(students arguing with the religious group on the Great Lawn)

         On Friday, April 13^th SUNY Purchase received a rude and unwelcome wake-up call.  On the day of Purchase’s beloved Zombie Prom, one of the campus’s biggest events of the school year, a group of religious zealots set up outside of the Student Services building and began to preach their love of the Lord.  Things took a turn for the worse when they told the students who had stopped to listen that they were wicked sinners and fornicators, and needed to be saved immediately.

          The scene quickly devolved into complete chaos as a crowd of increasingly infuriated students gathered around the three men on the Great Lawn.  The three men were Christians on a mission; they had come to save the student body from the temptation of sin and they weren’t leaving until they’d gotten their message across.

           They preached about the dangers of lying, stealing, partying, sex, and every true religious bigot’s favorite topic: homosexuality.

           One student, Alex Lalonde, a sophomore majoring in political science, furiously shouted at one of the men that his sexuality “was none of [their] fucking business!” while another student, sophomore creative writing major Alyssa Hanna, engaged in a scripture battle with another man.  When he realized he wasn’t going to convince her, he shouted at her that she wasn’t a “true Christian”.

           “I got so mad when he said that to me.”  Alyssa said later “I love being a Christian; it’s a part of my life.  It’s not something people should be using to preach hate, that’s not cool.  At all.”

            The holy trio, which consisted of Robert Parker, 46, Shaun Holes, 50, and Mike (who declined to give his last name and age), were inside of a police barricade, while a university police (UPD) officer stood watch.  The students gathered around them and tried to reason with the men.  The action continued to grow in intensity as students walking to and from various places on campus stopped to listen before trying to make their own voices heard.

            “I actually couldn’t believe that they had shown up here.”  Said junior Yazmin Skinner “I really just wanted to grab a girl and make-out in front of them to piss them off.  I just really didn’t get why they would come here of all places.”

            That was the general consensus for most of the students that encountered the group.  People couldn’t fathom what brought them to SUNY Purchase, where intolerance of any sort is often given a quick smack-down.  One student intended to do just that, standing an impressive 6 feet 5 inches, Brandon Burnett, a senior liberal studies major with a booming voice shouted at them, “I’m a Christian! You guys are sick!  You need to go to church and pray for yourselves!”

            The trio was surprised by the campus’s reaction.  After travelling through the SUNY system, they claimed that people hadn’t really paid them much attention.  They were also surprised by the large queer community on campus. “We weren’t aware that the college had such a large gay community.” Parker said as he tried to respond to the barrage of questions and insults being hurled at him. “We heard the college was liberal, but then again all colleges are liberal.”

            A conversation with the man who gave them the permit to be on the campus legitimately, Ernie Palmieri, the Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, revealed a different story, “One of the first things they said to me when they asked for access to the campus was, ‘We hope you’ll give us access, because we’ll sue if you don’t.”  He laughed at the memory. “I had to give them access because the campus is a state institution and public property.”

            Palmieri’s statement was more in line with one of several rumors that had been generated about the group.  Several students had heard from a friend of a friend that the trio visited countless colleges inciting enough of a rage in the student body until somebody attacked them.

            Having received a warning from the other SUNY schools that the men were on their way, and fully aware of what kind reaction the group’s presence could evoke from the student body, Palmieri took certain precautions to keep the drama from getting too out of hand.  “At first they wanted to be out in front of the library, but I told them no and put them in front of Student Services on the Great Lawn.  At first I wanted to put them near the Gym!”  His reasoning behind the decision was that they would still be visible, but they wouldn’t be quite as much of an intrusion to people trying to get around campus.

            While the reaction the group received said a great deal about Purchase’s stance on intolerance it also proved to be a great learning experience for the student body.  One student, a sophomore who simply identified himself as Nico said, “This is great!  It’s like a microcosm of the conflicts in the world.”  Palmieri agreed, “It was an interesting dynamic, definitely a teachable moment.”

By Hashim Wright

                I walked into Professor Kincaid’s class for the first time of the semester.  I was roughly five minutes late and everyone was already sitting down, waiting for the class to start.  I looked around and saw three familiar faces, my friends Louisa and Astrid, and a boy I’d done a psychology experiment with, Bill.  I snatched out my earphones and tossed them around my neck, letting them drape casually around my shoulder while I tried to locate a seat without making a scene.  Unfortunately my accident prone behavior caused me to knock over one girl’s books, and in the process of helping her pick them up, I knocked a boys keys off his desk.  I apologized profusely to both of them while trying to make my way to an empty seat in the middle of the room, without further incident.

                When I looked over at Bill he was snickering, and I pretended not to notice, while Louisa gave me a warm smile.  Her dark hair fell over her shoulders in rolling waves; she lifted one tan hand to tuck a stray strand behind her ear.  Her dark brown eyes were smiling too, but they instantly became serious as she looked behind me.  I turned to face the front of the room and in walked the professor.

                He was a man of average height, with wispy white hair that had probably been thicker in his youth, but had thinned a bit with age.  He had watery blue eyes, which looked as if they were looking through everything.  His gaze wasn’t necessarily unnerving, but it did put one slightly on edge.  He pulled one wrinkled hand out of his pocket and took his glasses from his breast pocket and put them on.  I noticed an ornate gold ring on his forefinger, it looked heavy, but it didn’t faze him if it was.  He peered out at all of us and I looked at him nervously.  From what I’d heard he was one of the most no-nonsense professors at the school, and nonsense was my specialty.  I swallowed as he set down a stack of papers that he’d been carrying and he lifted the first one up.

                He started calling roll, and I had a momentary insane panic that I’d somehow screw up saying my own name.  While I practiced saying my name in a way that wouldn’t classify me as an idiot, a kiss-ass, or a dork, Professor Kincaid called out in his clear, deep voice: “Rowan James.”

                I watched as a young man entered the room, his face was finely chiseled, with just the hint of a reddish gold beard growing in, and his eyes were a pale shade of green.  His auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail; several strands, however, fell in front of his face casually.  “I’m here.”  He said as he walked in.  Nobody else seemed to be aware of him as he entered the room.  He walked through the desks to the only available seat left, the one directly in front of me.  He looked down at me as he pulled his coat off, and I was conscious of his presence in a way that was foreign to me.  He smirked slightly and sat down.  When he wasn’t facing me anymore, I became aware of my mouth hanging slightly open.  I closed it quickly and turned my attention back to the professor, who then called my name.

