הלום קרב/ יונתן קרא

I looked to the skies. How wonderful and magnificent it
looked - gray and foreboding, lightning brightened it from
time to time, a thunder roared and was swallowed in the
brutal wind that blew. A wonderful day.

I looked and turned to leave when I saw a wondrous sight.
Birds. The last birds of the year, stuck here and were too
late. How sad, I thought to myself, that the storm came
sooner this year - much sooner. Sad for them. For me it was
joy I couldn't resist.
I watched as the birds tried to fly, but couldn't break
through the impenetrable wall of wind that blew all around.

I turned to leave, hoping the rain would come soon and wash
away the pain of the poor creatures that fought an
impossible battle against a force that was stronger than
them. Like I fought once, and for some reason I winced at
the thought.

Cruel, they might call me, evil, they might say, but it
wasn't always like this. It was different once, I knew. If I
could only remember... the pain was to strong, and every
time I tried to remember, my head felt as if it were about
to explode into tiny little pieces of madness.

The far away city poured it's light into my valley. They
never come here, the others. Not after what happened last
year... or the year before that... or maybe ten years ago...
I just can't remember. In that light I dwelled, drinking
their filth in the water, smelling their stench in the air,
and feeling their corruption despite the long distance we
had between us.

I walked in my valley - yes, my valley indeed, for there is
no other dweller here. Non-at all. I dwell alone ever
since... well, it's been a long time, I can assure you that.
And here I am, alone, waiting for the coming storm in the
only place I could call home. The only place I had memory
of.

Home, that's how I call my garbage hut - my palace. The
palace of the king of the valley! Because that's my home,
and I'm a king, and that's that. Who would argue? Who would
challenge? Let the challenger come forth before the king of
the valley, and call me out to try and ascent the throne.

Once memories assailed me at night. Now it happens every
night, and lately I remember during the day. Vivid images,
of carnage and chaos, the earth turns itself upon
unbelieving faces, human parts are flying everywhere,
scattering in a valley, not mine, but another. Fire,
lightning, thunders, and more fire. Sometimes I can see the
evil beasts that caused this carnage - great beasts of
steal, and high above demons fly, magnificent and horrid at
the same time. Beside those beasts of steel, there were men.
They shot lightning and fire. But the great beasts - they
poured fire and roared like thunder! Destroying all in their
wake.

Yes, all that I remember. Sometimes I dream of myself as one
of those men who run with the beasts, shooting lightning and
fire as I advance on something...

If I could only remember... if only I could have one clear
thought... if only...
Always those dreams assail me during the night, and now they
come during the day, haunting me like ghosts from the past,
and I have none here who could explain, comfort or damn care
about me.

And now I hope for a true rest before I venture into the
place I was cast from... or was it I who cast myself? It
seems I just can't remember. I would have to try. I would
have to seek shelter, for the coming storm is not like those
before it. It speaks of change. There wasn't any change here
for the last...

I must journey to that city of lights, I must see human
faces again. Not the humans in my dreams - horrible, battle
rage twisted faces. No. I want to see a baby's face, a
little child's face, a woman's face, a mother's face. I must
see them before I lose my mind... or have I lost it last
year? Or the year before? Ten years ago, perhaps?