The mud sucked at his boots.

Leo ran.

His lungs burned.

The rain fell hard.

It was a cold rain.

It cut like glass.

He looked back.

The shadows moved.

They were fast.

They were many.

Leo did not stop.

He could not stop.

He held the box.

It was heavy.

It was iron.

It was cold.

It was his father’s.

The forest was dark.

The trees were old.

The roots tripped him.

He fell.

He slid.

The mud was thick.

It covered his face.

He coughed.

He spat.

He stood up.

The box was in his hand.

He held it tight.

His hands shook.

His teeth chattered.

The cold was deep.

It went into his bones.

He ran on.

The shadows were closer.

He saw the wire.

The wire was high.

It hummed.

It was alive.

He jumped.

He missed.

He hung.

The wire bit.

It cut his coat.

It cut his skin.

He fell again.

The box hit the ground.

He caught it.

He did not drop it.

He got up.

He wiped the blood.

It was red.

It was warm.

He ran.

The road was straight.

The road was long.

The road was empty.

Except for them.

The men came.

They had guns.

The guns clicked.

The guns were loud.

The men were big.

The men were cruel.

They laughed.

The laugh was low.

The laugh was wet.

Leo saw the face.

It was the old man.

It was Silas.

Silas was the helper.

Silas was the guide.

Silas was the friend.

Now Silas held the gun.

Now Silas smiled.

The smile was wrong.

The smile was flat.

Leo stopped.

He could not run.

The gun was pointed.

The gun was cold.

Leo looked at the box.

The box was in his arms.

The box was safe.

He looked at Silas.

Silas looked at the box.

Silas did not look at Leo.

The rain fell.

The rain hit the gun.

The rain hit the face.

The rain hit the mud.

The world was gray.

The world was wet.

The world was dead.

Leo felt a heat.

The heat was in his chest.

The heat was in his head.

The heat was in his hands.

It was not fear.

It was not anger.

It was something else.

It was a pull.

It was a thread.

It was a hook.

The hook was in his gut.

The hook was in his heart.

He knew the game.

He knew the rule.

The rule was old.

The rule was cruel.

You must give it up.

You must let it go.

If you hold on, you break.

If you break, you stay.

You stay in the mud.

You stay in the rain.

You stay in the dark.

Silas lowered the gun.

Silas walked closer.

Silas stepped in the mud.

The mud sucked.

Silas stopped.

Silas looked at Leo.

The eyes were empty.

The eyes were deep.

The eyes were full of water.

Leo did not speak.

Leo could not speak.

His throat was tight.

His voice was gone.

Silas reached out.

The hand was black.

The hand was wet.

The hand was slow.

The hand touched the box.

The hand touched the iron.

The iron was cold.

The hand was warm.

The touch was soft.

The touch was final.

Leo let go.

His fingers opened.

The box fell.

The box hit the mud.

The sound was dull.

The sound was deep.

The sound was the end.

Silas picked it up.

Silas held it.

Silas looked at Leo.

Silas nodded.

The nod was small.

The nod was sad.

The nod was done.

Silas turned.

Silas walked away.

The boots sank.

The rain followed.

The shadows followed.

Leo stood alone.

The rain hit his face.

The rain hit his eyes.

The rain hit his lips.

He tasted the mud.

He tasted the blood.

He tasted the iron.

He tasted the air.

The air was cold.

The air was clean.

The air was free.

He looked at the sky.

The sky was black.

The sky was empty.

The stars were out.

The stars were small.

The stars were far.

The stars were cold.

Leo felt the heat.

The heat was gone.

The hook was gone.

The thread was cut.

The pull was gone.

He was light.

He was empty.

He was nothing.

He was air.

He was rain.

He was mud.

He was earth.

He was still.

The stillness was deep.

The stillness was long.

The stillness was cold.

The stillness was good.

He did not move.

He did not breathe.

He did not think.

He was there.

He was gone.

The rain stopped.

The rain was done.

The night was quiet.

The night was dark.

The night was wide.

Leo stood.

The mud held him.

The mud loved him.

The mud took him.

He sank.

Slowly.

Gently.

Quietly.

Into the dark.

Into the cold.

Into the deep.

The box was gone.

The gun was gone.

The men were gone.

The fear was gone.

The pain was gone.

The life was gone.

The name was gone.

The past was gone.

The future was gone.

Only the mud remained.

Only the rain remained.

Only the silence remained.

The silence was loud.

The silence was full.

The silence was true.

Leo closed his eyes.

