In this world of chaos and destruction few things can shine through the dark clouds of hate and terror. One of the few is the smile of a child. The innocent children born into a world that stands still and remembers a time these newborns will never know. Perhaps that is best as well. For if a child never knows of the things they could once have had, then maybe they will learn to love the world they were brought into.

Leaving one kind of love, the love that can bond two beings together in an eternal entwining thread of life, we are going to visit someone with a different kind of love. A love without conditions, a child’s love. And who could produce such love but a child? So as we leave the building where our friends now soundly sleep, without nightmares for a least a small reprieve has been bestowed upon them, we seek out this child.

Our travels lead us past many sights, a few of which we should take note of, as we will be seeing them again later in our journey. Several miles out we find the first place of note, a range of mountains known to most in this realm as the Andes. We steer far clear of this place. We can feel a power coming from its depths, an evil power. We may be forced to return here later but let us put it off for as long as we can, as you can be sure we will not like what we find. Speeding ahead we can see on the edge of the range an unusual sight. A literal lake of magma has formed at the base of the range even from this height we can feel the heat rising off its molten surface. This molten lake is a direct result of the disaster that is so often thought about but never spoken of by this world’s inhabitants. Moving faster still we catch a small glimpse of a dark figure perched atop a tree and if we didn’t know better it would seem he glances up at us as we pass by.

We have time enough to note one more thing, on the horizon smoke rises into the humid air. Not quite as far off we can see several small fires in what were most likely villages at one time. Something has been wreaking havoc on this region’s inhabitants and as much as we don’t want to we will eventually be forced to meet it. Taking our minds off such depressing subjects we finally arrive at our destination, a small village near the banks of a tributary to the Amazon River. Here we will finally meet this child we have been speaking of, as we glide gently down to the ground.

* * *

“Catch me if you can!” The cry startles a few of the village’s inhabitants but most pay it no heed for it is a joyous sound. The sound of a child. A sound now so rare that it is cherished and revered by most. Bounding by comes the owner of the voice, a small native girl of six. At her blurring speed her dark haired ponytail trails behind her in imitation of its namesake. Unfortunately for the girl she forgets the simple fact that running in dresses is not the smartest of things to do and trips headlong over the frayed hem and lands face first in pile of dirt. The said offending dress is a simple brown spaghetti strapped dress decorated on the front with a baby phoenix bird. In her landing the sandal of her right foot flies off and into the air where it soon connects with the forehead of an elderly man standing in front of a large hut. The resulting impact leaves the man out on his back and mumbling something about flying monkey bombs and other things that amount to similar gibberish.

Now coming up the path at much the same speed as the girl is a small boy of the same age. Apparently this is who was to do the catching before the ground did it for him. Seeing the girl face down in the dirt causes the boy to erupt in laughter that causes a few of the surrounding adults to smile.

“You fell, Rosa! Haha! I can’t believe you fell!” Now nearly rolling on the ground the boy is pointing and laughing hysterically barely being able to get out an intelligible sentence before breaking out into new waves of laughter. Standing up Rosa angrily brushes the dirt off the phoenix on the front of her dress and scowls at the boy.

“It’s not like you’ve never done something dumb yourself, Ricky. Nothing dumb like petting a porcupine or something.” The comment causes the laughter to at least die down into a slight giggle as Ricardo Martinez remembers quite well that particular event.

“Hey, no fair that was just a mistake. I thought it was some kind of squirrel ok?”

“Well, so? This was just an accident. There’s nothing funny about it!” As her anger gets the better of her Rosa’s face goes into ‘I hate your guts’ mode.

“Jeez, I’m sorry ok?” The apology gets no reaction from his female counterpart in this situation. Just as he is about to try again his voice falters as he sees the old man who was hit by Rosa’s shoe heading in their direction rubbing his head and cursing in their native tongue. Ricardo knows this man’s identity well as does everyone in the village, this is the village elder and if there is one lesson you are taught as a child in the village it is to never incur the wrath of the elder as they have apparently done. Rosa notices soon after Ricardo who it is headed toward them and she see her shoe in his hand and makes note of the growing bump on his head her dark, blue eyes grow wide with fear.

“Uh..oh...” Ricardo turns to run but is too late. He feels a strong grip land on his shoulder and hold him fast in his place. Looking over his should Ricardo’s eyes meet the firm gaze of the Elder’s.

“Which one of you attacked me with your shoe?” In most instances such a question would be hilarious to the child duo, however both are currently immobilized and unable to breath let alone speak. Ricardo is the first to finally break the paralysis as he uses his quick mind to come up with a highly intelligent response.

“It was Rosa! Sh-sh-she did it! I-I-I just found her this way, honest!” Well, maybe not all that intelligent but still a response anyway. The elder lets go of Ricardo and looks at Rosa with questioning eyes who is currently fixing Ricardo with a ‘You’re dead’ glare.

“Rosa, is this true what young Martinez says?” The Elder’s voice causes Rosa to break her killing stare and Ricardo take the opportunity to run for what could well be his life if Rosa ever catches him. Rosa simply stares in fear at the Elder as he leans in closer, “Well?”

“Y-ye-yes Elder...it was me. I-i-i’m sorry.” The Elder in his great age knows many things, one of them being that no child would ever intentionally hurt the Elder of their village but then again he just likes to have a little fun with them. A smile breaks on the Elder’s face unbeknownst to Rosa who can’t see it hidden behind the elderly man’s white beard.

“Where is your mother, Rosa?” The question catches the girl off guard as she was expecting some harsh punishment for injuring the Elder and she stammers for an answer.

“Uh...uhm...uh...home I...uh...think. Why?”

“Go home, Rosa. I will speak with Analisa on this subject later.” Rosa does as bidden secretly afraid of what the Elder and her mother will be speaking of later that night. As the youngster walks away the Elder peers around just now realizing that Ricardo has turned tail. The old man makes a mental note to speak with the boy later about courage in the face of danger, and as he walks back to his hut another smile crosses his wizened face and he speaks out loud to himself this time.

“Perhaps it is time Rosa learned that she and her mother are alike in more ways than just appearance.” With this the Elder sits back into a chair within the main room of his hut and drifts off to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. He’s just not as full of energy as he once was. As he sleeps he dreams of his days of glory and how he once fathered a daughter who he loved with all his heart. A daughter he named Rosa, oh so long ago.

* * *

A lesson well learned by the children is that you should respect elders and their privacy so once again let us drift off into the sky of this heated day. We have no business elsewhere so perhaps we to shall sleep. Perchance we may dream ourselves, but of what will remain a mystery. Suffice we must remember to wake up as we should be there for the meeting between the Elder and Rosa’s mother. We have a lot to learn and many questions to have answered. Perhaps, just perhaps we may get those answers tonight, but until then, sweet dreams.

Author’s Note: And so we meet another character, this one a simple child of all things. The Elder is a mysterious figure as we don’t know much about him but we soon will, come next chapter. Feel free to speculate to yourself about that last little comment about his daughter and how it all comes full circle. As always feel free to read and review. Until next chapter, Momentai.