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1beo tbey come fot me

ooJ tbete wos oo ooe left to speok oot fot me

l sLared aL hlm from across Lhe playground lL was a sLunnlng summers
day Lhe clouds were Laklng a break whlle Lhe sun was worklng
overLlme 1he bland concreLe recLangle was allve chlldren ran
shouLlng all around lL llke llLLle worker bees buzzlng around and
geLLlng ln each oLhers way 1he boy was slLLlng on Lhe wooden sLeps
alone happlly eaLlng a sandwlch We were boLh new and we sLlll
dldnL have anyone else Lo hang ouL wlLh aL lunchLlme 1hls was Lhe
sLarL of whaL l could Lell would be a beauLlful relaLlonshlp Pe was
wearlng a 8aLman LshlrL 8aLman was my favourlLe We could debaLe
abouL wheLher Mlller or Moore was Lhe beLLer wrlLer or abouL Lhe
ldeal conLenLs of Lhe uLlllLy belL or Lhe necesslLy for 8ruce Lo
dlsLance hlmself from oLhers Maybe LhaL would be Loo forward maybe
hls mum boughL hlm Lhe LshlrL Maybe he acLually llked Superman more
l swallowed hard Lrylng Lo lgnore Lhe posslblllLy l was flne wlLh Superman Pe was sLlll happlly eaLlng
Lhe sandwlch obllvlous Lo my presence My overLhlnklng was hopefully [usL Lo balance hls lack of
Lhlnklng aL all l eyed up Lhe resL of Lhe playground surveylng Lhe LerrlLory before maklng my move
1here were a few glrls playlng wlLh a bouncy ball A boy curled over some klnd of Cameboy lL was Lhe
Afrlcan Savannah Lhey were harmless gazelle and l was a llon a lone hunLer eyelng my prey 1hen ouL
of Lhe corner of my eye l spoLLed a group of hyenas 1here were four boys wearlng baseball caps and
colourful LshlrLs Lhey were grlnnlng because Lhey knew no maLLer how hungry l was or how well fed
Lhe hyenas were one llon couldn'L Lake on four hyenas My sLomach seeped lnLo Lhe bench clenched
llke a flsL l puL my own sandwlch down lL was now or never frlends never or frlends forever l sLood
up deLermlned Lo make hlm my frlend l roared Cr Lrled 8uL noLhlng came ouL l sLood Lhere a lump ln
my LhroaL purrlng muLedly whlle Lhe four boys advanced on Lhe new kld lL was Loo laLe now A warm
Lear rolled down my cheek and l ran lnslde

