Rio Americano High School June 2012

2 The Levee

Holycow.Thispublicationwasprobablymadeoverthespanofafewdays.Wehavenoideahowitwasabletogetdoneandbesomewhatdecent.ThankstotheseniorAPLit-eratureclassesforsendinginwritingandcreativeprojectsaftersomanyofourannoyingreminders.ThankstoMahoneyforlettingusdothismagazineandthankstoeveryonewhohelpedoutwiththispublication.We’dliketoespeciallythankLaurenO’Neil,EdmundBrennan,JohnSockolov,JarettHartman,ShaunaMilesi,KatherineDuPont,JoanneKim,

IrisShanks,andothers.We’reveryproudofthisworkandhopeyouallenjoyit.

Fromyoureditors:WhitneyPetersonandDevynAndrews

Editors’ NotE

Editors-in-Chief:WhitneyPeterson,DevynAndrewsCoverby:DoheeKimAdvisor:Mr.Mahoney

RioAmericanoHighSchool4540AmericanRiverDriv

Sacramento,CA95864riolevee2012@gmail.com

CoNtENts

The Levee 3

Sonnet One-Turdy and “The Scream” 4 By Edward MunchTomekBurasA Look From Inside 5WhitneyPetersonPlague 6OliviaArstein-KerslakeStrangers 8JoanneKimThe Three-Step Plan to 10World DominationPatrickO’NeilThe Jaws of thE Beast 12IsabelleLaSalleA Friendly Word With Georges 14BrassensGavriellaRubinLes Séperés/The Seperated 15TranslatedbyGabrielleRuxinRaudoni Vakari/Red Evenings 16TranslatedbyJuliaMatiusovaiteDeath of Snowden 18LeahCurreyWhispers 20EdmundBrennanAlma 22JenniChavezNumbness/The Golden Gate Bridge 25DylanDicksteinSplash 26LoganSpotoThe Hunt 29TianDuBelkoHuman, A Collection of Poems 30DevynAndrews

Please,baldman,whyareyouscreaming?Itlookstome,youmightbedreaming.Thelookonyourfaceisactuallyquitescary,Anditseemstomeyouaretheoppositeofhairy.Themenbehindyouaredressingquiteclassily,Buttheyappeartobeactingaweebitsassily.Whyareyouonthatbridge,baldman?Youshouldbeturnedandlookingoutattheland.ThewayyouarepaintedisquitepsychedelicEventhoughyouareactuallyarelic.Theskyaboveappearsabloodred,Maybeyoushouldbeheadingofftobed?Onemorequestion,yousillybaldman,Whyisthewaterspillingovertheland?Itseemslikethewaterisseepingintothesky.Areyouscreamingbecauseyoufearyouwilldie?

“thE sCrEam” by Edvard muNCh

Mylover’seyeslooklikedirt,Prunesareplumperthanherlips,

Herlegsaresowhite,theymakemyeyeshurt.Astickfigurecanresembleherhips.

Ihaveseengoldenheadsofhair,Butherslookslikeapileofsticks,

Andthetouchofherhandistheoppositeoffair,Herskinhasthegraceofaxesandpicks.

Itrulyhatethesoundofhervoice,Nailsonchalkboardproduceamorepleasantsound,

WhenherscentleavestheroomIrejoice,WhenitcomesbackIputmyheadintheground.

Shealsohasnopersonality.Ihateourloveandloveourhate,

AnuglierwomanIhavenotseentodate.

soNNEt oNE-turdy (130)

4 The Levee

Sheisasolitarycreature.Prefer-ringtospendtimealonethanwiththecompanyofpeoplethatdestroyhersanitywiththeirshal-lowignorance.Wordsdonotcomeeasilytoherlips, the intellectualandstimulatingphrasesofher mind are butchered by her dumb tongue.Theunspokenwordschewawayatherstomach,seeking vengeanceor being swallowedrather thanbepro-jected into exis-tence.

Shechoosestostay silent becauseshe knows half thetime her wordswouldnotbeabsorbedbytheearsofothers.Ortheywouldbecomeknives,exacerbatingthesitu-ationathand;thesituationsheisalwayscommit-tedtoalleviate,alwaysthesteadyrockthatpropsupthecrackingrelationshipsofothers.Shecanneverbemad,neverscreamandreleaseallthepain,frustrationandangerthatisbrewinginsideheratalltimes,becauseifshedoes,innocentby-standersarecaughtintheexplosion.

Shedoesnottrusteasily,alwaysquestioningpeople’s motives and suspecting some sinisterulterior motive. She craves human interactionbutdoesn’tknowhowto interact,neverknows

howtoconverse,refus-ingtotalkaboutherselfinthethoughtthatshewouldsoundsself-centeredandegotistical.

Sheisanescapist,preferringto immerseherselfinthefantasticallivesofthecharactersinherbook.Sheisempatheticandcanreadpeoplelikethebookssheissoofteninburiedin.

Sheused tobe confident andoutspoken. Butthe crippling shy-ness crept up onher,stranglingherwith embarrass-mentanddreadofsaying something

incorrect. She hates the feeling of feeling ig-norant, stupid.Her faceburnsagainstherwill,divulging her inner shame in the red castingacrossherface.Sheusedtobeloud,alwaystoldtospeakquieterandnowshespeakssoftlyandhastorepeateverythingsomanytimesuntilsheisscreaming.Whycan’ttheyjustlisten?

She likesher life,but shehates theper-sonshehasbecome.Shewondershowshecanbecome the confident, loud, spontaneous per-sonsheoncewas.Shewantstobethatpersonagain but her motivation vanished along withhervoice.

a Look From iNsidE

She likes her life, but she hates the per-son she has become.

The Levee 5

As I boarded my airplane, I got afriendlier-than-usual “hello” fromStacy, the head stewardess. “Howwas your weekend, Captain Nicks?

Areyougoingtogodosomesightseeingwithuswhenwe get toHong-Kong?”The fifteen hourflightIwasabouttopilotfromSanFranciscotoHongKongwasnotmyfavoriteflight–Awholeday of flying over a seemingly endless ocean.EventhoughI’vebeenapilotfortenyears,anddoneplentyofoverseasflights,somehowmyir-rationalitystillgetsthebetterofme,inducingaslightqueasinesswhenIfirstenterthecockpit.WhatIwantedwastogobacktoBoston,wheremyhusbandandkidswerewaitingforme. So,toavoiddirectlytellingStacythatthelastthingIwantedwastohavetospendanyextratimewithher,ItoldherIhadotherplans.AfterI’dbeeninthecockpitbymyselfforawhile,myco-cap-tainandnavigator joinedme. Wegreetedeachother cordially, as usual, and talked about theplanswehadfortheupcomingweek.Theflightwasunderwayasusualuntilwehadmarkedthehalfwaypointinourjourney.