                “Dylan Williams?”  I stumbled out a response, losing all my hard work to sound relatively coherent in the process.  As the professor then turned his attention to handing out the syllabus, I heard a chuckle come from Rowan’s direction.  He turned to hand me the stack of papers for our row, and I watched as his pale arm, covered in light gingery hairs, extended towards me.  I took the papers, whispering ‘thanks’ without looking him in the face. 

              I took one, set it on my desk carefully, and handed the papers back to Louisa.  When I turned back to face the professor, Rowan was facing me.  He smiled mischievously, and handed me another paper.

             “I accidentally took an extra.”  He said just as a boy in the back raised his hand, asking for a copy.  I passed the paper back without taking my eyes off of Rowan, as he turned away from me; I noticed that he had blondish highlights throughout his hair.

             We started going through the syllabus and I couldn’t tear my mind away from Rowan.  Every time I thought that I’d finally found my focus, I’d inexplicably find myself back to thinking about him.  Something about him seemed so utterly familiar and foreign all at once.

*Author’s note: This is just recently started and it’s been kicking around in my head all day.  More to come, maybe?

                When Paige Etheridge walks into the room, everything about her is warm and inviting; one can’t help but feel comfortable in her presence.  She’s young; she’s got curly brown hair that falls at her shoulders, and warm brown eyes that light up when she laughs.  One of many things that set Paige apart from the average girl, however, is her innately intuitive personality, which has manifested itself in the form of tarot card reading.

                Receiving a reading from Paige is a shock in and of itself; it’s like watching your entire life being put on display in front of you objectively.  She sits in front of you, the cards spread out between you both, and there’s not a hint of eye contact from her. 

               Her reasoning is that she doesn’t want your facial expressions to give any information away.  That’s not the only way she keeps from finding out any information from you, you’re not allowed to talk either; if she asks you a yes or no question that’s the only time you’re allowed to speak.

               She keeps her attention on the cards and through them she can find out almost anything about her clients, such as their zodiac sign, family, relationship issues, and even where their interests lie without the slightest amount of input from them.  It’s an amazing, gasp inducing experience.

              So what made this young woman, who is a senior creative writing major at Purchase, want to do this?  Her own life experiences.

                Paige like everyone else has experienced her highs and lows in life, and it’s out of the latter that her talent for tarot card reading sprang forth.  At the age of sixteen Paige went through a bad breakup and was experiencing some difficulty at home, it was during this time that she met a girl from Israel who showed her a way to deal with her problems constructively “She introduced me to Oracle Card reading,” Paige explains as she tucks loose curls behind her ears.  “Which is different than Tarot, there are fewer cards and it’s basically more like life advice and stuff.  And I started doing that for myself and noticed that it was really helping me resolve a lot of the issues that I had.”

                When asked how that lead to her reading tarot cards and doing readings for other people, Paige says that was never her intention; she had planned to keep it as something just for herself.  However, after doing a surprisingly accurate reading for her mom’s friend, it snowballed and Paige found herself receiving instruction in tarot card reading from another family friend.

                Doing tarot card readings come with its own ups and downs though, the ups usually consisting of satisfied clients and accurate readings, the downs being the opposite. 

               Paige has learned to deal with the less positive reactions to her readings and as she explains she claps her hands together and shrugs. “That is something that I do deal with, I’ve had to find ways to be blunt with people or tell people things in a really gentle way.”  She trails off for a moment debating whether or not to add on the anecdote of having to confront a woman with being unfaithful “When I was first starting out,” She says. “There was this woman who I thought was having an affair, but I didn’t want to come out and say it because I was scared.  But it all panned out and she actually came to me because she had questions about it.”

                Despite those ups and downs it hasn’t stopped Paige from being incredibly in demand at the Wellness Center.  When the conversation turns to the subject of her newfound fame Paige laughs heartily and her curly hair cascades in front of her face “It feels good.  I mean, I’ve quieted things down, because I’m a senior and I’m moving into the next phase of my life, but it’s intense.  I wasn’t entirely surprised but at the same time finding out so many people wanted appointments was like WHAT?!?  How did this happen???  Even some of the counselors were shocked.”

                While Paige has found a level of success with her readings at the Wellness Center, Paige is definitely preparing to move on.  She intends to continue writing, stating it as being a vitally important part of who she is, but she plans to create a business with tarot card readings.  She’s been in contact with several established readers who can help her get set up.

                So what does that mean for Purchase students who will miss this fascinating young woman?  There is no reason to fret; the tarot card reading isn’t going anywhere soon.  Two freshmen, Danielle DeMaio and Max Mauro, are already vying for her job “[Paige] told us she was a senior and she was graduating, and we were like ‘Oh! We can talk to them about replacing you.’” The pair of them laugh at the memory “But she understood what we were saying and she was like ‘Yeah, you should definitely talk to the directors at Wellness.”

By Hashim Wright

Photo Courtesy of GettyImages

                “Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.”  Lena recited the poem again for the third time.  “From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.”  She hugged herself tightly around the knees and rested her head atop them.  “But if it had to perish twice,” She said the words quietly, a small choked sob interrupted her and tears fell freely from her eyes, leaving watery streaks on the bridge of her nose. “I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction-” She didn’t finish as she was yanked up from the grass roughly by her brother Corey.

                “Lena stop it!” He yelled at her, the frustration showing on his face.“You’ve got to stop!”He said it angrily, but without conviction and Lena could hear it in his voice.She looked over the hilltop down into the nearly barren city streets.There were a few people scurrying about here and there, mice-like in their urgency, but it was mostly deserted.She watched a trash bag get blown away by the wind and she turned to face her brother.

               “Or what?!” She shouted back at him, equally furious.“It’s over!We’ve got literally two hours left!What I do here and now isn’t going to change that!If you don’t like what I’m doing, then go!”She said and sat back down on the grassy hill.They stayed like that, each of them glaring silently out over the city.Finally after several tensely silent minutes Corey relented.

