No one sees me counting the stars...

"I have to be careful to not get caught snooping around." The boy closed his eyes and focused on the sounds surrounding him. A sharp knife swiftly cut through cucumber, the blade hitting the wooden plank underneath. Rice gently cooked in a pot on the stove. "Roxanne isn't that far from this room." He opened his eyes and checked all entrances. There were three doors: two on his right and one behind him. Door number one led to a hallway. Behind door number two seemed to be a closet. Roxanne had left the room through door number three. He had to make sure the coast was clear, but his gutts told him to not open the third door. "If she notices me, game's over." He jumped back into the sofa. Keeping an eye on the huge grandfather's clock, the boy rang the bell she'd given him. Roxanne rushed in. "What's wrong?" she asked concerned. "Nothing. Just checking," Storm signed joking. The girl playfully swinged he...

Storm's dream started off sweet, but soon turned into a nightmare. The faceless shadow haunted him. It finally revealed its true colours. The background turned scarlet. The dark figure rose up. Its eyes were filled with hatered. The shadow held the photograph in its hand. When Storm tried to reach out for it, he fell down a black hole. Suddenly bullets flew past him. A bom exploded nearby. Body parts were raining from the sky. Little Storm was drenched in blood, surrounded by corpses. Five of them had been decapitated and put on for display. The boy stared into their lifeless eyes. Storm woke up, bathed in sweat. "I need to see that picture. Now!" But how could he ever explain Roxanne he knew where that photograph was? How could he explain her why he needed to see it? All he had, were some vague memories, a terrible feeling and a bad dream. He could wait for the old man to come back, just like he first planned. The boy was way too curious, though. And after that...

"That was Benedict." The girl's hair jumped up with excitement. "He's the best detective in the whole wide world! One day, I'll be as good as he," she dreamed out loud. "I still need to learn a lot, though." "A detective? Why was I at a detective's place back then?" It didn't matter how hard he tried, all Storm remembered was that faceless shadow and that photograph... "Why do I feel I've forgotten something important?" He wanted to ask Roxanne about it, but she didn't act like they'd already met: why would she call him 'Storm', if she knew his real name? The old man is the only one who holds the key to this mystery. "I'll wait untill he comes back." "Do you like it?" Roxanne interrupted his train of thoughts. "Wait? What?" The boy hadn't got a clue what she just asked. Seeing his confused face, the girl repeated the question: "I'm going t...

"I'm home", a loud voice echoed through the house. A tall old man entered the room. "And who's this?" he asked, taking of a fake nose. "He can't speak, so I call him Storm," Roxanne cheerfully greeted the man with the hawk-like eyes. "Storm, ehm? You look rather familiar... Have we met before?" "The old man indeed looks familiar. Now that you mention: this whole room looks familiar." Flashbacks suddenly crossed the boy's mind. Storm had been here before. He was accompagnied by someone... "Who was I with?" His head hurt trying to remember. It felt like his memories about this place were blocked. Storm wasn't a guy who forgot things. He remembered the tiniest details. He easily recited conversations happening five years ago. But all he could recall of his previous visit was a faceless shadow and a blurry recollection of a picture in that drawer over there. "Oh well," the old man said not...

"People only help you if they somehow can use you." He stared at the girl with the caramel hair. "I wonder what her end game is..." "You really don't trust people, now do you?" Roxanne seemed to answer his thoughts. "How did she-?!" "I'm not a mind reader," she said slightly amused by his busted-face. "I just see it in your eyes and I noticed the-" she pointed at his arms. Ashamed, he pulled down his sleeves to hide his wrists. He felt a bandage. She nursed the new-?! "I saw the blood. I hope you don't mind," she hesitated. He shook his head: "No." "Why is she so nice to me?" Storm couldn't seem to figure her out. (Image made by yours truly)

"I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. My mind finally gets some peace. This feels great. My pain isn't completely gone, but it's hurting less. Was I wrong? Can I really be healed? This music sure has a calming effect on me. It's been a while since I could see everything so clear. Wait a second.... That's.... A radio?" He slowly opened his eyes. "Ceiling... Wall.... HUMAN?! I need to get out of here A.S.A.P! Before sh-" The girl came closer. "Too late. She spotted me." "Are you hungry? I made you a meal. Do you want some water?" she shifted the plate a bit more to his side."If she went through all the trouble making me a meal, it would be rude to refuse", he thought. The boy reached out for the food and started to eat."Do you like it?", she stared at him with her big blue eyes. He nodded. "I'm Roxanne. What's your name?" He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. "You can...

He was barely alive when she found him. The girl with the white dress brought him inside. He lay down on the sofa while she gently covered his broken body with some fluffy sheets. She prepared a meal in case he would wake up and get hungry. She guessed she couldn't do anything wrong by giving him some water as well. After putting the food within reach, she softly kissed his forehead. "Stay with me," she whispered. (Image found at  www.lioden.com  )

Did it stop raining? No, I still hear the water splashing... Then why don't I feel it anymore? Is this what dying feels like? Becoming all numb? No longer being able to feel the rain on your face? But I like the rain... My limbs may have become numb, my feelings didn't. It still hurts inside. I don't think it will ever go away. Ha! Not even Death can release me from this suffering. If I knew sooner... If I had one more chance I wouldn't let them defeat me. I'd fight back. I'd show them they can't hurt me. But I was so stupid to believe their every word. I let them inside my head. If I only had one more chance to prove them wrong.... But it's too late. There's no turning back. I'm so stupid. (Image found at  www.f-covers.com  )

They laughed at him. They banished him. He had enough of it. He was going to end this. For once and for all! He found himself a nice spot in the middle of gang territory. If he got killed during a robbery, then at least he wouldn't die alone. "Where are those stupid robbers when you need them?! Don't they want easy money? I look like the perfect victim, right? So why don't they come and get me?" The guy waited for hours, but still no agressors. "I'm not even good enough to be robbed," the seventeen year old thought. It started to rain. His hoodie got soaked. He wasn't going to give up, though. He was ready to meet his destiny, no matter how long it would take. "I'm no longer going to be the laughingstock! I'm ready to die! AAAA-CHOOOOO!" The poor boy got sick. His temperature rose. Consciousness made room for ever increasing unconsciousness. He balanced on the thin line between life and dead. It was now only a matte...