Prologue

A young boy stepped off the verandah, and on to the gravelled path. He waved to his mother, and felt the lunch he’d made that morning settle in his backpack. He walked to the gate, and with a squeak and a clang was out. His watch blinked 8:30 – 5 minutes before the bell. A glance back at the house revealed no parent; no doubt she was already grabbing her cigarettes now that he was off to school. He sighed, and jogged up the street.

In ten seconds, he was at a crossroads.

Someone was already there. A rugged but not unfriendly man studied him as he approached. A car approached the intersection. The man grinned, and stepped in the road. The car screeched, but the driver had ignored the speed limit. The man rolled up the car and his arm caught under the windscreen wiper, wrenching his head against the glass before it broke. His arm, that is. The body flipped in midair, landing on the boot of the car as it rolled forwards. He slid awkwardly onto the asphalt, bleeding.

He was laughing the whole time.

The boy ran away.