               “I’m sorry.”He said it quietly, almost whispering it.Lena didn’t shift, she kept her gaze locked.“I’m terrified, and there’s nothing I can do.I’m shitting bricks over here and you’re sitting there reciting that fucking poem.It’s scaring me even more.”He said it and he sat down next to her on the grass, he hunched over and hugged his knees, resting his chin on top of them, and he started to cry.He looked out as the tears slid down his cheeks and didn’t say anything more.Lena looked at him for a minute, absorbing his image in her mind before she wouldn’t have a mind left.She watched how his soft but strong arms were pulled taut around his knees, his dark brown skin glistened with a light sheen of sweat in the setting sunlight.He buried his face in between his knees and his body shuddered as he sobbed.

              “I’m sorry…” She whispered as she placed her small hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles into his shoulders.She tucked a loose dread back into her bun and she wrapped her arms around her brother.His shuddering subsided and he looked up at her.

              “What are we going to do?”He asked her quietly.

              “There’s nothing we can do, except wait.” She said.  She knew it wasn’t the answer he wanted but it was the only one she could give, she couldn’t lie anymore, pretend the inevitable wasn’t inevitable, she needed to be honest with him and herself.“When it happens at least we won’t be alone.”She tried to say it reassuringly but it came across more desperate for hope than anything.She sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder she looked back out at the street and she began to recite another poem. “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers- That perches in the soul-”She said the words in a soothing rhythm, and Corey listened to her intently, letting her words flow through the air into him, filling him with a sense of calm and acceptance.“And sings the tune without the words – and never stops – at all…”Her voice began to trail off as Corey, thoroughly worn, started to lose consciousness and slowly drifted to sleep.

                Lena saw it in the distance; she was preparing to start a new poem, having recited everyone in her arsenal except for the last one, and she saw it slowly fall from the sky, a shining white star-like light in the distance.She shook Corey awake quickly and he roused with a jolt.She pointed out towards a far point in the skyline and he saw it too.They both watched as it slowly descended to the ground, behind the buildings, both of them held their breath for a moment and then they saw it before they heard it.It was like a giant ripple that blasted forth from the area where the light had fallen and then the blast rushed forth like the backlash from an explosion.Corey and Lena gripped one another’s hands tightly as they watched the ripple spread across the city.Lena began to speed through her last poem as her eyes widened and the ripple destroyed everything in its path, flames licking out from behind it.“Open thy gates – To him who weeping waits,” She sped through the words as the blast began moving up the hill toward them “And might come in, but that held back by sin.Let mercy be, so kind, to set me free,” She could feel the heat from the fire as it closed in on them “And I will straight – Come in, or force the gate.” The blast encased them both as she said the final word of her final poem.

                They felt it tear through them ripping them apart, their screams were drowned out by the thunderous boom that accompanied the blast and as the flames engulfed them, their collective grip slackened and their fingers untwined in a final goodbye.

© Hashim Wright 2012, All Rights Reserved

All poems/excerpts are the respective works of Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Herrick

(Alice, played by Danielle Izzo, being tormented by The Chesire Cat, played by Sam Kellman)

            With every retelling of a fairytale certain facets of the story are kept in check, while others are let go.  In the case of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the re-telling has been endless, the most famous version being Walt Disney’s in 1951; but Purchase College is about to get it’s very own re-telling and it’s exploring vastly important issues that the global society is struggling to deal with.

            Alice Unraveled, an original musical written by Purchase College Senior, Kelly Izzo, explores the aftermath of a young woman’s tragic experience with being sexually assaulted.  When asked about the subject matter Kelly explains that the story is based off of a real life event; “One of my very best friends,” she says. “was sexually assaulted in high school, and it sent her into a depression.  She had so much trouble dealing with it, and people sort of rejected her, and no one really believed her.”

            The Alice in Wonderland metaphor is used to not only give a visual actuality to the main character’s downward spiral, but it also highlights the affects that result from a very prominent victim-blaming culture.  “I wrote Alice Unraveled,” she explains. “taking that experience that way too many people go through, and used the metaphors of Alice in Wonderland to explore that kind of post-traumatic stress nightmare.”

           The subject matter of the musical itself is enough to raise eyebrows, especially in a culture where events like Slut-Walk and campaigns like Men Can Stop Rape exist to take the weight of responsibility off of victims and place it on attackers instead, but the real eye-opening exploration happens when Alice and the audience are forced to explore the grey areas of sexual assault; “That’s really what my show is about,” Kelly says somberly. “That tangled mess inside your head; where you’re going back and forth between ‘it’s my fault’ and ‘it’s not my fault.’ And in the play she’s attracted to her assailant and that happens all the time.”

          While the rape may be the inciting incident of the show, it also goes deeper to explore issues of fitting in, self-worth, standing up for oneself, and overcoming adversity, universal themes that drew the attention of Alice’s choreographer, second year theater and performance major, Arden Winant;  “I think it’s shining a light on how confusing and life altering these experiences can be and I really want people to take away a feeling of hope at the end of it, because it does end on a positive note.” she says brightly.

            Alice Unraveled while illuminating issues that need more discussion isn’t just delivering a discourse to Purchase College, it’s also highlighting something else entirely, the talent and tenacity that Purchase students all have.  Kelly finished creating Alice last year and it began with the title song, Alice Unraveled, which is also Kelly’s favorite.  “It was the starting point for me, and I think it speaks so clearly and truly without saying anything directly.  It just sets off the right tone and I think people understand it innately.” she muses.

           For an original musical to get produced on a Purchase stage obviously implies certain limitations and setbacks but the students involved with the project have persevered.  They’ve raised roughly $2,000 and they’re going to be holding a benefit concert to raise even more money this Friday night.  When asked whether her vision for the show and what’s going up are in sync, Kelly says she’s trying to take more of a backseat role and watch things unfold, “This is the second time we’ve done it, and it’s really interesting getting someone else’s fresh interpretation of it.” she says enthusiastically. “As a writer that’s kind of amazing.  I want to write more shows and sell them and at some point I’m going to have to be completely hands off… and I’m going to have to get used to it.”  Kelly praises the work that everyone else has done to bring her vision together, citing the directing, choreography and musical arrangement as particularly incredible.

            When asked what her hopes are for the musical Kelly takes a moment to answer, as if weighing the pros and cons of telling an important secret. “Well actually,” she begins almost hesitantly. “I’ve been in contact with a writer who really liked my script, he won a Tony, and he’s planning on bringing some people to come see it, and I really hope it’s a good showcase for the show.”  

