The Sampton Anthem

The Manton’s were a family that lived in Sampton Village in the north. The founder family and as tradition the governor was the chief of the family. One day the young son woke up with everyone dead all around him the village was almost a graveyard.When he reached the central square he sang:

All in one
All in death
And me to reign
Over the lake

Then he walked slowly over the pale village till the gate to The Verst Forest, he roamed and roamed into the forest he went and the sights of the lake became visible.
A black figure stood by the lake quietly silent. The young Sampton kept walking then suddenly stopped. The black figure said “ I have been summoned to this place, was you little boy?” “No, sir, I was on my way to the lake where I shall reign” “Reign over what?” “Over my village over my souls! ” “I’m Death child, indeed you summoned me and these souls are mine! “ “ No Sir, they are not yours because if you are Death I gave you to them, so they belong to me” .
“Wretched Child you stole the life and even the death, I shall go but your soul is mine!” “O sir! My soul is yours for the taking, and for the fire I’m commended!” “Indeed child…”.
The black figure left and the Sampton child reach the lake and all they sang:

Come Will-o'-the-wisp
Shall Sampton be your place to rest
Where life and death is a dream
Where the young child sings:
All in one
All in life
All in death
Death to all
And me to reign
Over the lake
The soul of the forgotten
Lay at my hand
And Death Hand
Watch over my head
Sing souls of numb
The song of Sampton
The wretched son

The resting bench

There was silence. The graveyard was almost empty, the sun was almost set and night slowly started to step forward. The month of may have been generous, so cold was not a companion of the dark. Mary Stevens was still is front of the grave, she was lost in time and she stood there all day, she can't recall, but before she could walk away the gates close down on her. She was in shock and panic came after that, but in meanwhile she calm down when she stared at an older person sit on the bench.She thought that at least she was not alone. When she came closer the old said "come sit next to me, we are on for a long night, and some company will be appreciated on my behalf”. Mary listened to the calm tone of the voice and nothing to fear have come to her mind, she sat and asked"why are you here, were you distracted by time too?"."No young girl, time and I are acquaintances, but truth said i think he does not like me. Anyway i sit here to enjoy this peaceful place and rest awhile in Moonlight Company"."I shouldn’t be here my son is at home and i promise him my special recipe"."Mary there is nothing you can do now, except enjoy this friendly warm night".Mary accepted the kind words of this old stranger, somehow his word had the gift to calm her."how did you end up here have you lost someone?"."No little child, i have not lost anyone, in fact i have never lost anyone”. “how is that possible?""Well little girl, i'm a wanderer. All my life i have been summoned from place to place, i never stop, that's why i need to rest once in awhile like this night"."You didn't answer my question" said Mary. “For that child I'll have to talk about what i do”. Mary thought for herself how could such old person be working at that age?"I'm like a farmer, a harvester of what have been left for taking on the field, only taking those who are already in the ground, and i carry it like a basket of fruit full of what i take...souls”. Mary was shocked, such a peaceful voice and such a danger she thought and for seconds Mary stood still without any reaction, after that her first words were “have you come for me?"."No child, don't be afraid, i did not come for you, I’m only resting for this night, on the resting ground of all of them, it makes me feel I’m not alone, but luck have granted me you for my company for tonight”. Mary couldn't believe she was still trembling as her voice, in all the madness she thought, and suddenly a raging old sorrow came from her mouth "why did you take my husband? Why? When he was so young? Why he couldn't meet is son? Why?”For the first time the peaceful voice yelled “why?!Why am I blamed for everything?!Why the thread of fate is not to blame?!Why the temptations of the fallen one are always forgotten?!",Mary was scared, that scream was like anything she ever heard before, in that scream the tears ,moaning, grief were present for all eternity, but before any possible reaction the peaceful voice spoke "Child, you know so little about anything but one thing I’ll let you know. I knew your husband well enough to know what happened""What? What happened to him?"."calm down young girl, as you know your husband wanted a son, and as he told before I left in his place he told me that you two couldn't have a son and tried everything, so one night for the first time he can recall he prayed in despair but no one listened and for his doom he said "anyone" and the fallen one aided by the fate of an anguished man, answered and said "your son for a little thing from you" and your husband without thought said "yes" a man in despair and for this a cursed man and for the rest you know and i was there, when the stroke hit his heart and nothing could be done”. Mary cried for a while then he spoke "Don't cry child each one of you have to make choices and fate. Fate is unforgiving, even I cannot escape my fate, so don't blame yourself or your son for your husband choice, because guilt shall not be put upon you but fate, fate should responsible for his threads ".Mary was exhausted, she couldn't think clearly, she was overwhelmed."Child you should rest now come closer, as I said and I thought you knew I didn't come for you and the fallen one does not act trough me”. Mary felt the cold embrace but everything stayed the same, and the old one have not spoken a word more and Mary fell asleep looking at the pale bright moon. When the first rays of light touched her, her eyes have open and the sun was almost at half and the gates have open long ago. In distance Mary saw her son with two roses her wedding flowers. John Stevens was wearing black the roses in his right hand have been left in the grave where Mary had stood still all yesterday. In the grave could be read " in memory of: Gary John Stevens faithful husband and father 1937-1964 and Mary Joanna Stevens faithful wife and Caring Mother 1939-2009".