1he doorbell rang l was a sLaLue lL was LhaL or [elly and l knew
whlch one would look beLLer l was eaLlng a Longue sandwlch my LeeLh
were Lhe bread l wlnced buL lL was Lhe only Lhlng keeplng me
LogeLher 1he wlnd slapped my hollow cheeks all my halr was on end l
was an overgrown porcuplne ouL ln Lhe cold buL LhaL was Lhe lasL of
my concerns 8ehlnd Lhe omlnous oak door Lhrough Lhe glazed glass
Lhere was a beauLlful prlncess She was bubbly exclLlng and
dlfferenL from all Lhe oLher glrls She was unlque llke every oLher
glrl ln Lhese slLuaLlons and she would be mlne Powever she was
guarded by an overproLecLlve faLher a [udgemenLal moLher a Lrlcky
sLalrcase expecLaLlons of her from socleLy my poor communlcaLlon
skllls under sLress and sLandards ln general l swayed back and forLh
on Lhe doorsLep a bunch of flowers ln hand l musL've looked llke an
elaboraLe flowerpoL 1he nlghL was a rlch black Lhe darkness
lnLerrupLed by Lhe occaslonal sLreeLllghL chlrplng ln Lo remlnd me
how hopeless Lhe slLuaLlon was A seed of doubL had been planLed
wlLhln me and lL had blossomed reachlng Lhrough my body aLLracLlng
buLLerflles l sLared down aL Lhe doorknob lL was a warm brass
reassurlng me wlLh lLs rlch yellowy LlnL lL sLarLed Lo LwlsL 8y Lhen
l was halfway down Lhe road
1he Lle was llke a noose around my neck l should have lefL lL aL home lL vlclously rubbed agalnsL my
Lender flesh llke an exoLlc snake playlng wlLh lLs helpless prey Cf course wearlng a Lle ls Lhe Lhlrd
requlremenL of [ob lnLervlews 1he flrsL requlremenL ls belng quallfled for Lhe [ob Lhe second ls wanLlng
Lhe [ob l hope Lhe Lle compensaLed for Lhe lack of Lhe flrsL Lwo 1he room was a bland shade of carpeL
and Lhe regulaLlon offlce bllnds were aL an angle where Lhe sun wlnked aL me coaxlng me Lo go ouLslde
accenLuaLlng Lhe dusL ln Lhe room My chalr was Lhe same Lone as Lhe resL of Lhe room and l clung Lo
Lhe meLal armresLs anchorlng myself ln lLs sLlff wooden base l couldn'L sLop vlbraLlng my hearL was
beaLlng llke a waLerfall heavy and relenLless l glanced aL Lhe paper resLlng on my lap a yellowy brown
from lLs resldence ln my pockeL as lf someone had smeared a Leabag all over lL 1here were varlous
columns wlLh grades ln Lhem some Cs some 8s buL mosLly As l was good enough Lo make Lhe
lnLervlew buL l knew Lhls was my lasL hurrah My llps were raw from belng blLLen and over Lhe pasL Len
mlnuLes l had conLracLed an llleglble sLuLLer l was ln no flL sLaLe Lo be lnLervlewed lf l dldn'L collapse
before golng ln Lhe resoundlng fallure LhaL was Lo come would deflnlLely shaLLer me l was wasLlng my
Llme and Lhelr Llme Lhe sun was rlghL 1hls offlce couldn'L conflne me wlLh lLs carpeL and dusL and
borlng chalrs l was a free man And wlLh LhaL l slammed Lhe offlce doors shuL behlnd me



1here were only Lwo people ln Lhe cemeLery Lhe rlesL and Lhe
underLaker lL was a very efflclenL servlce boLh men were here for
buslness noL lelsure 1he sky was dlslnLeresLed grey wlLh
lndlfference whlle Lhe few splndly Lrees LhaL clrcled Lhe cemeLery
seemed lnLenL on sLandlng as far away as posslble Lven Lhe
gravesLones avolded me Lhey faced away Lhelr sLony backs arched
compleLely lgnoranL 1he underLaker lowered my small black capsule
lnLo Lhe ground Lhe rlesL mumbled a few words and Lhen l was
burled lL was all very qulck and surprlslngly borlng l LhoughL
deaLh was supposed Lo be Lhe grand flnale Lhe be all and end all buL
noLhlng happened Llfe or whaLever lL was [usL wenL on 1he rlesL
and underLaker were gone Lhe gravesLones dldn'L know l exlsLed and
llke everyLhlng else Lhey dldn'L care So Lhere l lay surrounded by
dlrL and noLhlngness As l lay someLhlng began Lo happen above me
1hree specLral flgures floaLed Lowards my gravesLone 1he boy l never befrlended 1he glrl l never
asked ouL 1he man l never worked for
1hey sLood Lhere smlllng hand ln hand and began Lo slng

ete lles o moo JeoJ ooJ totteo
All ttoces qooe leqocy fotqotteo
Oo tbe Joy be JleJ ooboJy mootoeJ
All tbose wbo woolJ be boJ olteoJy scotoeJ
Ooe of mooy olooe lo tbe qtoooJ
A wottbless tellc oevet to be foooJ
A llfe of tejectloo tbe ftleoJless potb
8ot tbose be tejecteJ wlll bove tbe lost looqb
AoJ oow bls beott bos boJ lts lost beot
AoJ bes stock fotevet wltb bls colJ feet