Someday – Somewhere

He waited in the shadows until the children had arrived.

He didn't know for sure how long it had been. He lost track of time after a while. But so many children had been born lately. Almost as if nature were compensating for something.

He approves of the order they show. They sit in neat rows, anxiously looking around. For the first time in history, there is unity. Color, creed, age and even gender had been swept away. Those children with power sit beside those without, and there is no hatred, no envy.

The youngest of the children, only five years old, looked into the shadows where Teacher waits. "Tell us a story, Teacher?" His voice was high pitched and anxious.

Stepping out of the shadows, the Teacher smiled gently at the boy. "A story, Michael?" Pushing back the hood with which he covered his face, he blinked in the dim light. Gazing thoughtfully over the assembled children, he finally nodded. "I think I have just the story for you today."

Crouching in the position that was more comfortable than sitting, he folded his hands over his knees. "It's a story of love and hate, of war and death. Most of all it is a story of folly."

Drawing a deep breath, he lowered his eyelids and looked over the assembled children one more time. All ages were represented here. From young Michael to the nearly adult Brianna, seventeen and already engaged. "The story begins, as do all stories, in the time before it would seem to begin. Because, in order to know what happened, you must also know what led to it."