I heard a pas-senger’s screamdistinctly over theother noises of theplane I knew sowell. Stacy, whohad been talkingto a passenger infirstclass,rantotheeconomysectiontofindthesource of the scream. A woman, terrified, satmotionlessinherseat,staringattheconvulsingbodyofaman in theaisle. Foramoment, themanfoamedatthemouth,nowshakingviolently,thenwasimmediatelystill.Stacycheckedforapulse that everyone knewwouldnot be found.I tried to call the command tower back at theairport:”Mayday, mayday, we have a passengerwhoisseverelyill”.Iknewitwastoolate.Itoldmyco-pilottotakeoversoIcouldexaminethesituationformyself.

Thewomanwhohadbeensittingnexttothedeadman remained still, her head bowed, herhandsholdingeachother.“Excuseme,Miss,mynameisCaptainNicks. Iunderstandthatwhatjustoccurredmusthavebeenverytraumaticforyou,butcouldyoutellmewhathappenedpre-cedingthisman’spassingaway?”Herheadwas

still bowed. When I had finished talking, sheslowly raised her head so that her eyes werefirmlylockedwithmine.Shepointedtoablackcanister,nobiggerthanapillbottle.“Hegotthatbottle fromhisbackpack. Whenheopened it,thousands of fleas spilled out, jumping higherandfasterthananyI’veeverseenbefore.Thenhetookavialfromthesamebackpackanddranktheliquidinsideit.”Myheartwasbeatingfasternow.Icouldhearthebloodrushinginmyears.I searched theman’s body for awallet. “DoesanyonehappentoknowaDr.JamesPage?”Therewasnoresponse.

Themanhadbeendeadforabouttwentymin-utesbeforeIheardafaintsobbingnearthebackofthecabin,infirstclass.Iwasnowbackinthecockpit, trying to explain to the control towerwhathadhappened.“Stacy,canyoupleasefindoutthenameofthewomansittinginfirstclassinseat8A?”“Ofcourse,CaptainNicks,”Stacyre-plied.AmomentlaterStacyreturned.“HernameisDr.StephanieDylan-Page.”Itoldmyco-pilottotakeoverthecontrolsagain.Iwalkedtowards

Dr. Dylan-Page, whowas now sobbingmuch more audiblythan before. WhenIgottoherseat,shegrabbed my handthen shouted, in be-tween sobs, “I’m sosorry,we’reall goingtodie.”Iusheredher

to thefrontof theplane,soshewouldn’tscaretheotherpassengers.NormallyIwouldassumethatthewomanhadjustbeenscaredbythedeadman,butherlastnameandtheconvictionwithwhichshespoketoldmeotherwise.AsItriedtocalm her down, I suddenly became evenmoreawareofmysurroundings.Passengerswereask-ingquestions;theairtrafficcontrolsontheradiowantedmoreanswers,theflightattendantswerefranticallyservingsnackstodistractsomeofthemoredistraught.

Dr. Dylan-Page had mostly stopped cryingnow.“Youhavetotellmewhat’sgoingon,”Isaid.

“He’smyex-husband.Icheatedonhim.Hewarnedmesomethingbadwouldhappen,butInever thought itwouldcome to this. Ihadnoidea he had even booked this flight.” At thispointshebegancryingagain.

PLaguE

“How long do we have until everyone isinfected?” “About 10 hours.”

6 The Levee

“Ma’am,Ineedtoknowifthelivesoftheotherpassengersareindanger.”Shelookedupatme,thedesperationandsorrowonherfacetoldmewhatshecouldnotsay. Shespokehaltingly,“Iheard thatwoman tell youhe releasedabottleoffleas. Myhusbandwasan infectiousdiseaseresearcher.They’vebeeninfectedwithageneti-callymodifiedversionofthebubonicplague.Itwasahighly-classifiedbiologicalwarfareprojectweworkedontogether.But,itwascanceledoveradecadeagoduetotheextremeriskitimposed.”Icouldtellshewasabout tostartcryingagain.I tookholdofher shoulders. “Dr.Dylan-Page,Ineedyou to tellmeexactlywhatwillhappento thepeopleon thisplane.” Shewas lookingdown,asifshecouldseerightthroughthebot-tomof theairplaneandwanted to jump. “TheYersiniapestisbacteriawhichcausestheplaguehasbeengeneticallymodified tobe able to re-producequickly, and thenbeexpelled into theairwhen thedyingpatient coughs. Theoldestand the youngest will be infected first. Therewillbedarkredlumpsontheskinwherethey’vebeenbitbyfleas. Theirorganswill fail,oneata time,until they slowlydie. There isnocure.Deathisinevitable.Andifweland,thebacteriawillspreadthroughthefleasorintheair,nomat-terwhatprecautionsaretaken. Weengineeredthebacteriatosurvive,butwewilldie.”

Isteppedawayfromherforamoment.Ihadtosteadymyselfonahandrail.Iwassowarminthatcrowdedairplane.“Howlongdowehaveun-tileveryoneisinfected?There’s380passengers.”“About10hours.”Irantothecockpit.WewerenowonlysixhoursawayfromHongKong,whichmeant that itwould take at least 9hours ifweturnedaroundnowandheadedbacktoAmerica.IupdatedtheSanFranciscoandHongKongairtrafficcontrollersonthesituation.China’sgov-ernmentdeniedususeoftheairportforfearthatthediseasewould spread. SanFrancisco radi-oedmetoamilitarybaseanhournorth.“Turnaroundnow,Captain.Youwillhaveenoughgastomakeitbackandwecankeepthediseasecon-tained.Wemustsavesomeofthecivilians.”

Iturnedtheplanearound,asdirected,whichwaswhenIheardthefirstmoan.Iturnedaroundtoseeanelderlyman,around70,bent forwardinhis seat. His facewaspale and therewas athinstreamofblooddownthesideofhismouth.Then,thefaintcryofababyfromthebackofthecabin.Iclosedthedoortothecockpit.Mynavi-gatorwascryingwhilemyco-pilotstaredblanklyintothesky.Ikeptthedoorclosedforabout6hours.Ineededtogiveusachancetosurvive.

When I felt that my co-pilot was collectedenoughtofly,Iopenedthedoor.Theflightat-

tendantshadmovedanyonethatappearedtobeinfected to thebackof theplane. As Iwalkeddowntheaisle,Isawspattersofbloodandotherbodilyfluidsonseatsandwindows.Manyofthepassengers left alivewere cryingnow, aware ofthecircumstances.Nearlythree-quartersofthepassengerswerenowdead.Iheadedbacktothecockpit.Inoticedtheredweltsonthehandsofmynavigator and co-pilot. Ihelped them intopassenger’sseatsinthemaincabinandthenre-turnedtothecockpit.ItookoutapictureofmyhusbandandourtwokidsthatIkeptinmywal-letatalltimes.ItwasapicturefromanEasterwehadatmyMom’shouseacoupleyearsago.Isawtheirfacesandtearswelledupinmyeyes,butIcouldn’tcry.Iwouldn’tletmyself.Ijuststaredintotheskyandwaitedforanymessages.Threehourspassed. Wewerenearing thecoast.“Ca-thayPacificflight114,doyouread?We’rereadyfor you at the base.” I opened the door to thecabin.Morebloodspatteredthewalls.About50peoplewere left. Inoticed that Icouldn’tfindStacyamongthescaredfacesofthosewhowereleftalive. I lookeddownandsawasmallbeadofbloodonmywrist,andIcouldseedarkredbumpsrisingaroundit.Ireenteredthecockpitandreachedbackandlockedthedoor.

