Once upon a time, Prince Charming and his steed leisurely galloped through Avando Forest, bathing in the warm sunlight of a midsummer afternoon. The birds cheerfully sang songs of joy and the wind danced quietly to the forest’s flittering melodies. Nearing the end of the beaten path, Charming hadn’t yet been satisfied by the wonder of nature, and so he rode merrily into the deeper, less travelled stretches of the forest.
I woke up this morning to the blaring roars of police sirens. They were outside, not immediately outside my house, but somewhere in the city. Somewhere close enough to hear. Too close.