Hearts of Stone

Chapter 1

His breath was heavy, laden with moisture and heat. There was not a single muscle in his body which wasn't stiff.
Slowly he took a step back towards the tree, one hand arched backwards. He could feel the cold sweat which trickled down his temples with each heart beat.

The wolf growled at him baring its fangs. Its eyes shone brightly in the evening sun, which slowly melted into the horizon.
This wolf was bigger than normal. It had grown to the size of a bull, yet it looked extremely agile. There would be no escaping this time.
With one single leap, the wolf closed the gap between them and moved in to attack. Vito froze as the world darkened around him.

Vito arose from his sleep to the sound of the gushing stream. It was still dark although there was a faint light in the east signaling the light of day. He was sweating and he felt relieved when he realized it was only a dream. The same dream had been troubling him for many months now. Confused and frightened, he stood up from his bed which was an elevated platform carpeted with dry leaves. He walked to the stream and washed his face. He would not be getting any sleep today.

He walked the narrow path which was covered in moss and continued his journey. After hours of walking, he could see the dull glow of earthen lamps and lanterns in the distance. It would take him an hour to reach the village. The sun had crept up the hill and spread its soft warm rays across the valley.

He walked the path breathing in the morning air thinking random thoughts. He remembered the times when he would entertain himself for hours, running across the maize fields in the evening sun and swimming in the cold river water during the summers.

Usually, it was only natural for him to make up scenarios where he would often fight a tiger or a wolf. He would often imagine himself standing on a mountaintop, staring into the clouds beneath him. He could feel himself gasping for breath as he tried to breathe against the roaring wind. He would be elated at this thought and he would find himself smiling from eye to eye. He was amused by this behavior and he would laugh wildly each time it happened. He had an infectious laugh which was wild and carefree.

He hurried along his path often stumbling on small clumps of grass protruding from the ground. As he neared the village, he felt happy at the thought of meeting new people.
He liked the way people were always amused at the sight of his appearance. He was not all that pretty to look at, but he had a handsome face with strong jaws and a perfect set of teeth. People had always been fascinated by his eyes. His deep, dark eyes looked like charcoals and it was hard to distinguish the pupils from the iris. The eyes displayed no emotion and his brows were always furrowed in concentration. They say that eyes are the windows to the human soul. And yet, his pupils displayed only emptiness and disinterest.

As he reached the outskirts of the village, he saw a few children playing a game of football. He felt weary and so, decided to rest a while. He had traveled a long way and had missed the sound of the human voice. How many days had been gone since he last heard a voice other than his own? Had it really been a month? He remembered the days when he experimented on how long he could live without hearing his own voice. Dedicated to the cause, he continued the experiment for two weeks. He suppressed all urges to speak out during the period. His voice seemed strange even to his own ears when he spoke for the first time in two weeks. Grinning at the reminiscence, he sat beneath a tree and relaxed as he watched the children play.
He loved the sound of the children laughing as they ran after the ball which was being kicked in all directions.

At one moment, the ball rocketed in his direction and landed near his outstretched feet. He got up and placed the ball under his foot. The children stopped dead in their tracks and looked at the stranger. They inspected this strange, tall man from head to toe. Frightened by his ragged appearance and the length of his beard, they maintained their distance.
Vito, realizing this started juggling the ball with his feet and then kicked the ball in their direction. The children's fear turned into fascination and they immediately liked the stranger. Vito joined in on the game and played with them for a few minutes.
Vito was happy that he had befriended the children.