Weweredirectlyabovethebasenow.Icouldsee the landing strip, but I could still see thevast yetwelcoming blue ocean on the horizon.Islowlybankedtheplaneandturneditaround.The control tower at the base saw what I wasdoing andwas shouting atme through the ra-dio. But theydidn’tknowhow itwasuphere.Theycouldn’tevenimagine.Iwasnowlookingstraight into a horizon of billowywhite cloudsabovetheintensebluenessofavastoceanblue.Ifiguredhadabouta100milesworthoffuelleft.Iturnedofftheradio.

Thefeelingofthepressurized,artificialairinthecabinhadneverbotheredmebefore. Now,what Iwantedmostwas tobe able to feel sunandbreatheintheairthatIhadsoselfishlytakenfor granted. Iwanted tokissmyhusbandandtouchhisrough,alwaysunshavencheeknexttomine.IwantedtohugmysonanddaughterandtellthemthatIwillalwayslovethem,nomatterwhereIam.Icouldseetheirfaces,andIknewtheywerewithme.Firstone,thentheother,theenginessputteredtoastop.TheplaneshutteredandlurchedandallIcouldseewasblueaswebeganourdescent.

The Levee 7

straNgErs

“Thisisthethoracicandcardiovascu-larfloor.Youwillbedoingrotationshereinacoupleweeksandyouwill

beunderacouplerevereddoctorsincludingtheheadofthedepartment,Dr.――.”Asthegroupofthirdyearmedicalstudentsturnedthecorner,they sawa couplenurses in scrubs following adoctorlikeamotherduckandherchicks.“Youwillalsobeworkingwiththesetrainednursingstudents.”

Eventhoughtheywerelikeherdofzebras,HeonlysawHer.Hethoughtitcouldn’tbepos-sible foranythingtohappenbetweenthem;af-ter all they were complete strangers with busyschedules.Solikemostthings,onceHerealizedit was a hopeless cause, He forgot about Her.For the next coupleweeks He was busywith exams and go-ing to other hospi-tals for orientation.BeforeHe knew, thedaycameforthoracicrotation tobegin.AsHewasobservinganopen heart surgery,HesawHeragainas-sistingthesurgeon.Healreadysethismindpre-viouslyofthoughtsofneverbeingabletohavearomanticrelationshipwithHer,butHedidnotdismisstheideaofgettingtoknowHer.Feelingconfident,HedecidedtogatheragroupofHisclassmatesandHerandothernursingstudentstohaveanight.ToHisluck,everythingwentasplannedandafterwardstheyallwentouttograbadrink.

Duringthenightout,Theywereabletositnexttoeachotherandhaveafilledconversation.EventuallytheyweretheonlyonesleftatthebarandgettingkickedoutsparkedTheirambiguousrelationship.Likemostcouples,TheyshiedawayfromlabelsinitiallybutnotonlydidTheyknowbuteveryonearoundThemknewTheirserious-ness.Well everyone except forHim.He hadn’tplannedonthingsgoingsowellandHerealizedthat this reallywasn’twhatHewas looking for.They never had really fought and He thoughtsohighlyofHerbutsomethingwasmissing.Af-teramonthandahalf,HeknewHecouldn’tbeselfish andkeepHis thoughts fromHer.WhenTheymet atTheir usual coffee joint, She gave

Himanunusuallylongembrace.“Ifeelsohappywhen…”ShepausedandlookedupatHimwithslight furrowed brows and wide eyes. She putHerearonHischestandlistened.“Youneedtogetyourheartchecked.Somethingisnotright.”HepanickedbecauseHerealizedShemusthavenoticedHis possible change in behavior.“Yourheart beat is noticeably uneven; it could be aheart palpitation. Make an appointment soonwithadoctor,ironically.”Hewasrelievedbutfor-gotabouttellingHerbecausenowHeneededtoworryaboutwhatHethoughtwasatrivialheartproblem.Butitwasnotrivialmatterbecausethedoctor confirmed thatHe did have arrhythmiaandHeneededtohavesurgerybeforeitwastoolate. No one was more troubled than Her and

thatmadeHimworryeven more becausehow could He tellHerhowHefeltafterShe saved His life?Should it be his ob-ligation to continuethis? He dwelled onthe questions whenHe went under theknife and even dur-

ingHis recoverydespite thepain.When itwasHislastdayinthehospital,ShewasatHissideand toldHim,“I’m so glad that I can be hereforyou.IfIdidn’thearyourheart,Idon’tknowwhatI’ddo.I’llbehereforyou,always.”AsShesaidthosewords,Hisheartcouldnotendurethestress.“ButIcan’talwaysbethereforyou.”Heexplained toHerofHishighest regardsofHerand interminablegratitude for savingHim.Buthe couldn’t be selfish with only receiving Herlove and not being able to fully reciprocate it.Tears stained her cheeks as she left and afterHewas discharged,They didn’t see each otherforweeks.He had lostHis best friend andHecouldn’tevergetHerback.Theysaweachotheroncewithaslightacknowledgementbutwalkedoninseparateways.TheybecamestrangersagainwithTheirownbusyschedules.

So like most things once He realized it was a hopeless cause, He forgot about Her.

8 The Levee

The Levee 9

Everybody dreams about absolutepower: attaining it, maintaining it,andincreasingit.Few,however,haveever been close to achieving such a

high degree of total domination. Julius Caesar,Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte andtheU.S.Governmentarejustafewleaders/enti-tieswhodreamtofunitingtheworld(oratleastmost of it) under one flag. Each one of themseizedpowerinadifferentway,buteachoneofthemlostitbycarelessmistakesmadealongtheway. Based off of their successes andmistakes,thefollowingreportwillbeadiscussiononhowtoproperlytakeoverthemajorityoftheworldinthe21stcentury.

There are three phases to this plan: rise topower, seize control, and create a new worldorder. Each phase has been carefully mappedout, to where multiple avenues can be takento reach the same overall goal, allwithout los-ing the overall aim,which is to rule theworld and keep itforever in submis-sion to a one partysystem comprisedofyouandyourco-horts.Keepinmind,thefollowingreportisjustaguidelinetoget you from pointAtopointB.Formi-nordetails like internationaldiplomacy, tacticalwarfare,andeffectivelyrulinganation,youmuststudyuponhistoryandeducateyourselfonev-eryaspectofknowledgeyoucanfind.

