted some money all you had to do was ask," I say aloud, dropping a dollar bill on his lifeless chest. Turning as if this phased me none I push forward on my walk. But this conflict costed me a few seconds of my life that I was not willing to waste. Instead of walking through the square today I turn down another road that will lead me to the fence a few seconds quicker. I know. I have counted both ways at least ten time. Usually no one is out and about at this hour, but one I see a bare foot girl with baggy eyes walking down the street. As I pass her I say, " There's this thing called sleep, you could use it." I say as I walk past her.