There once was a man. A beautiful man. He smiled at the earth. He laughed at the clouds and talked to the river. He had a dream. A beautiful dream. The dream made him sweat and shake with it's power.
Suddenly, he shot up from the ground with an unsteady lean. The sky was a clear blue and the river slow and sandy. He could smell the nearby fire. He could taste the grit of the dirt being blown into his mouth. He could still see the edges of his dream and it brought him to his knees.
She was still except for the slow, red bubbles popping near her mouth. Her hair was gone, but for a small patch hanging by a tiny cord of skin. Her hand buried under the soft, worn fur blanket. The blanket swaddling hope and tomorrow. The fire licking her feet concerned her not.
The man saw it all fade away. His dream was over. He closed his eyes and wept.