Phaseoneiscrucial,asitiswhatcreatestheinitial momentum. The pen is mightier thanthe sword, so as saidbefore,becomeeducated.Knowledgeispower,sousethateducationtoim-posepoweroveranyoneavailable.Thiswillserveas practice.Also,KarlMarxwas a strong advo-cateofviolentrevolution,asweretheAmericanColonists,theGladiatorSpartacus,andMaxim-ilienRobespierre of the FrenchRevolution.Tobe safe, learn how to defend thyself, and learnwhoyourenemiesmaybe, for“it issaid that ifyouknowyourenemiesandknowyourself,youcanwinahundredbattleswithoutasingleloss,”(SunTzu’sArtofWar).Withastrongfoundationofmentalandphysicalpower,thepathissettorise throughtheranks. Itwouldbebest torisethrough the ranks of themilitary to gain both

politicalandmilitarystrength.Thiswilltakede-cades,whichmakesphaseone the longest,butmost important.Aftermilitary power has beenmaxedand thenationalgovernment isonyourside,itistimetostrike.

Nowbeginsphasetwo,whereyouseizecontrol.Startwiththenativecountryandlaunchamas-sivecoupd’etat.Becauseofthemilitarystrengthbehindyouandthepoliticalpowerbyyourside,senators,governors,andhopefullyeventhepres-ident will be in your pocket as you storm thecapitalwith thenation’smilitary loyal to solelyyou.Nowthatyourcountryistakenover(forcon-veniencewewillusetheU.S.asanexample),youmayrecruitmore troopsvianationaldraft, andincreasedefensespendingtostartyourglobalin-vasion.NowthattheUSAisunderyourflag,startwiththewesternhemisphere.Canadaisastrongally,butmilitarily theydon’tstandachance,soinvade Quebec and Vancouver, and flank thecenterwiththosetwoforcestoinfiltratethena-

tionfrombothsides.Mexicoisaproblemcountryduetotheirdisarray, so it’s upto you to invade orsimply make themyour protectorate.From thereuse thatstrategy for all ofcentral and southAmerica, for theyserveasgreatlaunch

points for both the Pacific andAtlantic. Fromthere, hit Europe, as the continent is so splin-teredthattheonlycountriesyou’llhavetoworryabout are England, Switzerland, and Germany.Greece,Ireland,Italy,Portugal,andSpainareinsomuchdebttheywon’tbeabletofundaresis-tance,andFranceisinsuchpoliticalturmoilthatinvadingthemwouldoccurwithease.England,Switzerland,andGermany,however,allhaveverystrongmilitaries,soifyoucansuccessfullysub-mit them,youwillhavecrippledEuropeandadominoeffectofallegiancewillfallonyourlap.IfyoucantakeoveroratleastgainsupportfromsmallercountrieslikeNorway,Lithuania,andtheNetherlandsyoucanusethattoganguponthepowerhouses throughout the continent. AfricaandSoutheastAsiawon’tbehorriblydifficultasyounowhavethreecontinentsunderyourflag.Atthispoint,muchpastyourlifetime,unless

yourmedicaladvancessayotherwise,intellectualcontributionswillspikeexponentially,hopefully

thE thrEE-stEP PLaN

to WorLd domiNatioN

There are three phases to this plan: rise to power, seize control, and create a

new world order.

10 The Levee

allowingforspacetravelandcolonizationofnewworlds. By engineering the human mind andbody to operate at a near perfect capacity, onepersonwillhaveanIQthreetimesasimpressiveasStephenHawking,AlbertEinstein,andJohnNashcombined.Becausehumanbodieswillhavealsobeenseverelyrecreated,endurance,strength,and vitality will be supersaturated allowing forsuch physical demands like long term spacetravel.Therefore,throughyourmassivescientificagendayouwillhavecreatedasuperhumanspe-cies.Howeverinordertogetthereyoumustobeythethreephasesofworlddomination.Itwilltakedecades,anditwillnotbeeasy.Deathisacon-stantfactor,butaslongastherearepeopleunderyourcommandthatcancontinueyourvision,theworldwillbeunderoneflag,andifyouarejustasluckyasyouaredetermined,youwillbetheretoseeyourdreammaterialize.

Therefore,with the internationalmandateofconscription you can simply overwhelmAfricawith organized and superior forces, along withSouth EastAsia, as South Korea will have al-readybecomeaprotectoratewiththefalloftheUS.Anotherpoint,tosecurepowerintheMiddleEast,makeatemporaryagreementwithIranandChina,andworkwith themtokeepyourworldunder control.However because Iran is such aproblem child, when they are weak, convinceChinatocripplethemevenfurther,andthusgiveChinathatlandasagift.However,oncetheworldhasbeentakenoverandChinaandAustraliaareall thatare left,pounceonthetwonationsandwinthroughsuperiormanpower.

A footnote that must be addressed when itcomestophasetwohowever,istheever-presentthreatofnuclearwarfare.ThebiggestreasontheUSneedstobetakenoverfirstisthattheyhaveoneof thestrongest (ifnot thestongest)nucle-arprogramsworldwide; secure that throneanduse intimidation tokeepothercountriesatbay.Howeverifanationbecomestoobold,don’tbehesitanttoinitiateamissilelaunch;it’llkeeptheinternationalcommunityincheck,aswellasre-assertyourowndominance.

Lastisphasethree:createanewworldorder.Bythistimeyouwillmostlikelybeveryold,per-hapsneardeath,soit’swisethatyouhavetrulycreated a fanatical and loyal following that canbe trusted tocontrol theearthunderyourflag.Regardless,inordertokeeptheworldstableandavoidmassretaliationliketheUSSRexperienced,drastic measures must taken.With the world’sscientists working together now, technologicaladvances should skyrocket.With that, medicalprogramslikegeneticengineeringshouldbees-tablished torid theworldofdisease,bothcon-tagious andnon-communicable. By ridding theworld ofAIDS/HIV, anti-social personality dis-order,cancer,andschizophrenia(justtonameafew),theworldpopulationwillbenotonlymuchhappier,butmuchsaferandmorewillingtosub-mit to an authority that keeps them safe.Withthehumanracescientificallyengineeredat thispoint, people will have superior genes,makingthembetterthinkersandmorephysicallyimpos-ing,thereforecreatingaspeciesthatnaturecouldnotperfectherself.

The Levee 11

Bubba’s tonguetrailedhissalt-crackedlips.Hiseyesflickedovertheclusterofshantyhous-esinthedistance.They’dsunkenintotheearthover the years, softened by humidity andwarandtornbygenerationsofvivaciouschildren.Vivaciousness that grew into stubbornnessas those children became their parents andbattledapoverty that rivaled the surroundingswampinitsabilitytoendure.

The moon was out tonight in all its glory,Bubbanoticed.Thesunhadgonedownhoursago but still a bead of sweat crawled its waydown Bubba’s spine. He was overdressed fortheheat,butitkeptthebugsradiatingfromtheswampoff.