By Hashim Wright

88 pages, 60,000 words, 5 battle sequences, and 3 main characters later I’m halfway through the book.  I think I might have one whole section where there isn’t a single battle sequence.  Not a single fight.  I figure the rules are entirely different for writing about superheroes and I’m allowed to have multiple battle sequences as opposed to one or two big ones.  I mean when I think about other books with supernatural-esque elements there aren’t that many, but none of them have ever been about superheroes.  That subject matter seems to be largely reserved for comic books and fan-fiction.  

I sat there on the small grey sofa in the strange apartment absorbing every part of it that I could.  The daylight streamed through the spotless windows and the vibrant blue of the sky reflected in the darkened computer screen.  I instinctively made note of every window, door, and obstacle in my way should I decide to make a break for it.  Three windows on the north facing wall, a small oak coffee table in the middle of the living room floor, an end table near the hallway.  I sat there and looked out of the window, wishing that I could be free.  Free from this “date,” free from this feeling of constant dissatisfaction, free from my own skin.  I just wanted to be gone.  A warm, gentle breeze blew into the room from the small crack in the window and I sighed as it rolled across my skin.  Behind me I could hear, my biggest obstacle moving around in the kitchen.  He turned the faucet on, the water ran and I could hear it slosh into glasses and then slosh right out into the sink.  The water turned off and my heart pounded a little faster, its nervous rhythm echoing throughout my body.  I knew where this was headed, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself.

I heard the glasses clink behind me and then his footsteps.  He moved quietly and gracefully for such a large man.  Six foot three and at least two hundred and twenty pounds.  I saw his pale arm thrust forward in my peripheral as he set the glasses down on the table, the pretty golden liquid rippling in the glass.  I turned to face him and my lower lip dropped slightly at the sight of him.  He wasn’t good looking, he wasn’t jaw drop worthy, but the fact that I was here in this situation again, caused my lip to fall.  I quickly closed them and he smiled, mistaking my frustration for nervousness.

“You’re so cute.”  He said it with a smile, revealing perfectly straight and even white teeth.  My eyes involuntarily travelled up from his mouth to his straight narrow nose, to his closely set eyes and finally up to his receding hairline.  The remains of what had once been thick dark hair running for cover from the daylight.  Vampire hair.

He held up a glass to me and while it was in his hand I inspected it, as I took hold of it I inspected it, when I put it to my lips, I thought about how stupid it was to take a drink from a total stranger, in their apartment no less.  The wine slid down my throat silkily, I barely registered the slight bitterness; it was so sweet.  I pulled the glass from lips and he leaned down towards me and I had to refrain from pulling back as his thin lips brushed my cheek.  He sat back up and pulled his own glass to his lips.  I forced a smile at him and he didn’t notice the strained look of it.  He just seemed to be enamored with my presence.

He’d spent months talking to me, dropping subtle hints that he wanted me, and some not subtle hints.  I’d tell him how I was going to be teaching a couple neighborhood kids to swim, he’d tell me how good a swimmer he was.  I’d tell him I went to the supermarket and bought cupcakes and only ate the chocolatey bottoms; he’d tell me that he really liked chocolatey bottoms.  I kept him at bay, kept him at bay until now.  He invited me over, and I was finally tired of making excuses for not being able to come over.  I told him yes.

“You’re so quiet, you’re not bored are you?”  He asked with a laugh, the sound was deep and came from his diaphragm.  I smiled at him and assured him that I wasn’t bored, I wasn’t.  I was strangely fascinated that someone could be so fascinated with me.  Everyone else seemed to take an interest quickly and then without warning lose it just as fast.  I wasn’t used to someone actually wanting me around, at least the way he did.

“Here, turn around.”  He said.  I did so without asking why, without really thinking about it.  He placed both of his large hands on my bare shoulders, he gently pushed my thin tank-top strap out of the way and commenced to massaging my shoulders.  I closed my eyes as he kneaded my muscles and an involuntary sigh escaped me.  I didn’t want to admit it, but it felt good.  He was strong, stronger than the guys I usually ended up with.  He was older too, roughly twenty years and some change older.  He pulled me back towards him and his hands roamed the rest of me, kneading out places in my neck, my back… and then they were just roaming.  I didn’t stop him.  When he leaned down over me and kissed me, I didn’t stop him.  I could feel his dick pressing into my back through the thin fabric of his pants.

“You’re so beautiful.”  He whispered to me, in between kisses and then without warning he lifted me to my feet and stood up.  I looked at him curiously and he took my hand eagerly and led me down a short hallway to his bedroom.  He quickly pulled his shirt off, revealing a small belly and hairy chest.  Then he lay down on his bed and pulled me towards him.

I felt like a child as he pulled my flimsy sea foam green tank top over my head and unbuttoned my black shorts.  He kissed me from the hollow of my throat to my navel, taking his time and exploring every part of me gently.  I moaned a little bit and it was genuine.  I kicked off my sneakers and he pulled me down onto the bed.  I lay there as he continued kissing my body gently, his tongue occasionally running over my more sensitive areas.  I looked up at the ceiling and I felt a momentary surge of self-loathing for letting myself be there.  For lying to myself and lying to him.

When I looked back down to him his fingers crept into the waist of my shorts, slipping into the waist band of my underwear and he looked up at me his breath coming in short warm bursts on my stomach.  We held each other’s gaze for a moment and then in a sweeping motion he pulled my shorts and my boxer-briefs off.  He tossed them callously to the floor and I watched as he held my dick in his hands.  He looked at me as he put it in his mouth, going all the way down on it in one go.  I gripped the sheets tightly as my eyes closed, and my body writhed underneath his ministrations.  I let out a “fuck” as he pulled off and then went back down in one breathless motion.   My back arched off the bed involuntarily as he kept it up and then he stopped.  He shed his pants and his own dick popped into view.  It pointed straight out at me, like a lance and I lay there unsure of what to do.

He crawled on top of me and I could almost feel his weight crushing me.  He humped me, his breath catching in the crook between my throat and my shoulder as he worked himself on top of me.  His lips came down on my throat and he sucked and nibbled and kissed it delicately like he was afraid of hurting me.  I reached up and pulled him closer, into me.  Begging for more.  He rolled over and I took advantage of the situation.  All uncertainty was gone now.  If there was one thing I always knew how to do, and do well, it was this.  I knew how to fuck.

