"I'm so afraid."

"We are all Anglophobic."

"Why?"

"It is humans nature."

"But why?"

"You are afraid."

"I know! I just said that."

"You are leading yourself in circles."

"No I am not! I know what I'm doing!"

Slap!

I rubbed the side of my pale, freight-stricken face. A red rash shown brightly and I could see it in the reflection of myself as I stared out the large window. My voice lowered to a whisper and I resisted wanting to hang my head. "Why did you slap me?"

The voice that responded was also quiet. A whisper…tinted with fear. Did she share my fear or was she afraid of something else? "You do not know what you're doing."


I silent sob racked my body as I let my hand slide down the glass window. A trail of sweat followed my damp palm down the opaque glass. Slowly I lowered my body onto the bench she sat on next to the window. She sat far away from me and her face was not looking my direction, but I still knew she could sense it. I was afraid… so afraid.

"I don't want them all to die…" I said quietly, my voice still just above a whisper. My bottom lip shook as I held back the tears that wanted to flood from my eyes. "I don't want to end up all alone."

She still did not turn to face me. She instead continued to look out the frosted glass window over the city fogged by pollution and the heat of the summer. "They well all die."

"Is there nothing I can do?" I asked, the volume in my voice rising once more. A small sob escaped my lips. "Is there any way I can help them?" I demanded with the voice that a young child being faced with a horrible punishment might have. "Please… tell me how I can help them." I pleaded.

"There is no way you can help." She answered flatly. "They are guaranteed to leave you."

I knew she was right. They would go. There was nothing I could do. And again, I was leading myself in circles… all this pleading… these dreams soon to be lost… this hope that would go in vain. So I decided to say nothing. A deafening silence filled the room and the air became still.

Finally she broke the silence. The way she said those final words, the words that would forever haunt me… they seemed so cold, so uncaring.

"Life is not promised."