Bubba’sgazefocusedandagainhelickedhislips.Hewatchedher,likehehadsomanynightsbefore.Shelovedtodance;hecouldtell.She’dgrabtheotherladieshands,swingingherselftothequickbeatofheruncle’sfiddle.Legskickedupintheairrevealedskinuntouchedbythean-gryLouisianasun.Herwhitecottondresshunglooselyoffhershoulders.Shelookedasifshe’dbeencaughtinanetofcheaplace.Shehikedituptodanceandthrewbackherheadtoreleaseanechoinglaugh.

Therhythmichumofthebugswaspiercedbyasharpwhizzingnoise.Bubbapulleduphistopliptosuckinthenightthroughhis teeth.Creeping up from his gut was an impendingsense of excitement.Tonight would would bethenight.Hemovedclosertothefirelitclear-ing, staying out of sight behind the swampmounds.There he waited for the dancers toslowly fade back into their homes, waited forthefiddletobehungbackonthewall,untilthefirehaddieddown to its embers.The lady inwhitewasalwaysthelasttoretreatintooneofthehouses.

Bubba moved forward towards her until acrackingstickwhirledheraroundtofacehim.She stumbled back and instinctively Bubbareached out to catch the falling woman.Thelook on her face morphed to terror and shepushedbackwithherfeet inalarm.Suddenlyshe was up and off, running past the ring ofhousesstraitintothejawsoftheswamp.Bubbachasedafterher,trippingovershrubs.Hishandshotouttograbaholdofherdressandcameback empty.Her eyes rolled back tomeet hiswhile her legs dodged peat moss banks andthickwillowroots.

A branch clawed through Bubba’s thigh,

lurchinghimforwarduntilhiskneesthuddedto the soft forest floor. He heard the womandescendingdeeperintothewildernessandan-gerflaredupinsideofhim.Wolf-like,hiseyesfocusedonthewhitenessandhelungedafterher. Shewove between the thickening foliageasBubbagainedonher,foramomenthersilkybraidjoinedtheleaveswhippingpasthisface.Whenthepalesweatingfigurehadnearlyfilledhisentirefieldofvision,heagain felthis feetrippedoutbythehungryshrubbery.

FrustrationgrowledfromBubba’sthroat.Hesurged forward, hungry. He crashed throughthe branches that wound around his achinglegs.A quick break in the trees allowed himshrink the distance between himself and hisfloundering prey. In a second, however, theplantshadencompassedthemcompletely.ThemoreBubba’sfeetbegantodrag,themorethethickairseemedtoliftheroverthesuffocatingvegetation.Twigsbentaroundhertosnapbackonhim.

She wobbled and he seized the opportu-nity todive, latchingontoherankle.WithhisfistBubbadraggedherdown.Herfingerstorethroughtheearthtopullherselfaway.Herfreefoot foundhis face inabonecrunchingblow.Her foot ripped through his grasp. Momentslater the symphony of smashing branchesstopped,thetreesbecamesoftclayandthenariver.Watersplasheduparoundthewomanassheranoutwaistdeep.

Bubba waded out, feet slipping around onthemossy rocks.The cool water crept up hiscalves.Bubba’slipsbrokeintoagrin.Hewipedthe blood trickling from his nose across hissleeve.Thethickdrawloozingwithsatisfactionspokeacrossthewater,“Honey,youaintgotnowhereelsetorun.”

Slowly she turned around to face him. Asmall smileflickedacrossher lips.Shespoke.Hervoicedidnotmimicthebouncy,backroadaccentofapersonwho’dspenttheirlifeinLa-fayette,Lousiana.ItremindedBubbafaintlyoftheItalianpriesthe’dmetonhislasttripdowntoNewOrleans

“Ithinkyouaretheonewhohasnowheretorun.”Thecolorinhereyesslickedbackinherhead.Twostrikinglywhiteorbsstaredbackathim.Bubbatookanunsteadystepback.

“And no one will hear your screams,” shesang.

thE JaWs oF thE bEast

12 The Levee

The Levee 13

Therewasonceaman,whostoodsoverytallWithwhiskersonhischeeksandastovepipeonhishead.Hehadaboldintent,forwhichhehadthegall,Toreunitetheland,andfreedomwidespread.Henowhadthepower,tobegininstillingIdeasofliberty,regardlessofcolor.Therewasmuchdispute,thenation,astateofsqualor.Dieforthisidea,ohhewaswilling,ohhewaswillingTodieforthisidea.

FromEmancipationProclamation,toGettys-burgAddress,Withmalicetowardsnone,withcharityforall,Theideaoffreedommostsurelydidprogress,TheConfederateSouthwasgonewithagreatsquall.Theideaoffreedomwasfinallyendorsed.Andthenthatfatefulnight,inaFord’stheaterbox,JohnWilkesBoothdidshootasinglefatalshot.Dieforthisidea,ohhewasforced,ohhewasforcedTodieforthisidea.

Manyayearslater,inalandsofarawayAmanwithcirclespecs,andrevolutionofhisown.Therewasmuchinjustice,betweenthoseinhisdayThissinglemandidbegintomakenon-violenceknown.HewouldneversupporthostilityorkillingInsteadheprotestedwithcivildisobedienceTruthandpeacefuldissentwerehiscredenceDieforthisidea,ohhewaswilling,ohhewaswillingTodieforthisidea.

InspiteofIndependence,hestroveforfurtherpeaceHedesiredharmonybetweenthoseofdifferentGods.Alastherewerethose,whoseindignationwouldnotceaseAndwithabullet,hisbodywasatodds.

Agenuine‘Mahatma’,fromphysicalwasdi-vorced.Howironichisdeath,shotattemptingamityBetweeneverycontinentandnationality.Dieforthisidea,ohhewasforced,ohhewasforcedTodieforthisidea.

Thenamancamealong,whoembodiedbothintentions,Civilrightsinthislandthroughnon-violentprotest.Firstboycottingabus,apeacefulintervention,Thepeopleroseup,andunderhimcoalesced.Riotsalwaysensued,buthiscalmwasfarmorethrilling,Jailedtimeaftertimeforpreachingequality,Forsuchanoblecause,hehadagreataudacity.Dieforthisidea,ohhewaswilling,ohhewaswillingTodieforthisidea.

Innineteensixty-three,Kingtoldtheworldhisdream,Thatchildrenoftheworldwillholdhandsinbrotherhood.ButforoneJamesEarlRay,thiswastooex-treme,Andwithaloadedgun,hestoleKing’sdreamforgood.TheworldwillneverknowwhathewouldhavevoicedHewasnotevenable,toseethefruitofhislabor,Wecannowopenly,loveequallyourneighbor.Dieforthisidea,ohhewasforced,ohhewasforcedTodieforthisidea.

