A dream begins, started anew Eager and optimistic, ready to fly The dream goes by, forgotten when due

Plans are formed when skies are blue When hope is strong, and spirits are high A dream begins, started anew

But fleeting thoughts begin to coup I will begin tomorrow, said with a sigh The dream goes by, forgotten when due

But in this cycle, I've always had you Believing in me when spirits are dry A dream begins, started anew

But I will always have you

I decided to try one last gamble with an old friend and stepped outside. I was greeted with a red dot on my chest belonging to a Remington M24. I didn't need to see the weapon to know what was trained on me. I had gifted it to him last week after all. Heartbeats passed as I stood there with my arms raised. In my hand I held a sign with words I wished were not true.

"I know where Claire is".

I held a second sign hidden behind the first. Two phone numbers, one on each side. One number would reveal truth held back. The other was a another lie upon lie. I hadn't had time to consider which gambit was better, so I wrote down both and hoped this would buy me time to think. I closed my eyes and hoped the light would be gone when they reopened. Maybe I could continue running if it was. It wasn't, of course. I had to give him a number. One would vilify me even more. One would do the opposite. Was it justice to be forced to choose after what I've already done? I closed my eyes and made the cowards choice, and showed the truth.

I waited. Thinking out the seconds of pain this bought me. He would be taking out his phone. Bring.. bring... Bring.. bring... Then Claire's voice. A few words on an answering machine was all that remained of the truth. I waited for the choice to be made for me.

Bang.

Echo.

Birds scattering from the trees.

Silence.