Two mail-covered figures sweep about each other, their heavy steps drumming an evil cadence in the flickering light. Whorls of dust eddy in little clouds around them as their gilt swords crash together in a torrent of orange sparks. Honor is forgotten; there is no honor in dealing death.
A
dove mourns softly from the rafters above.
...Row-row-row your boat, gently down the stream...
The red man in the little canoe dipped his oar into the water, drawing himself forward with smooth motions. The chuckling of the water all around him made him feel relaxed, at peace. Why fear your own destiny?
He dodged a stone that peaked in the middle of the stream, and resumed his course without even noticing.
He smiled to himself, then let out a laugh as his little bark swept over the edge. He soared like an eagle for a moment.
"A..a..are you su..sure this is gonna work, Bobby?" The little boy in the big red shoes queried. The cloud of pretty colored balloons tugged against his little arm, and he bit his lip.
"Of course. You're going to be fine. No crying, now. If you cry, I'll tell mom what you did."
Bobby gave a tug, and the slipknot unwound. The big red shoes left the ground, and went up, up, up. The firm tug of the shiny nylon strings didn't feel so bad anymore... and all the things on the ground looked so tiny! Wow!
A balloon popped.