The night I was born, was the calm before the storm of war.  The air was cool and pleasant, sparing the crops and gardens from the cruel death of frost. Traveling in soft whorls, the wind urged the leaves to whisper, and yet kept the fires tame. Ponds rippled and settled, ever so often revealing the flash of swimming scales. The sky was dark, permitting the world to see the majesty of the brilliant stars, all working toge...

My eyelids are sealed shut with a dried mix of sand and saltwater, courtesy of the scalding sun. It’s so quiet, save for the waves surging over the packed sand, and the occasional frenzy of caws and flapping wings as the native birds duel over who consumes the next meal. It’s the strange silence that causes me to finally overcome my exhaustion and attempt to open my eyes-I’m a city girl who finds comfort in the many lives...