 

The Window

The sun was not too high.He could see the street clearly,the stained glass of the window stood there for more than a week but he could see through,he's eyes were not as good as they use to be, his advanced age and hours spent working in a computer staring at screen did not help .His wife always said that he should rest a little, but that work was really inportant, the work of a lifetime.He never have the chance to see his kids when is wife asked for divorce, the work was more important.Now he stands close to the window,he see the park that so many times his wife talked about, he never noticed in that window so the park was really a bonus feature of the picture he could get through the window.In the park an old lady was feeding the ducks on the lake, five kids were palying hide and seek and a dog and his owner were playing.A couple appeared, they were holding hands, suddenly he remember when he was young and dated with his ex-wife,and that park wasn't a stranger for him back then.
The sunset was close, he step back from the window and look to his working table the computer was still on the screen was in stand by and his body was on the floor,the doctor told him that a break down could happen if he didn't rest, he didn't listen, now a body with a heart attack stands by him,who will continue the work of a lifetime?He didn't know.He rushed to the window and for the first time he tried to open the window and stepped out.The moon was almost high and darkness and moonlight welcomed him in the park.

Beatriz e a menina dos fósforos

Pai para onde vamos?" Dizia Beatriz no banco de trás do carro de família. "Já vais ver Beatriz, é surpresa" diz-lhe ele. Beatriz não conseguia conter a sua curiosidade, afinal tinha apenas oito anos e sabia bem que o pai sempre lhe dizia que era surpresa mas tentava de cada vez que iam de viagem. "Bia" , "Sim mãe?" , "Queres que te conte a história da menina dos fósforos?" "sim mãe, não sei qual é.." , "Era uma vez uma menina como tu, era muito pobre e não tinha pais, não tinha nada, vivia num orfanato, um dia no inverno , ela perdeu-se na cidade , e só tinha com ela uma caixa de fósforos, pela noite ela não tinha com se aquecer, foi gastando os fósforos um a um, quando acendeu o último um homem alto apareceu, e perguntou-lhe o que fazia ali, ela disse que era órfã e que se tinha perdido e não tinha para onde ir, o homem diz-lhe vem comigo, ela foi, levou-a para casa aonde ele e a mulher cuidaram dela e a adotaram e ela viveu feliz para..". Enquanto Beatriz pensava na menina, um carro em contramão ofusca os olhos de Beatriz. Beatriz acorda no hospital, nos primeiros momentos não parece perceber onde se encontra mas quando viu as batas brancas percebeu. A médica e assistente social encontram-se ao fundo da cama mas Beatriz não faz ideia porque é que há uma senhora de cartão-de-visita no peito, ao lado da médica, a senhora aproxima-se. "Beatriz os teus pais morreram...te. Beatriz não ouviu mais nada desatou a chorar passado algum tempo, Beatriz lembra-se da história que a mãe lhe contou e acalmou. Beatriz foi levada para um orfanato, mas depressa descobriu que histórias são histórias e que recém-nascidos e crianças até aos quatro anos são adotadas, e que a partir da idade dela a esperança e a sorte conjugam-se pois a solidão destas é também a de Beatriz. É agora inverno Beatriz tem nove anos, e lembra-se todos os dias da história da mãe, Beatriz tem consigo uma caixa de fósforos, pediu uma logo que chegou ao orfanato, e a assistente social explicou o porquê. Beatriz acende um dos fósforos, deixou o fogo queimar a madeira lentamente, mais uma vez lembrou-se da história que a mãe lhe contara e então num impulso começa a correr, sai do orfanato, continua a correr, passa pela mercearia e o talho e continua a correr, quando parou já o sol se punha e as ruas aguardavam a escura noite, o frio fazia-se já sentir, Beatriz corria mas mais devagar toda aquela adrenalina tinha-a esgotado, quando as forças lhe faltaram, já a lua ia alta no céu, parou e encostou-se a uma parede sentou-se lentamente pôs os braços sobre os joelhos e a cabeça entre eles e começou a chorar, assim continuou até começara sentir os primeiros arrepios de frio e a temperatura corporal a descer, começou a tremer e os dentes a bater , lembrou-se da caixa de fósforos que tinha consigo, tentou encontrar uns paus, encontrou cinco paus mirrados pelo frio mas estes ainda assim arderam quando Beatriz os acendeu, foi aquecendo as mãos, não dava para mais. Os paus acabaram de arder , e só restava a Beatriz três fósforos ,já não conseguia mover as pernas acendeu um e começou a lembrar-se da história da mãe, acendeu o segundo e a esperança saia lhe pela boca, quando só a menina dos fósforos era a única coisa que lhe restava na memória, acendeu o terceiro, este queimou a madeira lentamente lascas pequenas saltavam para o vento gelado, por fim o fogo passou a um pequeno fio de fumo levado pela noite.

Kenny's Fountain

Little boy Kenny lives in a small town , everyday we walks by the Elly Flistone fountain.Elly Flistone was a boy that have died saving her little sister Ann Flistone from drowning, we was so praised that the mayor ordered that a foutain should be built to remember the courage of the boy.The fountain itself have in the center an image of a little angel, after all , such a good boy must be in heaven.Kenny never came close to the foutain, but yesterday the curiosity took the best of him, and he came close , he looked to the stained water ,even good deeds gain rust.When Kenny saw his reflex on the water , a voice underwater called him, was Elly boy and he said to kenny "hello little kenny i am Elly i'm all by myself in here , i need a friend , can you be my friend?I'm so lonely..".Kenny asked:"How i do that?" elly boy said:"reach my hand".kenny reached is hand and lost balance.Kenny was found in the next day.Drowned they say.The mayor asked "what is the name of the fountain?" nobody knew,after all is only a rusty foutain.The mayor named it Kenny's fountain,to remember the little boy who have died so his memory can last.Elly boy is not alone anymore he's got a friend now.Ann Flistone walks by and she wonders what fountain may be that one on Saint street and why the figure of two angels are in the center of the statue , but for now she only walks by, curiosity have not take the best of her.