Like Everyone Else Now

Psychiatrists and the like, those who pretend to understand the minds of others, you know the types. Well they all agree that the Kubler-Ross model appropriately maps the five stages for reaction to loss and grief. It takes time. Months, maybe years, they say, to pass through all stages. Darren Sproles felt all five reactions in the time it took for the sputtering fuse to burn down and ignite the quarter stick of dynamite. He hoped he could escape. He knew he couldn't.

Darren awoke to the tweets of songbirds and a cool breeze. His head throbbed, but not with serious pain. Trying to assess his situation, his hands reached behind his back amidst an ominous perception of sudden concern. Darren's eyes widened when he saw the amount of blood on his finger tips and his heart sunk when he glanced to the heap of upturned soil. Upon it lay his bloodspattered tail. His unique gift that made him different than the other boys.

Eternal sadness awaits Darren and all cogs in the machine.