The eyes were dark.

The eyes were wet.

The eyes were closed.

The world turned.

The world spun.

The world broke.

The world was new.

The world was old.

The world was the same.

The cycle turned.

The wheel rolled.

The stone rolled.

The stone was heavy.

The stone was hard.

The stone was cold.

Leo was the stone.

Leo was the mud.

Leo was the rain.

Leo was the dark.

He was part of it.

He was in it.

He was of it.

He was free.

He was bound.

He was lost.

He was found.

He was nothing.

He was everything.

The rain began again.

The rain fell.

The rain washed.

The rain cleaned.

The rain hid.

The mud was flat.

The mud was smooth.

The mud was quiet.

The boy was gone.

The boy was here.

The boy was gone.

The story ends.

The story begins.

The mud remembers.

The mud forgets.

The mud is patient.

The mud is kind.

The mud is cruel.

The mud is life.

The mud is death.

The mud is the end.

The mud is the start.

The cycle is perfect.

The cycle is complete.

The cycle is eternal.

Leo is safe.

Leo is lost.

Leo is home.

The night is long.

The night is dark.

The night is cold.

The night is quiet.

The night is waiting.

The night is watching.

The night is holding.

The night is keeping.

The night is true.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The mud drinks.

The mud swallows.

The mud sleeps.

The boy sleeps.

The boy dreams.

The boy wakes.

The boy runs.

The mud sucks.

The rain cuts.

The shadows move.

The gun clicks.

The box falls.

The hand lets go.

The heart breaks.

The soul leaves.

The body stays.

The cycle turns.

The wheel rolls.

The stone rolls.

The mud remembers.

The mud forgets.

The mud is patient.

The mud is kind.

The mud is cruel.

The mud is life.

The mud is death.

The mud is the end.

The mud is the start.

The cycle is perfect.

The cycle is complete.

The cycle is eternal.

Leo is safe.

Leo is lost.

Leo is home.

The night is long.

The night is dark.

The night is cold.

The night is quiet.

The night is waiting.

The night is watching.

The night is holding.

The night is keeping.

The night is true.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The mud drinks.

The mud swallows.

The mud sleeps.

The boy sleeps.

The boy dreams.

The boy wakes.

The boy runs.

The mud sucks.

The rain cuts.

The shadows move.

The gun clicks.

The box falls.

The hand lets go.

The heart breaks.

The soul leaves.

The body stays.

The cycle turns.

The wheel rolls.

The stone rolls.

The mud remembers.

The mud forgets.

The mud is patient.

The mud is kind.

The mud is cruel.

The mud is life.

The mud is death.

The mud is the end.

The mud is the start.

The cycle is perfect.

The cycle is complete.

The cycle is eternal.

Leo is safe.

Leo is lost.

Leo is home.

The night is long.

The night is dark.

The night is cold.

The night is quiet.

The night is waiting.

The night is watching.

The night is holding.

The night is keeping.

The night is true.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The mud drinks.

The mud swallows.

The mud sleeps.

The boy sleeps.

The boy dreams.

The boy wakes.

The boy runs.

The mud sucks.

The rain cuts.

The shadows move.

The gun clicks.

The box falls.

The hand lets go.

The heart breaks.

The soul leaves.

The body stays.

The cycle turns.

The wheel rolls.

The stone rolls.

The mud remembers.

The mud forgets.

The mud is patient.

The mud is kind.

The mud is cruel.

The mud is life.

The mud is death.

The mud is the end.

The mud is the start.

The cycle is perfect.

The cycle is complete.

The cycle is eternal.

Leo is safe.

Leo is lost.

Leo is home.

The night is long.

The night is dark.

The night is cold.

The night is quiet.

The night is waiting.

The night is watching.

The night is holding.

The night is keeping.

The night is true.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The rain falls.

The mud drinks.

The mud swallows.

The mud sleeps.

The boy sleeps.

The boy dreams.

The boy wakes.

The boy runs.

The mud sucks.

The rain cuts.

The shadows move.

The gun clicks.

The box falls.

The hand lets go.

The heart breaks.

The soul leaves.

The body stays.

The cycle turns.

The wheel rolls.

The stone rolls.

The mud remembers.

The mud forgets.

The mud is patient.

The mud is kind.

The mud is cruel.

The mud is life.

The mud is death.

The mud is the end.

The mud is the start.

The cycle is perfect.

The cycle is complete.

The cycle is eternal.

Leo is safe.

Leo is lost.

Leo is home.