MAYA (A work in progress book.)

Nineteen years before the great war a child was born turning the Morrison couple into the Morrison family. Eleven years before the great war their father made a mistake. The father was a business man, and he took a job from a Solomon. The father promised hidden riches in return for a life away from the slums. The father ran true with his deal, and for some time they kept their word. Nine years before the great war the father ran out of riches. The family went out for a picnic. A visitor joined them. The father understood what was going to happen. One shot. The father lay unmoving, his forehead splattered red, pink mist blanketing the grass in the field. The sun was shining over the flowers that were being trampled by the mother, who carried their ten year old child. A second shot and the mother fell to the ground, still covering her child, who's face was painted red. The visitor slowly approached the trembling child as they pushed themself out from under their fallen mother. The child did not run, they did not cry, they did not wail. They watched as the visitor pressed a barrel against their head. Shouting could be heard in the distance. The visitor did not listen. They moved their finger to the trigger slowly as the child closed their eyes. A third shot, and the visitor fell to the ground, a red layer covered the child's eyes. The child fell to their knees and stayed there for hours. No one cares about gunshots when they come from the slums. It was dark before the child was retrieved, waking up on the floor of the Miko household, taken in by a well meaning family.