Acer Sacharrum

Part 1 — The Thief

“Have a good night.”

“You too,” I responded dryly from behind the counter. 

You came to me in a dream last night, as curious and full of life as the day I met you on the playground. 

It was the first week of preschool and I had no friends, mostly because I chose not to.

Clouds fixed in settled explosions of amber and saffron

Clement winds tossing seaweed on the toasted flaxen sand 

The girls drum their fingernails

Lightly

Not like real drumming

More like timid rain.

Their nails extend

Two nail lengths past