I slid down his body and swallowed his dick in my mouth in one swoop.  He sat up with the unexpected oral assault and let out an expletive that sounded like a cross between motherfuck and damn.  I kept it up and then he held my head and pulled out of my mouth.  I looked at him curiously and he pulled me to lie with him and he held me.  I lied there rigidly for a moment, this was uncertain territory.  He held me close to him, stroking my back gently and I succumbed to him.  I relaxed, all the tension left my body.  When I looked up at him he was smiling.

“Why are you smiling?”  I asked him quietly.  He chuckled softly and then he looked down at me, lying next to him, molded to his body.

“Because you finally came.”  He said.  And he leaned down and kissed me.  I kissed him back and I felt a twinge of regret as I knew that this was the last time he’d ever see or hear from me.  He climbed back on top of me and started humping me again.  I could feel his cock sliding back and forth between our stomachs and I looked up at the ceiling while his face was buried in my shoulder.  I felt his body tense up and his grip on the sheets and my hand tightened.  He sighed as an intense warmth slid between us.  He sighed and his grip slackened and a tear rolled down the side of my face, burying itself in my hair.  I reached up with my free hand and wiped it away.

“You’re so beautiful.”  He said again as he sat up.  He left the room and came back holding paper towel in his hand.  “Here you go.”  He said handing me the roll after stripping two sheets off for himself.  “If you want, you can take a shower here.”  I shook my head and told him the paper towel was fine.  Once I’d cleaned the cum off my stomach I got off the bed and I searched for my clothes which were strewn all around his bedroom floor.  I could feel his eyes on me as I got dressed.

“I want to see you again.”  He said.  There was a hint of longing in his voice, like he knew what was coming.  I smiled at him and kissed him gently as I buttoned my shorts.   He walked me to the door and as I left he grabbed hold of my hand and I turned to face him.  He smiled down at me and I smiled back at him.  He leaned down to kiss me and I let him.  He didn’t shut the door until I’d made it the first floor.

© Hashim Wright 2012, All Rights Reserved

Alex stopped walking as the scent dead ended.  A jogger ran past him, eyeing him suspiciously.  Alex scanned the area, the prickly feeling creeped up his neck.  The air around him shifted, Alex adjusted himself unconciously. Alex closed his eyes and listened out for anything unusual.  He heard the pounding of hooves on pavement, the laughter of a little girl, someone turning a key in a lock.  Alex sighed, there was nothing, maybe his sixth sense was broken he thought.  Alex turned and began exiting the park, he’d ask Malkin if that were possible later.  Alex’s ears pricked up with alarm as hooves came pounding down the gravelly walk behind him.  Alex turned just in time to see a ghost white horse come charging toward him; It’s rider’s coat billowing out behind them.  Alex flung himself out of the way quickly as the rider came to a grinding halt and turned back around.  Alex’s sixth sense flared up and Alex jumped out of the way as the rider came charging toward him again brandishing something in a white gloved hand.  Alex looked at the phantom, white teeth glinted at him from the shadows shrouding the rider’s face.  As the he came charging at Alex again, he saw a shift in the air around the rider.  It rippled outwards slightly and the rider became somewhat transparent.  Alex braced himself as the rider swung the object in its hand at Alex.  The force of the blow sent him flying back into the ground.  Alex shook his head, trying to steady himself, he hadn’t even felt the blow just a rushing feeling.  As Alex stood back up he saw the rider slow the horse down and turn sideways to him.  A jogger stopped momentarily to look strangely at Alex and then continued on, shaking their head.  Alex whispered a quiet ‘fuck’ and looked back towards the rider.  The rider patted the horse’s large menacing head and then looked at Alex with a smirk.

            “He’s coming for you.” The rider said in a raspy voice.  He gave one loud whoop and charged Alex, Alex tried to dive out of the way but as he did the rider exploded into the air, releasing a blast that sent Alex reeling.  Alex flew into the branches of tree.  He yelped at the impact and then hit the ground with a thud.  Alex stayed on the ground for a moment, trying to catch his breath after having the wind knocked out of him.

            “Ow.”  Alex groaned as he stood up, his right shoulder throbbed violently.  He felt it with his hand, inspecting the damage, He yelled out an expletive as pain coursed through him, his arm had been dislocated.  He clenched his teeth together as he popped it back into the socket.  He screamed out as even more pain hit him, he leaned against the tree for support as his breath came out in ragged bursts.  As the pain slowly subsided to a dull ache Alex made a mental note to talk to Morris about what happened.  He got off the tree and dusted himself off as he walked home.

            The doorman looked at Alex as he came through the door, dust and dirt coating his clothes and face along with a few healing scratches.

            “Hey Kirby” Alex said with a two fingered salute and a nervous laugh.

            “Kiddo, what happened to you?”

            “Oh,” Alex laughed humorlessly. “You know same old same old, went out for a walk.”

            “You look like a bomb went off.”

            “I fell,” Alex’s eyes darted back and forth as Kirby looked him square in the face, they rested on his reflection in a mirror. “Alot.  I’m clumsy like that.”  Kirby pushed the button for the elevator behind the desk and it dinged to signal its arrival.  Kirby gave Alex a lingering suspicious look as Alex walked off with a wave.

            “Wait! Hold the elevator!”  A familiar voice called as Alex stepped into the elevator; he looked up and saw Jonathon running up behind him.  “Thanks Kirby!” He called out as he stepped inside.  The door slid closed and Jonathon slumped against the wall facing Alex.  Alex looked around the elevator pretending nothing was amiss with his arms crossed tightly.

            “Wow.”

            Alex gave Jonathon an exasperated look.  Jonathon looked back at him, laughter seemed to burst from his eyes without him actually doing so.

            “You look,” Alex frowned at Jonathon as he looked up pretending to search for the right words.  “Wow.”

            “Wow? Thanks.”

            “What the hell happened to you?”  Jonathon laughed nervously and he raised an eyebrow at Alex.

            “I fell.”

            “Into what? The Dustbowl?”  Jonathon’s laughter boomed in the elevator but he stopped quickly at the look on Alex’s face.  The elevator dinged as it stopped at the seventh floor and the door slid open.  Alex glared at Jonathon and stepped out.  Jonathon grabbed his wrist, Alex looked at him and glared, his eyes sharpened into malevolent slits.

