Mr. Emu

The latest squatters had been thrown out by the police causing a father and his family to carry everything they could in their arms. They hadn't been able to afford the landlord's price anymore and as such had remained in their tiny apartment until the landlord, at last, had them evicted. They'd had paid the landlord if they could, but Mr. Emu being new to the country and a new immigrant from Bangladesh had quite the difficulties in finding employment.

The family of five had wandered the city all that evening as Mr. Emu desperately searched for a place for them to stay the night. But none of the inns would have them at seeing them including the ones where cash was paid upfront.

The lampposts grew longer until at last, the lampposts began to glow brightly at dusk. Moths fluttered about as the weary family trudged down the street with their few belongings. Mrs. Emu had dark olive skin and warm dark eyes. In their own language, she says, "Honey, we best be finding a place for the night. In an alleyway or in a park."

"The rest places are full at this hour and we don't know which spots to avoid, dear," Mr. Emu argued.

"The children are tired, honey," Mrs. Emu said as she glanced at their three children. Their two daughters were yawning, while their four-year-old son sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"All right, dear," Mr. Emu said. "Let us find a park bench for now. And then I'll go and search for a safer place."

"Yes, honey," Mrs. Emu said in relief as she hoisted their four-year-old son in her arms and kept a firm grip on the belongings she was carrying. Their two girls, ten and eight years old, trailed after them as they searched for the nearest park. It was a tiny one with a small playground.

Rather than lying down on the bench, Mrs. Emu laid her children on the round spinning circle as it was large and smooth. Their four-year-old son fell fast asleep as the two girls tiredly curled up against each other.

Glancing at his wife, Mr. Emu said, "I'll be back soon, dear."

"Take care," Mrs. Emu called out to him as he scurried away.

The night was cold and dark as if it was a new moon. Nary a shred of light could be seen in the night sky as clouds even covered the stars. The only lights were the flickering lights of the lampposts. But even those were dim in this night's eerie gloom.

Mr. Emu kept a firm grip on his pocketknife in his hand. This area of the city was quiet at this hour with very few cars on the dark winding roads. Even the hookers and gang members weren't seen in this abandoned part of town. There wasn't enough clientele and far too slim pickings even for the most desperate of hookers.

The chill of the night began to follow as Mr. Emu blew into his freezing hands and felt the coldness of winter. It'd been raining rather than snowing, but it looked as though it would finally snow tonight. He'd need to find shelter for his wife and children soon.

Putting his hands under his armpits to keep warm, Mr. Emu desperately searched the area for an abandoned warehouse that could be broken into. They just needed a place to stay for the night. They'd be gone in the morning, but he couldn't allow his children and wife to spend a night outside in the freezing elements! They might possibly die and freeze in the cold weather. And if it truly began to snow, they'd surely end up with Hypothermia.

At last, Mr. Emu spotted an old warehouse with broken lower windows. It'd be a tight fit and certainly be cold, but they'd not be out in the elements. Hurriedly, he peeked inside and found the roof was intact. Smiling despite the bitter chill, he turned back from whence he came.

He'd not gone far when he heard shouts and screams. Mr. Emu flinched and clenched the pocketknife in his pocket that much tighter. Creeping forward against the wall, he saw flashes of light, before a great green light that came with a roar-like wind. Feeling rather uneasy, he stopped and did not move. He had a feeling that he should not keep moving forward, but this was the only one-way street that led back to his family.

While Mr. Emu debated within himself the shrill piggy voice of Alecto Carrow voice is heard saying, "Dark Lord, shall we carry away the corpses for the night or shall we seek more of these filthy muggles?"

Mr. Emu couldn't quite understand all the words as he only caught the words, "Dark. Corpse. Night."

The icy voice of Voldemort says, "This will be more than enough, Carrow. But first, have your brother take care of the rat that is watching us."

"Yes, Dark Lord," wheezed excitedly, Amycus Carrow. The doughy-faced Death Eater eagerly merged from the shadows holding a wand in hand.

Mr. Emu held up his hands in peace and in broken English said, "Sorry. Sorry. No see nothing."

Mr. Emu doesn't even react when the man says, "Avada Kedavra!"

In slow motion, Mr. Emu sees a burst of green light fill the air as something heavy is ripped from him with a great roar in his ears. Suddenly he feels so very cold as he feels himself growing lighter as his body falls backward onto the cold pavement. It doesn't hurt at all, but all he can think of is his family as everything fades away into nothingness.

"Wrap the corpse up well," Voldemort ordered as he stepped out into the alley. "They mustn't be touched by light! Or else the ritual will fail, and it will be taken out on both of your hides!"

"Yes, Dark Lord," the Carrow brother and sister said as they levitated the corpse of Mr. Emu to the three-muggle corpse they'd acquired during the night. All four corpses were placed in a large cloth bag before the three wizards apparated away.

The next morning the entire city was abuzz with horror. The frozen corpses of four had been found in a park. A mother and her three children. They had no doubt fallen asleep and with the cold temperatures and snow, they had passed away during the night from the cold. The activists were outraged, including the general populace.

Sure, the squatter's issue was terrible, but it was still the middle of winter. Surely, they could have been shown some small mercy! And as such, the death of this small Bangladesh family was the spark that began to change in the country. And what would come of it, only time would tell.