The Smile *full*

It is the first snowfall of the year. Snow flakes flutter gently on to the slumbering earth, and melts, almost instantly, as it touches the hard ground. A sheet of silver covers the ruined city. People walk the street with caution, their faces as gray as the heaven above. No one made a sound, after all, the snapping of a twig may send someone jumping out of their socks. Its been a long year since the revolution, but the horrid image of the uprising is still imprinted inside people’s head. A cold-sore that pains everyone. The new government fails to deliver their promises, life didn’t get any easier than before. Yet, the residents prefers this mono-toned life over a life of turmoil. A time when they fall asleep each night with the sound of  bullets as their lullaby, and the smell of gun powder is the perfume they wear. To them living inside this cage is much more safer than soaring the open sky.
The small dark ally smells like death, many lay still as the snow queen extinguishes their flame of life.  A small figure moves through the slumped bodies. His footings are light and quick, making little sound as he sinks his bare foot into the snow. His necklaces of beads and metal chains clinks with each movement. He stops beside a fresh new body, “this one will do,” he said to himself as he began to undress the body, “I’m sorry man, don’t hate me, but the young ones need this more than you.” The boy moved from a body to the next, collecting cloth as he goes. Something in the pile of old newspapers catches his eye, he paused beside the pile and bent down to examine it. Suddenly a pale hand shot out from the papers and grabs on to the boy’s coat. “WHAT THE HELL!” the boy panics as he try to pull free. “Please…” A gentle voice comes from beneath the newspapers, the dark haired boy calmed down by this voice, slowly pulls each paper away. The owner of this voice is as delicate and amiable as the voice it self. His silky silver hair shines in the darkness, an glowing aura formed around his head. His eyes is blue like the summer sky, yet is as clear as the caribbean sea. “Please, help me.” He wears an innocent smile across his god carved features.
The boy took his new found friend to where he lives. Through the iron gates they enters a world of fading colors. The ferries wheel stands frozen in time, the merry go around no longer danced up and down with the cheerful music. Dust collected on the saddles of the wooden horse as paints cracked and piled off. But children’s laughter could still be heard. Those belonged to the homeless kids, to them this amusement park is their sanctuary.
“You can call me King,” The boy says, “everyone here calls me that , what should we call you?” He asks the pale boy. “DOL…my father calls me DOL.” he replies with the same old smile. “Heh, a very fitting name for you.” King chuckles.
Time passes, DOL helps taking care of the young ones and tell them stories and tales he heard from his “father.” He smiled all the time, when its raining, when he trips and falls on his knees, nothing can upset him in this world.
“Why do you wear that stupid grin all the time?” King asks DOL as he sits on the merry go around. “Well…its because i am made to smile.” DOL answered with his clear voice. “By who? is it that father of yours?” King said carelessly as he toys around with his necklaces and chains. “Yes.” replied DOL. “So your father is your creator then,” King continued on with his questioning, “what was he like? and where is he now?”
“Hmm…father was a kind and quiet man, he spend most of time in the work shop. We don’t see each other often, but father told me many stories of the revolution. He told me how this world need more smiling faces like mine.” DOL paused, “I want to see him again, if i do, i’ll stay with him until all the parts rust in me, until my limbs refuse to move, until the moment I cease to exist. But the people in red took him away…”
“People in red? you mean the national guards?” King stared at DOL, “What do they want anyways?”
“Me.” Dol looked at King with his marble eyes, “they will discover that i am here soon, its only a matter of time. When that time comes…” Dol edged closer to King and whispered quietly into his ears. King’s eyes widened as he hears those words, “NO! I CAN’T, I WON’T” he screamed back at DOL.
“Please…” said DOL with the same angelic smile. Silence falls between the two. The weak winter sun shines softly on to the melting snow.
The guards did come a few days later, but they didn’t get what they were searching for. They found his motionless body leaning against the ancient merry go around. His elegant face cracks and crumbles, his fragile body lay tangled. But he still have that cherubic smile on his face. Like tears, a brown liquid trickles down his face.

~ by hotara on November 20, 2006.