GeorgesBrassens,pleasetellme,wherewouldthisworldbeIfitwasn’tforthoseidealistwhoseliveswerecutsoshort.Mourirlente,thatmaybetrue,Butalifethat’sfullofpassion.

a FriENdLy Word With gEorgEs brassENs

14 The Levee

N’écrispas-Jesuistriste,etjevoudraism’éteindreLesbeauxétéssanstoi,c’estlanuitsansflambeauJ’airefermémesbrasquinepeuventt’atteindre,Etfrapperàmoncoeur,c’estfrapperautombeauN’écrispas!N’écrispas-N’apprenonsqu’àmourirànous-mêmesNedemandequ’àDieu...qu’àtoi,sijet’aimais!Aufonddetonsilenceécouterquetum’aimes,C’estentendrelecielsansymonterjamaisN’écrispas!N’écrispas-Jetecrains;j’aipeurdemamémoire;Elleagardétavoixquim’appellesouventNemontrepasl’eauviveàquinepeutlaboireUnechèreécritureestunportraitvivantN’écrispas!N’écrispascesmotsdouxquejen’osepluslire:Ilsemblequetavoixlesrépandsurmoncoeur;Etquejelesvoisbrûleràtraverstonsourire;Ilsemblequ’unbaiserlesempreintsurmoncoeur

N’écrispas!

Donotwrite-IamsadandwouldliketoexpireBeautifulsummerswithoutyouareanightwithoutatorch

Iclosedmyarms,whichcannotreachyou,Andtostrikeatmyheartistostrikeatthegrave.

Donotwrite!Donotwrite-Onlyletuslearntodieforourselves

OnlyaskGod...andtoyou,ifIlovedyou!Atthebottomofyoursilence,tohearthatyouloveme

IstohearheavenwithoutevergettingthereDonotwrite!

Donotwrite-Ifearyou;Iamscaredofmymemory,Shekeepsthevoicethatoftencallsme

DonotshowrunningwatertoonewhocannotdrinkitAdearhandwrittenwordisalivingportrait

Donotwrite!DonotwritethosesweetwordsthatIdarenolongerread:

Itseemsthatyourvoicespreadsthemonmyheart,AtthatIseethemburningthroughyoursmile,Itseemsthatakissimprintsthemonmyheart

Donotwrite!

LEs séParés

thE sEParatEd

The Levee 15

raudoNi vakarai

Inmyhandfulbeesarehumming,yourlungswithwaterfill,Inmyhandfulmorningfades,sadasasoldier’sdog.Myhandsarefullofgravel,grindingsnowyclouds,

MymillstonesarecryingandweepingIonyourshouldersswoop

IwillslumberandyouwillreturnTheeveningswillturndarkred

Theenemywillretreattheneverythingwillchange,Willyoubeafraid?

Blizzardsroseforthethirdtimeandbeesfellfrommypalms,Thecity’sbellweptandhummed,brothersintheforestsdisap-

pearAllnightlongmourningbirchescomplainedtolindens,

Floodedwithblood’srednessourhollowhomes.

Ilaiddownbutyoudidnotreturnwheretheredeveningsfade

wherethepathispointlesstherewillnotbeacross.Areyouafraid?

rEd EvENiNgs

Manosaujojdūzgiabitės,tavoplaučiuosevanduo,Manosaujojgestarytas,liūdnaskaipkareiviošuo.Manorankosžvyropilnos,malasniegądebesų,Verkia,raudamanogirnos,ašsmingutauantpečių.

Ašatgulsiu,tupareisi,Busraudonivakarai.Priešastrauksis,viskaskeisis,ManoLietuvabedale,arbijai?

Pūgoskilotrečiąkartą,kritobitėsišdelnų,Gaudė,verkėmiestovarpas,dingobroliaitarpmiškų.Visąnaktįskundėsliepomsaimanuojantysberžai,Kraujoraudoniuužlietimūsųpustuščiainamai.

Manatgulusnesugrįžai,Kurraudonivakarai.Tuščiokeliotuščiaskryžius.ManoLietuvabedale,arbijai?

16 The Levee

The Levee 17

dEath oF sNoWdEN

18 The Levee

(a scene from Joseph Heller’s Catch 22)

The Levee 19

The whispers of the town came likethe soundof thebreeze -- reverber-atingfromallsidesandeverycorner.Theyseemedtodefylocalizationand

comprehension,echoinglikethevoiceoftheal-mightynotfrommouthsloweredtothegazeofthe loyalesbut from theair itself.Aswhenevertheycame,giddywithfearandstolenwine,theentirevillageenteredastateofparalysis,unmov-ing lipsbelyingthesourceof theghostlywhis-pers –whichwere at onceprayers, curses, andurgentconversations.¡Lo que es un destino para un hombre del dio! Thiswasthewayithadbeenformonths,perhapsevenyearsnow.Withthespec-terofdeathamongstthem,timeseemeddifficulttomeasure.

After the red men passed, the conversationwould return, startingalways with prayers andinsults before it turnedback to the realities oflife. Demonios, hijos deSatan. Rojos.They weredesperate men, danger-ous men, damned asthey were by that color.No love was spared forsuch;perhaps inBarcelonaorMadridtheyhadfamiliesoftheirownthatpretendedatcare,buteventheymustberepulsedbythatcolor.Bloodwasonthesemen’shands,athick,dirty,trueredwhichwasatoncemorevibrantandmoreterri-blethanthatgaudyshadefromwhichtheymadetheirflags.

Though the buzz never rose above a lowdrone,itcarriedtheunmistakabletensionofthemoment,andasenseofagonythatnevershowedin the stony faces.They had becomemasterfulactors,pretendingatindifference.Evenasthesewalkingcorpses carried the limpbody throughthetown, laughing like jackals, theyshowednosignthattheyhadevennoticedit.

Theytookhimtothecenterofthetown,tear-ing and sullying his vestments in the cobble-stonesanddirt.Forsuchaslimandreservedman,ithadtakenthreeofthemtocarryhim,andtheywereslowaboutit;theweightofguiltnodoubtheavyontheirshoulders.Perhapstheyknewandfearedtheimportoftheircrime,fortheircom-panions were more numerous than they hadbeenonpreviousvisits–thebodyanditscarrierswereflankedbyanothersoldiers,showingtheirdrunkencourage.Theyoungestofthecompany

hadanauseatedlooktohim,carryinghisrifleasthoughitwereabouttobitehim.Maybehehadlosthisnerve,surroundedby thestill faces.Orperhapshewasillwithwine–ithappenedoftenwiththevintagesoflate,underdoneastheywere.Perhaps, other than communion, he never hadtasteditbefore.Hadherememberedtheservicesof his childhood,when they had broken downthedoor?Hadherecalledhisownpriestwhentheyhadcomeforthisone?Hadthatmansur-vived,orhadhetoobeensweptup?

