walls came tumbling down {torrent}

Silent tears rolled down the side of his face as the young Aldalómë stares at the green grass dying outside his room. Papa sent him away, telling him he was too busy to share a story. But the young boy took a deep breath pushing his emotions away while watching birds fly through the sky without a worry in the world. Parents were supposed to love their children, to make sure their needs were taken care of, however, papa was always too busy. A soft sigh left his chest as he wiped the tears away - If papa won't read me a story, I'll make my own.

Crane believed in fairytales, and every story wasn't fictional in his eyes. Somewhere throughout the darkness of the world existed the creatures he read about. Fairies, werewolves, witches, wizards, goblins, everything his imagination believed - only those who gathered and collected the stories understood how close the fairtytale creatures were.

They wasn't just characters someone came up with several years ago, and if anyone told the twelve year old otherwise, he'd throw a fit in efforts to prove them wrong. But today that wasn't his goal. All Crane wanted was a chance to spend time with his father. A chance to make memories before it was too late, yet papa had other plans.

A soft grin twisted across his face as he stood from his bed placing his worn out shoes upon his feet - mama suggested buying new ones, but Crane objected stating they were fine. He's witnessed many people wandering through the districts without any shoes, and just having a pair to wear was enough for him. Throwing a white tshirt on, the tiny boy left his room leaving the door wide open. Floorboards creaked beneath the weight of his fragile body. so much for sneaking.

"Crane, where are you going?"

Mama's voice echoed through his mind, and he wanted nothing more than to lie just to get her off his back. But he couldn't lie. His light brown eyes met the floor, and his cheeks burned red. "Papa busy. Like always." The twelve year old shrugged. "I'm gonna meet a friend." His gaze skipped from the floor until he was staring at the face of his beautiful mother. "I'll be back before sunset. Promise." He offered a toothy grin hoping she'd approve because he hadn't planned on running into her anyway.

"Before sunset. No later."

He shrieked with joy before embracing his mother in a huge hug. Quickly pulling away, he sprinted out the door. Dead grass crunched beneath his feet. The sun swayed high in the sky. Barely any shade was offered - only through the bare branches on the dying trees. But none of that mattered to him.

Spreading his arms, he flapped his wings matching the movements of the birds overhead. Joyful bursts of laughter erupt past his lips. Even through the crowded streets of the district square, he found himself enjoying a life that he had been given. Constant chatter roars through his ears. Freedom danced across his body as a genuine smile spread across his face. Turning a corner -

Crash.

His body connected with something in front of him before sending him flying backwards landing against the ground sprawled eagle. The walls surrounding him came tumbling down, and every ounce of air inside him left his lungs. Crane willed himself to breathe, but it was almost impossible until air slowly crawled inside.

The once genuine smile faded away. Blood pooled in his cheeks, and his heart clawed at his ribs trying to escape as he forced himself to gaze upon the person he crashed into -

"Sorry." He muttered before turning away, and his joyful day quickly turned upside down.