Once upon a time, in the softness and perfect blossoming of a July summer, a butterfly was fluttering at the whim of the wind, under the knowing gaze of the sun. She flew high in the sky, higher than ... [+]
The sun struck my eyes as I rubbed the sleep off them. I stretched and yawned and felt the air. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight. I couldn't help but smile because deep inside I knew: Today's the day. It had started earlier in the week. Most people think it happens all at once, but even God can't be expected to run on the precision of manmade clocks. This trickle effect gave us time to prepare. Any moment it would be us. I stayed up late at night, peering through the blinds. Lit by the moon, neighbors shot up into the air, one by one, each with a whoosh and sometimes a