Theystrungthepriestuponthechurch–hischurch,with its rusting iron cross on the roof,toaroaringdroneofwhispers. ¡Un pacifista! ¡Un hombre inocente! Theywerelaughingastheytiedtherope,judgingwhetherthepittedmetalwouldholdhisweight.His fatewas sealed, but as al-

ways,itwastobeashow,a message to the others.Thepriest’sbody saggedas they tied the ropearound its waist, and ashe rose, it sunk furtheruntiltheropewasaroundhis armpits. The armsrose out and to the sideand thepriest’shead, an

uglymassofbruises,facedtotheground.Itwasnotclearifhewasconscious.

Aboldmanatopthechurchcalledout,“Com-pañerosycompañeras,lookuponthetraitor!Doyouknowhim?”

Nonedaredtoreplyintheaffirmative,andtheboldmangrinnedpredatorily.“Ithoughtnot.”

Ontheground,thepooryoungmanwiththegun stared at the body transfixed. His nearestcompanionslappedhimonthebackandpointedatthehangingbody.Theyweretomakehimdoit.Visiblyshaking,heraisedtheguninprepara-tion.

Theman continued, slurring between Cata-lan and Spanish in his drunken eagerness.Heproddedthepriestwiththebuttofhisrifleandthemanstirred.“You,padre.Youareaccusedofspreading lies and fascist propaganda, and en-dangering the health of the Spanish Republic.Fromyourpulpit youattempted to subvert thetruthofourcauseanddeludeusintosurrender!Haveyouanythingtosayinyourdefense?”

Inthestillairoftheplazathepriest’storturedwords could be heard, though they were littlemorethanacroak.

“OurlordsaidupontheCross,‘Father,forgive

They had become masterful actors,

preteding at indifference.

WhisPErs

20 The Levee

them,fortheyknownotwhattheydo.’You,igno-rant…IpraythatGodhasmercyuponyoursoul,forifIamtodieformen’ssins,yoursarebeyondtherealmofforgiveness.”

Theboldmanspatinthepriest’sfaceandnod-dedtothesoldiersbelow.Therewasthecrackoftherifleandthesighofthepriestasthebullethithim.Someone,oneof thestatuesbelow, letoutagasp.Theboldmantookhisownrifleandproddedthebayonethardintothepriest’sside,elicitingagoutofblood.“See!Heisnothingbutblood,”hecalleddowntotheassemblage,“asareallmen!”

He and his companions climbed down thechurch,leavingthebodytohangandthecrowdto stare atit in despair. Those closest to theyoungest of the group dragged him to his feetfromwhereheknelt,shaking.Half-carryinghim,theydepartedtoadeafeningsilence.

The Levee 21

TheheatofMexicobetraysthesenses;itdullsthemandluresthemintothewarmthandsafetyoftheredsoil,thefood, the melodious language while

magic occurs right before them. Even the na-tivesofOldMexicofallvictimtotheheat,takingtheirsiestas,goingabout theirdays ignorantofthemysticismoftheirland.LittleAlmaplayedintheheat,whileher family reposedduring theirsiesta.LikemanyMexicanchildren,Almaplayedwith sticksand the reddirt, the leavesand themud;she,likesomanyothers,wasunawareoftheluxuryoftoysbecauseherfamily,likemostfami-liesintheregion,couldnotafforddolls,toycars,or blocks for their children to playwith.Almaresignedherselftothistoy-lessexistence,enjoy-ingherimaginarygamesandevenmakingtem-porarydollsfromsticksandleaves,withpiecesofragged,oldclothforhair.Almaknewherparentscouldnotaffordadoll forherandsheknewitwouldn’tbefairforthemtobuyheradollwith-outbuyingoneforhertwosistersandsomethingforherbrotheraswell.Almasigheddeeplyandclosedhereyes,wishingforherchildishheart’sonetruedesire:adolltoplaywith.

Despitethefactthatshewasonlyeightyearsold,Almawentintotownaloneonesteamysum-merdaytorunsomeerrandsforhermother.Hermotherwasbusytakingcareofherlittlebrother,just a fewmonths old now, who was sufferingfromthepainofhisfirsttoothgrowingin.Hertaskwassimple;walktothemarketsquare,pickuptherice,beans,tomatoesandcucumbersthatwouldbecomethatnight’sdinner.Shetookhertimeaftershehadboughttheingredientsfortheirmeal,browsingotherstalls,otherwares.Thoughshethought,consciously,thatshewasjusthavingalittlebitoffunbeforeheadinghomeAlmasub-consciouslyknewshewaslookingforadoll.Anydollwoulddo,asecondhanddoll,withamissingeye,withpulledouthair,somethingthatwouldprovideentertainmentandbeherlittleplaymatewasallshewanted.

Beforesheknewit,shehadleftall thestallsandtentsbehindandwaswalkingalongtheside-walksofthetowncenter,wherealltheluxuriousitemswerefreetobeboughtbyanywhocouldafford them. She walked past perfume shopsreeking of lavishness, jewelry shops displayingtheir flashiest gems before she stumbled uponit.There, across fromwhere she was standing,stoodabatteredandblackened littleshop.Thefaded little red signbarelyhung from the iron

rings;peelinggoldletteringdefinedtheshopas“TheToyShoppe”. In thedustywindowof thesad store, Alma saw something that made herheartbothflutterandpound.Inthecenterofthedustydisplaywindow sat adoll that absolutelyhadtobeAlma’s.ThisdollcouldbelongtononeotherthanlittleAlma,itmimickedherfaceper-fectly.Thebrowneyesshonewiththesamelus-ter, the chinwas just as delicate asAlma’s, thenosewasperfect;thesun-brownedskin,thedarkhair, the simple smile allmirroredAlma’s ownlooks.Shewassointrigued,sofascinatedbythedollshealmostdroppedallthegroceriesand,inher childish excitement, longed to run towardsthe window and get a closer look at her doll.Longingly,sheplacedonesmallhandagainstthewindow,intheattempttobecloser,totouchthedoll.Itreallywasabeautifuldoll,howwasAlmasupposedtowalkawaywithoutit?Shepickedupher groceries oncemore, summoned her cour-ageandopened thedoor to theshop,steppinginside.Mustysmellsfromoldtoysandunwashedhumanskin threatened tomakehergagassheenteredtheshopbutAlmaremainedstrong,ig-noring the reflexand insteadfirmly statingherentrancewitha“Hello?”