© Hashim Wright 2012, All Rights Reserved

                                                         FADE IN:

          INT. BUS - AFTERNOON

          A bus carrying only a few passengers speeds down a highway. 
          There’s a young woman, MARIE, with a child, ANDY, sitting
          towards the front.  An old man sleeping soundly in the
          middle, across from two teenagers, a boy and a girl.  And
          finally, a young man, THOMAS, at the very back of the bus. 
          He’s sleeping and his face is obscured by shaggy hair and a
          baseball cap.  The bus driver announces that they are
          approaching the final stop  and the awake passengers begin
          to gather their things.  The commotion awakens the old man
          and he too begins gathering his things.

          Cut to: A close up of THOMAS, the view slides down to one of
          his hands in his lap, an opened envelope dangles from his
          fingers, threatening to drop to the floor.

          Cut to: MARIE getting ready to get off the bus, she realizes
          she left something behind, curses, and goes back to retrieve
          it.

                              BUS DRIVER
                    Can you wake up Rumplestiltskin
                    back there?

          Cut to: A close up of the MARIE’s face as her eyebrows knit
          with confusion, she turns to call back to him.

                              MARIE
                    I think you mean Rip Van Winkle.

                              BUS DRIVER
                    Who?

                              MARIE
                    Nevermind.

          MARIE gathers her son’s bag and goes back to wake up the
          sleeping young man.  She rouses him gently and his grip on
          the letter, unconsciously, tightens.  He thanks her, gathers
          his things and follows her from the bus.  Once she’s off she
          bends down to button up her son’s coat and put the rest of
          his winter apparel back on.

                              ANDY
                    I’m cold.

                              MARIE
                    I know baby, but you’ll be all warm
                    in a minute.  Promise.

          Cut to: THOMAS opening up the envelope and pulling a letter
          out of it, he flips it over and reads the address on the
          back.  He looks around for a minute before deciding to ask
          for directions, he stops the bus driver from closing the
          doors.

                              THOMAS
                    Hey! I’m sorry but can you tell me
                    where I can find this address?

          He hands the page to the bus driver and the bus driver scans
          it quickly.  He sighs and tells THOMAS no.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks anyways.

          Cut to: Marie and her son setting off.  Thomas spots them
          and calls out to them.  Marie turns around and ANDY
          instinctively clings to her leg.  She smiles at him and
          assures him that everything is okay.

                              THOMAS
                    Excuse me ma’am, I was just
                    wondering if you could tell me
                    where I could find this address.

          THOMAS hands her the page and she reads the address, she
          thinks about it for a minute and then something clicks.

                              MARIE
                    Yeah, I know the place.  But it’s
                    been closed up for ages, nothing
                    left but boarded up windows and
                    caution tape.

                              THOMAS
                    I know, but it doesn’t matter.

                              MARIE
                    Well then the place you’re looking
                    for is in my direction.  If you
                    want, you can walk with me and
                    boobie here.

                              ANDY
                    Mommy don’t call me that.

                              MARIE
                    Okay sweety.

                              ANDY
                    You said that last time.

                              MARIE
                    I forgot, mommy’s old, mommies
                    forget things when they get old.
                    Yeah just walk with us and I’ll
                    show you the way.  My name’s Marie
                    by the way.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks; and I’m Thomas, but you can
                    call me Tom, if you want.

          They begin walking.

                              THOMAS
                    You look pretty young for a mom.

                              MARIE
                    I get that a lot, there’s no
                    wrinkle good botox can’t fix.

                              THOMAS
                    Really?

                              MARIE
                    No.  I’m a young mom, only
                    twenty-seven.  Andy here, is
                    eight.  So I’ve still got some good
                    years left in me.  How old are you?

                              THOMAS
                    I’m twenty-five.

                              MARIE
                    So what’s got you going to that old
                    disaster?  You’re not a crackhead
                    are you?  I hear they like to hide
                    out in abandoned buildings.

          They both laugh.

                              THOMAS
                    No, I’m not a crackhead.  I’m a
                    storyteller, would you care to hear
                    one?

                              MARIE
                    Like a writer?  Sure, I’m always up
                    for a good story.

                              ANDY
                    I wanna hear a story!

                              MARIE
                    Oh Christ.  It’s brat-friendly
                    right?  I can’t really deal with
                    explaining the birds and the bees
                    or anything particularly gruesome
                    yet.

                              THOMAS
                    It’s definitely kid-friendly, it’s
                    almost like a fairy-tale.

                              ANDY
                    I hope somebody gets eaten.

          MARIE glares at ANDY, THOMAS laughs.

                              THOMAS
                    Sort of.  So, there’s this
                    beautiful woman named Eurydice, she
                    was the most beautiful woman anyone
                    had ever laid eyes on.

          As THOMAS tells the story, a flashback occurs, illustrating
          what THOMAS is saying in a modern setting.  There’s a young
          woman, ELIANA,and THOMAS is playing a harmonica and watching
          her from afar, while she rejects a suitor.

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    She had men and even a couple women
                    who fell in love with her just by
                    seeing her.  But she wasn’t
                    interested in any of them, she was
                    already in love with someone.  The
                    young man she loved was a musician
                    names Orpheus, he played music that
                    lifted people’s spirits, and she
                    was his inspiration.

                              ANDY (VO)
                    When is somebody going to get
                    eaten?

                              MARIE (VO)
                    Andrew, be polite and listen to the
                    story.  Sorry.

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    It’s fine.  Anyways, they fell in
                    love and they were going to get
                    married, but one man didn’t want
                    them to be happy.    He wanted
                    Eurydice for himself, so he pursued
                    her relentlessly, trying to force
                    himself on her.  When she ran, she
                    accidentally stepped on a venomous
                    snake, it attacked her, and she lay
                    there suffering until somebody
                    found her.  Before they could get
                    her the help she needed though, she
                    died.  Orpheus, became so depressed
                    that he played music that broke
                    hearts and made people weep.  So
                    The gods told him to go and fetch
                    her soul from the underworld.

          Cut to: THOMAS proposing to ELIANA and them embracing as she
          accepts.

          Cut to: A montage of the two of them making preparations for
          their wedding.

          Cut to: ELIANA walking home one night.

          Cut to: A man following her, a close up on his face reveals
          it to be her rejected suitor.

          Cut to: ELIANA being chased by the man.  He tackles her and
          proceeds to violate her.  He leaves her lying in her own
          blood.

