Lost Echoes

ACT I

BLACK SHIELD

Oh, God! Help me…! My small legs, can't out run these three-legged men. I just turn seven, there is no Heaven…! Every night I play games that hurt my body… I smell of cigarettes, and when I begin to cry they burn me for jolly laughter on cellphone bright lights. Why…?

Today is my birthday, a new year… I must… No I well run out of this orphanage into the forest, let me die among trees and lay where the autumn flowers rest.

I run… I run… And I run… The sound of crushing dry leaves that shatter the silent night, like the sound of a writer chaotic crushing his first draft paper in frustration.

Yet, the still silent is follow by jin-jingling chains to hounds of three that bark in the night a escape hast. The dogs begin to battle over a piece of clothing for the scent that is something missing.

"Get that piece of shit!"

I drift into the jungle of tree and in the meadow I see a tall sleeping willow. I hurtle some small logs and zig-zag in to open willow, the willow accept my broken body plea and hold me tight into her dense hair. Broken branch echo closer making it's trail toward my shivering body, I look down and only have my torn Bug Bunny pajama, that has been a little bit of blood that they could never can erase. I shiver more in the moist air.

I try to be silent, as I turn into a ball trying to be smaller then the small mouse that hurries pass me with eyes of freight. As dense fog begins to rise as the steps begin to move closer and closer.

Why God? I lost my families to wars, now all alone with weird toys I play with. God let me die here no more cameras and smelly men. I cradle into cradle rock. Steps came with many flash lights that saber through the dense fog… Oh, God! Dogs begin to weed into the dense sleeping willow that holds me even tighter to a strong warming grip.

"Excuse me! Nice gentlemen. Good night to say Amen!"

And hunch over weight man in red robe with burning lion and spit out,

"Who the hell are you?"

A tall black man leaned over side to side, checking his all black trench goat pockets… The were riddle with purple rubies all over on the border of pure black attire.

"Sorry, never drive so I'm a little bit tipsy… Tipsy on legal drugs thou… I had a note card to have a cool entrance but can't seem to find it…"

The hoard of men that began to come out of the darkness began to all laugh in their robes.

The tall black man pulled out a piece a subscription paper…

"Here, it is… Never know when I'm out of meds so I wrote it on the back here… Ok let me begin again…

'You said who the hell are you, give or take and now I say…

Let's make this more simple… Good night my fellow Kings Men, shall we wine and dine in Valhalla…!"

Laughter began to erupt in party score that change the darkness forest into a merry old party.

"You damn nigger, we are fifteen and your figures don't add up to a nice end. So, why don't you go about your way? Or… Does this nigger need a job as a janitor."

The tall black rock side to side and started to look inside his coat.

The same time the group of fifteen pulled their weapon of choice.

"Hold up nice gentlemen. It just a stick a gum! I'm not that dumb, but word around the Abby you guys have been given the rank of Knights."

"Tis none of your business lad go about your way…" The old man sneered as He looked at his dogs, that seem to be stuck still…

The dark man look at the red moon… Casting her evil light down… On the scene in the open meadow that the fog began to carry away by a gentle eerie breeze.

"Why does it always have to be on a full moon…" He whisper to himself.

"Damn Nigger, speak up boy. Are you bloody mental." The old man burst out as if beginning to be on edge.

Laughter once again filled the sky…

From the left side… Someone yealed out in drunken mess…

"String that nigger up and begone with him and let him us go about our business…"

"And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on tree:

His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; for he that is hanged is accursed of God; that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." The tall black man replied in a slow a steady voice, slowly peeling the stick of gum and began place in his mouth still looking at the moon.

"What you say boy?" The old hunch back man lingered closer.

"Deuteronomy 21:22,23… Just a law in The Torah, that always seems to be following me as of late."

"Who the fuck is talking about The Torah…?" The old man hissed.

"Yeah, that is the problem. People are not to into the detail, but trust me the Devil is!"

They all began to hiss.

"String that nigger now!" The group burst out in array of voices…

"Well fellow before you do that, take a look at this…"

Tension as thick as fog that begin to rise knee high. I look on but could not see who was the tall dark man it was hard to see because he came from behind the group of men… I was ready to take my chance, and I'm going to run but someone suddenly cover my mouth with something and my green eyes felt heavy as the sleep willow let me go and fell back into someone arm as I try to fight but eyes fell eyes wide shut.

A black wallet was toss in the dew filled grass. The old man in red robe took a long time to bend over… Picking it up with caution.

"What the fuck is this."

He opens it up as the orange yellow light blinded the fat bald man. It was a circle badge with a platinum circle around the gold. With no number… Nothing. All gather like rats to fresh cheese… Ear to ear grins spread of greed eyes as they flash back forth into pitch black.

The old man wash away his smile and responded with disdained,

"A little gold and some platinum, the not even worth inch of one my toilets."

"Oh do I know," the dark man snapped back with a calm matter as he bent down and comb the grass. "Don't you like the smell of grass… It's simple… It's natural…"

"You niggers are all for the grass..."

Laughter rang out louder this time.

"Well fellow, I love nature because it circular and it has tight net bond with all. And like you I'm a knight too… The difference we are Holy Knights… And that circle is a reminder of a Halo."

The old man pulled out 22-Bore Flintlock Duelling Pistols, and began to look on nervously as all the rest fall suit.

"We?"