Do you see the shadow,
The darkness that draws near.
If you see the shadow,
It's nothing you should fear.
If you hear the shadow,
Do not put up a fight.
For others will surely follow
When it's time to say goodnight.
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If there was one person you could shield from the harshness of reality, who would it be? Your partner? Friend? Relative? Or perhaps your child?
Human beings were like any other creature alive, fighting to survive.
Charles Darwin said it best, only the fittest who adapted to their environment survived.
Animals relied on their instincts to survive, it was either kill or be killed. Humans, however, survived in a horde of ways. By any means necessary. The crucial difference between animal and human survival is malice, animals killed not out of malice but the same could not be said for humans. They could take anything from another of their kind and use it for monetary gain before disposing of it when it was no longer useful.
Janine McCarthy was a perfect example of the shallowness and greed of humans. She survived by any means necessary, even if that meant sacrificing others, especially her own children. As Janine walked down the hall of her one-story house, she peeked into one of the rooms. Her eyes focused on the occupants, her steel gaze hard and unfeeling as she looked on.
"I may need another hour" the gruff voice grunted as he continued his activity without regard for the person under him.
"That will cost you" Janine retorted.
"Doesn't matter" the man replied.
"Then take all the time you need" Janine smiled sweetly before moving onward.
As Janine came upon the last room, the door burst open, "I want my money back" growled the fuming six-foot-one man. Janine's eyes widened as she looked from the man and into the room at the boy inside. His eyes held an inferno, rousing the flame of anger in Janine.
"Let me speak with him" Janine tried to bargain; the angry man was hearing none of it. He demanded his money from Janine which she had reluctantly given before he stormed from the house. The slam of the door was timed well with the drop in Janine's outer persona, the polite smile on her face completely vanished, the look of contempt she now held usually chilled the boy it was directed at but his expression mirrored hers.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded, Janine kept her voice leveled, not wanting to disturb her other "guests".
"I told you, I won't be a part of your disgusting "business" anymore" the boy snapped.
"Then leave" Janine hissed.
"Oh, I will. And I will be taking my sisters with me."
"And where will you go hmm? Will you live on the street or some abandoned building with a twelve and fourteen-year-old, eating what comes out of the trash day by day? People will notice, Kyle! You won't make it a week without child services capturing and separating you and even if you managed to run away, you'd have to find a way to make money to survive and protect those two. Let me tell you honey you can't do both." Janine walked up to her son and grabbed his chin, "you'll just wind up doing the same thing you are now or worse, stop being so ungrateful! Here you have a roof over your head and food to fill your stomachs."