          Cut to: A man finding the attacked young woman and getting
          her to a hospital.  She is saved, but broken, changed.

          Cut to: ELIANA having nightmare’s and her mind
          deteriorating.

          Cut to: THOMAS crying and playing a piano and a friend
          trying to comfort him.

                              ANDY (VO)
                    Awesome!

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    You bet buddy; so Orpheus went to
                    the underworld and encountered the
                    three-headed dog Cerberus and
                    lulled him to sleep by playing him
                    a song.  Then he played his music
                    for The king and queen of the
                    underworld, and they offered him
                    the chance to have her back.  They
                    told him to walk from the
                    underworld and Eurydice would
                    follow him.  But there was a catch,
                    he wasn’t allowed to see her until
                    he was completely out of the
                    underworld.

                              ANDY (VO)
                    But then how would he know she was
                    there?

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    He had to have faith.  So he left. 
                    He walked and played music so that
                    she’d know where to follow him, he
                    was able to not look until they
                    made it to the threshold of the
                    underworld, but his faith had begun
                    to waver and he decided to turn
                    back and look.  When he did he
                    watched as her spirit faded away,
                    back to the underworld as she
                    whispered his name.

          Cut to: A montage of THOMAS visiting ELIANA in a mental
          hospital multiple times.  He tries to comfort her and plays
          her music, which seems to bring her back little by little.

          Cut to: THOMAS coming to the hospital and finding various
          officials there, police, coroners, the nurses.

          Cut to: THOMAS seeing ELIANA’S body hanging from a homemade
          noose.

          Cut to: THOMAS breaking down.

          The flashback ends and ANDY is looking up at THOMAS
          expectantly.

                              ANDY
                    And then what?  He lost her
                    forever?  What a dummy!  He
                    shouldn’t have looked!

                              MARIE
                    Andrew be quiet.

                              THOMAS
                    No, it’s okay, Orpheus, should’ve
                    known better.  He should’ve waited.

          They’ve arrived in front of MARIE and ANDY’S apartment
          building and they come to a stop.

                              MARIE
                    Well this, is us.  It was really
                    nice meeting you, Tom.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks for taking me this far, it
                    was great having the company.

                              MARIE
                    To find the building you’re looking
                    for just keep going down this
                    street and make a right, you’re
                    there.

                              THOMAS
                    Thank you, really.  Take care.

          He begins to walk away.  Marie calls out to him.

                              MARIE
                    Hey! If you’re going to be in town
                    for a while, give me a call, I’d
                    wouldn’t mind hearing any other
                    stories you’ve got.

          She gives Thomas her phone number.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks, I’ll give you a call.

          THOMAS sets off down the street.  He goes where MARIE told
          him to and he stops in front of the building.  It’s
          dilapidated and filthy.  The once white walls, are covered
          in dirt and grime, and the boards are breaking and falling
          apart, as is the caution tape that billows in the wind.
          THOMAS pulls the letter out of it’s envelope and reads it
          over again.  He starts crying as he looks between the letter
          and the building.

                              THOMAS
                    I miss you so much, I’m sorry
                    Eliana.

                                                         FADE OUT

                                                         FADE IN:

          INT. BUS - AFTERNOON

          A bus carrying only a few passengers speeds down a highway. 
          There’s a young woman, MARIE, with a child, ANDY, sitting
          towards the front.  An old man sleeping soundly in the
          middle, across from two teenagers, a boy and a girl.  And
          finally, a young man, THOMAS, at the very back of the bus. 
          He’s sleeping and his face is obscured by shaggy hair and a
          baseball cap.  The bus driver announces that they are
          approaching the final stop  and the awake passengers begin
          to gather their things.  The commotion awakens the old man
          and he too begins gathering his things.

          Cut to: A close up of THOMAS, the view slides down to one of
          his hands in his lap, an opened envelope dangles from his
          fingers, threatening to drop to the floor.

          Cut to: MARIE getting ready to get off the bus, she realizes
          she left something behind, curses, and goes back to retrieve
          it.

                              BUS DRIVER
                    Can you wake up Rumplestiltskin
                    back there?

          Cut to: A close up of the MARIE’s face as her eyebrows knit
          with confusion, she turns to call back to him.

                              MARIE
                    I think you mean Rip Van Winkle.

                              BUS DRIVER
                    Who?

                              MARIE
                    Nevermind.

          MARIE gathers her son’s bag and goes back to wake up the
          sleeping young man.  She rouses him gently and his grip on
          the letter, unconsciously, tightens.  He thanks her, gathers
          his things and follows her from the bus.  Once she’s off she
          bends down to button up her son’s coat and put the rest of
          his winter apparel back on.

                              ANDY
                    I’m cold.

                              MARIE
                    I know baby, but you’ll be all warm
                    in a minute.  Promise.

          Cut to: THOMAS opening up the envelope and pulling a letter
          out of it, he flips it over and reads the address on the
          back.  He looks around for a minute before deciding to ask
          for directions, he stops the bus driver from closing the
          doors.

                              THOMAS
                    Hey! I’m sorry but can you tell me
                    where I can find this address?

          He hands the page to the bus driver and the bus driver scans
          it quickly.  He sighs and tells THOMAS no.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks anyways.

          Cut to: Marie and her son setting off.  Thomas spots them
          and calls out to them.  Marie turns around and ANDY
          instinctively clings to her leg.  She smiles at him and
          assures him that everything is okay.

                              THOMAS
                    Excuse me ma’am, I was just
                    wondering if you could tell me
                    where I could find this address.

          THOMAS hands her the page and she reads the address, she
          thinks about it for a minute and then something clicks.

                              MARIE
                    Yeah, I know the place.  But it’s
                    been closed up for ages, nothing
                    left but boarded up windows and
                    caution tape.

                              THOMAS
                    I know, but it doesn’t matter.

                              MARIE
                    Well then the place you’re looking
                    for is in my direction.  If you
                    want, you can walk with me and
                    boobie here.

                              ANDY
                    Mommy don’t call me that.

                              MARIE
                    Okay sweety.

                              ANDY
                    You said that last time.

                              MARIE
                    I forgot, mommy’s old, mommies
                    forget things when they get old.
                    Yeah just walk with us and I’ll
                    show you the way.  My name’s Marie
                    by the way.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks; and I’m Thomas, but you can
                    call me Tom, if you want.

