Hi Jack!

M I S T I N O U R M I D S T !

It’s ash and rubble that hear the call.

M I S T I N O U R M I D S T !

Remnants of a shining city lay scattered and still. All that stands to the eye’s extent are pillars grasping their speakers, they burn with fire on their heads once used to signal direction, they cry.

M I S T I N O U R M I D S T !

The sky now lighter than the surface in color rises as the night fades. Smog from the ground lifts itself to infect the skies once more as the sunlight peaks through to caress the fallen city. As light travels, so does the green mist, revealing itself everywhere and attacking the surface the sun deems innocent.

M I S T I N O U R M I D S T !

Light makes its way through the cracks and holes in the walls of abandoned buildings. Relics of what once was show to be buried in dust, forgotten. Shine does these treasures of bookshelves and dressers, televisions and furniture, wine glasses and slot machines. None of them function, they lay still as the rest of the world does-

M I S T I N O U R M I R R R U U U U U U M B B L E E E

An already broken world breaks itself even further, the surface shakes, nearly splits. The pillar in the sky nearly falls but is held together by its roots, the flames that burns above it grows. A box of playing cards on the counter of a casino booth loses its balance, falling to the ground. Upon dreadful impact the box busts itself open, cards fly out like doves in every direction. The Jack of Hearts flies highest, it looks to the sky! The sky… it’s gray. dark. familiar. This prisoner finally set free by fate, chance, luck? Pure odds?? Only to know it’s outside world??? Time stands still for the little card. It tilts natural as time slowly introduces itself again, the little card begins to fall once more.

“Hi Jack!”

The tilting card sees another familiar sight, one that is very much welcomed. The sight of his Queen. The Queen of Hearts smiles towards Jack as they both continue to fall slowly, slowly in different directions. The Queen of Hearts stuns Jack, he captures her every printing. She holds a rose to him, her golden hair leads a trail down to her necklace. She wears a heart-shaped locket, almost as gorgeous as herself. Jack looks towards The Queen as he falls down through the cracks between wooden pallets on the floor, he loses his Queen.

Jack slides off the pallets onto a tiny body of black water, he falls face first into the water and stares down at surface beneath. Bottles and cans pass under him, as do wrappers and plastic. In between it all, so does The Queen, she glides under him much faster than any other object and Jack loses her yet again. Jack bumps into a steel pipe that flips him on his back as the water continues to carry him. Jack stares up at the sky again. dark. familiar. This cannot happen again, he must find his Queen-

K R E E E A C H H . . . .

The pillar in the sky begins to fall fully, crashing down onto river of gasoline that carries Jack. Jack watches helplessly as the godlike beam that wears fire as a crown slams into the river in front of him. At the second of brutal contact, Jack amongst everything else is sent flying back onto the wreckage that lies everywhere. Jack floats above the scene for a few moments and watches as his world surrounds him, he looks for his Queen, but she is nowhere in sight. Jack finally hits the ground landing on his back, looking up as fire surrounds him, it closes in on him. Ash from the sky join him on the surface as do the other result of the blow.

Jack spots a part to a familiar sight far above him, it comes slowly falling down to him, he recognizes it fully. Through the fires falls down to Jack the corner of a playing card, where it once was attached is now only black and burned, all that shows clearly is a bright red “Q” printed onto the card. The corner piece falls on Jack’s chest, it lays still now like the world once did. Now it burns heavier and harder than before, it closes in tighter on Jack, the fire grows taller. Jack knows he’s failed his Queen, he wishes again for her comfort and safety, for the first time in his life, he wishes for the dark again, he cries.

A drop of water falls onto Jacks cheek, then another, and another, then the sky cries with him as it rains down onto the fire surrounding him. The intensity of the rainfall eventually carries Jack away, the piece of his Queen stays on top of him. Jack floats with the current moving down along the city as the last piece of his Queen falls off and into the water, sinking. Jack collides into stone that drifts him out of the river and onto a mud pile. Jack lays still again looking up into the sky. dark. familiar.

“Hi Jack!”

There next to him lays The Queen, she misses her top corner but remains just as beautiful as ever. Jack lies peacefully with The Queen as they stare together into a familiar sight in an unfamiliar setting. Through fate, chance, luck? Pure odds?? The people of the kingdom still stand tall amidst a broken world.