Step . Step. Step.

There were millions. A country. A nation. People. Grass. There was grass. It grew. It died. It was green. It was yellow. It lived only to be trodden on, but it was always there. Always underfoot. Taken for granted.

The grass isn't there anymore.

Step. Step.

That's all that's left now. Steps.

The Sand. The Wind. The sun. They're just there. They aren't left. They came. Steps are left. Steps are going.

Step. Step. Step.

The sand. The sand is there. It came. It came when everything left. It's everywhere, the sand. And dunes. But dunes are just more sand. Sand that's trying to stand. Foolish sand. We'd tried to stand too. We fell. Standing leads to falling. Foolish sand.

Step. Step.

The Sun. Always the sun. The Sun was there. The sun is here too. But it's not the Sun. Not the same Sun. The Sun was a friend. The sun is an enemy. It kills. It hovers and it kills. It doesn't stand though. It knows better than that. No, it just hovers and it kills. The sun is smart.

Step... Steeppp . Tumble.

The wind. It's pushing back. Like a shepherd. There's only one path to take. No. No, not that path. No. Too many. Too many memories. And fear. So much fear. Sadness. The wind is herding me to sadness. Cruel, cruel wind.

Step. Step Stop.

...On a dune. Yes a dune. Sand. Standing sand. Foolish sand, this is what happens when you try to stand. You get walked over. Crushed. Foolish foolish sand. And the buildings. OUR buildings. What's left of them. They still stand. They still stand and they are broken. Holes. Cracks. I still stand. I am broken too. Broken inside. A hole. Big hole. And cracks. Cracks all over the outside. The hole wants to spill out. It will. Soon. But not yet. Now there's sand.

Sliiide.

...Off the dune.More buildings. Broken broken buildings. Covered in sand.

Oh.

They still fly. Little pieces of paper. So beloved. The very lifeblood. They still fly. They fly to me.

No, we aren't broken yet. The buildings are broken. The buildings can be mended. We aren't broken. I am not broken. The hole is gone. The cracks are gone. The dunes stand. They aren't broken. I stand. I am not broken. And now. Now I can even

Jump.

On a building. Broken building. It's broken. I am not. I will be. Everything will be broken. But not yet. I am not broken yet.

There were millions. Now there's just one. But the one stands. He stands for the millions.