          They begin walking.

                              THOMAS
                    You look pretty young for a mom.

                              MARIE
                    I get that a lot, there’s no
                    wrinkle good botox can’t fix.

                              THOMAS
                    Really?

                              MARIE
                    No.  I’m a young mom, only
                    twenty-seven.  Andy here, is
                    eight.  So I’ve still got some good
                    years left in me.  How old are you?

                              THOMAS
                    I’m twenty-five.

                              MARIE
                    So what’s got you going to that old
                    disaster?  You’re not a crackhead
                    are you?  I hear they like to hide
                    out in abandoned buildings.

          They both laugh.

                              THOMAS
                    No, I’m not a crackhead.  I’m a
                    storyteller, would you care to hear
                    one?

                              MARIE
                    Like a writer?  Sure, I’m always up
                    for a good story.

                              ANDY
                    I wanna hear a story!

                              MARIE
                    Oh Christ.  It’s brat-friendly
                    right?  I can’t really deal with
                    explaining the birds and the bees
                    or anything particularly gruesome
                    yet.

                              THOMAS
                    It’s definitely kid-friendly, it’s
                    almost like a fairy-tale.

                              ANDY
                    I hope somebody gets eaten.

          MARIE glares at ANDY, THOMAS laughs.

                              THOMAS
                    Sort of.  So, there’s this
                    beautiful woman named Eurydice, she
                    was the most beautiful woman anyone
                    had ever laid eyes on.

          As THOMAS tells the story, a flashback occurs, illustrating
          what THOMAS is saying in a modern setting.  There’s a young
          woman, ELIANA,and THOMAS is playing a harmonica and watching
          her from afar, while she rejects a suitor.

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    She had men and even a couple women
                    who fell in love with her just by
                    seeing her.  But she wasn’t
                    interested in any of them, she was
                    already in love with someone.  The
                    young man she loved was a musician
                    names Orpheus, he played music that
                    lifted people’s spirits, and she
                    was his inspiration.

                              ANDY (VO)
                    When is somebody going to get
                    eaten?

                              MARIE (VO)
                    Andrew, be polite and listen to the
                    story.  Sorry.

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    It’s fine.  Anyways, they fell in
                    love and they were going to get
                    married, but one man didn’t want
                    them to be happy.    He wanted
                    Eurydice for himself, so he pursued
                    her relentlessly, trying to force
                    himself on her.  When she ran, she
                    accidentally stepped on a venomous
                    snake, it attacked her, and she lay
                    there suffering until somebody
                    found her.  Before they could get
                    her the help she needed though, she
                    died.  Orpheus, became so depressed
                    that he played music that broke
                    hearts and made people weep.  So
                    The gods told him to go and fetch
                    her soul from the underworld.

          Cut to: THOMAS proposing to ELIANA and them embracing as she
          accepts.

          Cut to: A montage of the two of them making preparations for
          their wedding.

          Cut to: ELIANA walking home one night.

          Cut to: A man following her, a close up on his face reveals
          it to be her rejected suitor.

          Cut to: ELIANA being chased by the man.  He tackles her and
          proceeds to violate her.  He leaves her lying in her own
          blood.

          Cut to: A man finding the attacked young woman and getting
          her to a hospital.  She is saved, but broken, changed.

          Cut to: ELIANA having nightmare’s and her mind
          deteriorating.

          Cut to: THOMAS crying and playing a piano and a friend
          trying to comfort him.

                              ANDY (VO)
                    Awesome!

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    You bet buddy; so Orpheus went to
                    the underworld and encountered the
                    three-headed dog Cerberus and
                    lulled him to sleep by playing him
                    a song.  Then he played his music
                    for The king and queen of the
                    underworld, and they offered him
                    the chance to have her back.  They
                    told him to walk from the
                    underworld and Eurydice would
                    follow him.  But there was a catch,
                    he wasn’t allowed to see her until
                    he was completely out of the
                    underworld.

                              ANDY (VO)
                    But then how would he know she was
                    there?

                              THOMAS (VO)
                    He had to have faith.  So he left. 
                    He walked and played music so that
                    she’d know where to follow him, he
                    was able to not look until they
                    made it to the threshold of the
                    underworld, but his faith had begun
                    to waver and he decided to turn
                    back and look.  When he did he
                    watched as her spirit faded away,
                    back to the underworld as she
                    whispered his name.

          Cut to: A montage of THOMAS visiting ELIANA in a mental
          hospital multiple times.  He tries to comfort her and plays
          her music, which seems to bring her back little by little.

          Cut to: THOMAS coming to the hospital and finding various
          officials there, police, coroners, the nurses.

          Cut to: THOMAS seeing ELIANA’S body hanging from a homemade
          noose.

          Cut to: THOMAS breaking down.

          The flashback ends and ANDY is looking up at THOMAS
          expectantly.

                              ANDY
                    And then what?  He lost her
                    forever?  What a dummy!  He
                    shouldn’t have looked!

                              MARIE
                    Andrew be quiet.

                              THOMAS
                    No, it’s okay, Orpheus, should’ve
                    known better.  He should’ve waited.

          They’ve arrived in front of MARIE and ANDY’S apartment
          building and they come to a stop.

                              MARIE
                    Well this, is us.  It was really
                    nice meeting you, Tom.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks for taking me this far, it
                    was great having the company.

                              MARIE
                    To find the building you’re looking
                    for just keep going down this
                    street and make a right, you’re
                    there.

                              THOMAS
                    Thank you, really.  Take care.

          He begins to walk away.  Marie calls out to him.

                              MARIE
                    Hey! If you’re going to be in town
                    for a while, give me a call, I’d
                    wouldn’t mind hearing any other
                    stories you’ve got.

          She gives Thomas her phone number.

                              THOMAS
                    Thanks, I’ll give you a call.

          THOMAS sets off down the street.  He goes where MARIE told
          him to and he stops in front of the building.  It’s
          dilapidated and filthy.  The once white walls, are covered
          in dirt and grime, and the boards are breaking and falling
          apart, as is the caution tape that billows in the wind.
          THOMAS pulls the letter out of it’s envelope and reads it
          over again.  He starts crying as he looks between the letter
          and the building.

                              THOMAS
                    I miss you so much, I’m sorry
                    Eliana.

                                                         FADE OUT

© Hashim Wright 2011, All Rights Reserved