The shop, though old and decrepit offeredtreasures for the children of the region.Thereweremonkeysthatclappedtogethercymbals,redfiretrucksstillshiningbrightlydespitetheirdimenvirons.The backwall of the small shop dis-playedashelfwithanamazinglybeautifulsightforAlma tobehold. Itwas a shelf full ofdolls;blonddolls,green-eyeddolls,brown-eyeddolls,small and large, in beautifulVictorian dressesandinsimplenativewearcoveredtheshelf.Ex-citedly,Almaranuptotheshelf,hereyesscan-ningtheshelveslookingforadollthatcapturedher attention just as much or evenmore thantheone in thedisplaywindow.Despite lookingclosely and carefully at each doll, Alma couldnotfindonethatcouldholdaflametoother;thefirstwasperfect,thefirsthadtobehers.“They’rebeautiful,aretheynot,”avoicelikerustandlimenearlychuckledfrombehindAlma.Sheturnedaroundinshockandsawthatalittleoldwomanstoodbehindher.Brilliant eyes shonewithinawrinkledface,foldsofskinthreatenedtohidehereyesfromtheworldasshesmiledanawkward,mostlytoothlesssmile.Thewomanwasdressedcompletelyinblack,aheavydarkshawlcoveredherheadandshoulderscontrastingsharplywiththewoman’swhitehair,makingherseemmore

aLma

22 The Levee

ancientthansheactuallywas.Almalookedatthewoman,wordlessfromhershockattheim-possibilityof thewoman’sageandfromaweatthecountlessbeautifuldolls,andsimplynodded.Again, the woman flashed Alma her toothlesssmile.

Alma simply stood in place, dumbstruckasthewomansmiledather.Silentlyandstiffly,thewoman grabbed dolls off the shelf, one byone, to show them toAlma.ThoughAlma ad-miredeachdoll,hereyesdidnotlightupastheyhad when she sawthe one in the dis-play window. Theold woman, aftershowingAlmaafewdolls knew, almostintuitively, whichdoll Alma longedfor the most. Shewalked slowly tothedisplaywindowand picked up the doll that had sat there anduponreturning,placeditinAlma’sarms.Itwasevenmorebeautifulnowthatitwasinherarms;Alma knew the doll had to be hers.With theoldwomanstaringintentlyather,Almarealizedwhathadtobedoneforthedolltobehers.Shehadtopayforit.Shedidn’tknowhowshewouldmanageit,butsheknewshehadto.“Howmuchdoesitcost,”Almaaskedinatimidvoice,afraidto know the answer.The oldwoman looked atherandhersmileseemedalmostmischievous.Ittookheralmostaneternitytoanswer,“Foradolllikethat,sobeautifullycrafted,justgiveme200pesos”.Almanearlycriedoutattheinjusticeoftheprice;200pesoswaswhatherfatherearnedfortwoweeksofwork,therewasnowaythedollwasgoingtobehers.

Inapanic,Almavoicedherfeelingofde-spair, “But, I absolutelymust have this doll! ItlooksexactlylikemeandI’veneverhadadollbe-fore;ohIwouldgiveanythingtohavethisdoll!”Foramoment, theoldwomanseemedtouchedbyAlma’splea.Shebentdownslightly,putherwrinkledhand,dottedwithliverspots,onAlma’sshoulderandasked,“Wouldyoureallygiveany-thing, child?” Alma’s voice caught in despera-tion so she just nodded vigorously. “Then, mychild,comebackwith250pesosandthedollisyours,” the oldwoman cackledmaliciously, thecacophonyfillingthesmallshop.TearswelledinAlma’seyesassheturnedtofleefromtheshop.Shescoopedupherbagsandran,bumpingintoatablecoveredwithlittlemonkeysthatclappedcymbalstogetherbeforemakingherwayoutofthedoor.FromthetableAlmahadbumpedinto

a monkey fell and began to clap his cymbals,walkingtowardsthedoor.Themonkeybumpedagainstthedoorframemultipletimesbeforetheold woman picked it up and returned it to itsproperplace.

The heat of the late afternoon followedAlma home, mixing her tears with sweat andcausingher chest toheavewithboth sobs andexertion.Howcouldthatoldwomanbesocruel?SheknewAlmacouldnotevencomeupwiththe200pesos shehadoriginally asked for and she

askedforevenmoreafter Alma’s plea.Whataterrible,ter-rible woman!Almaquickly thoughtabout her op-tions. There wasno way she couldask her parents forthe money to payfor the doll. They

wouldbeupsetbyitscostaswellasfeelinginfe-riorasparentsbecausetheycouldnotaffordtobuy theireldestdaughteragift.Shecould runerrands for thepeopleof the town;doingtheirshopping, pressing their laundry, feeding theiranimals… but, with the small money runningerrandsearnedher,shewouldhavetoworkformonthsbeforebeingabletobuythedoll.Alma’stearsnearlystartedanewwithfrustrationwhenanun-thoughtofsolutionpoppedintoherhead.Shecouldstealthedoll.Theshopkeeperwasold,shecouldnotrunafterherandshewouldn’tbesuspectedofthetheft,livingasfarfromthetowncenterasshedid.ItwassettledinAlma’smind,aftereveryoneelse fellasleep, shewouldsneakfrom her house into the terrible old woman’sshopandtakethedoll.

Inthedeadofthenightthewarmthofthedayhadfadedandacoolbreezesweptovertheland,swirlingmoundsofreddust.Almasilentlysnuckoutofherhome into the freshnightair.Her heart pounded and her limbs quivered asshebeganher journey to the towncenter.Shetriedtomakenosound,toleavenosignasshewalked,avoidingdustandsteeringherselfawayfromtheshutstands.Thedarknessofthenighthidherwell,cloakingher inshadowsuntilshereachedtheshop.AquicksurveyofthedisplaywindowshowedthatAlma’sdollwasno longerthere.Alma’sheartsanklikeastone,thinkingherplan foiled.But, thenshe realized that thedollmightbeelsewhereintheshop.Fromherdresspocketshepulledoutasmallcarvingknifeandpushedit intothelockofthedoor.Shejiggledandwiggled theknifeuntil,finally,witha loud

In the center of the dusty display window sat a doll that absolutely had to be Alma’s. This doll could belong to none other than little Alma, it mimicked her face perfectly.

The Levee 23

click, the door to the shop opened. Stealthily,Almaenteredtheshop,silentlyclosingthedoorbehindher.Inthegloom,shecouldhardlyseeathingexceptforthegleamingeyesofthecount-lessporcelaindollswhichlinedtheshelf.Almapracticallyrantotheshelf,hereyesscanningtheshelf,searchingforthedoll.Afterafewminutesofsearching,Almabegantodespair,shecouldn’tfind the doll. She thought about grabbing anyother doll, about leavingbut she couldn’t; thatdollandonlythatdollhadtobehers.Sudden-ly,Almafoundit,sitting justbeyondherreach.Ontiptoeandwithanoutstretchedhand,Almareachedforthedoll,grabbingitsdelicatehand.

Thatmagicalmoment,thefeelingofthecoolporcelainagainstherwarmflesh,theecstasyof finally having andholdingwhat she desiredmost, fled in an instant andwas replaced by afeelingofdarkdespair.Herheadbegantoswim,her vision tobluruntil shewas surrounded indarkness. In this darkness,Alma swooned andswayedbeforesuccumbingtotheblacknessthatenclosedher.Almaawokeashortwhilelater;hereyesstruggledtomakesenseofthegloombeforeher.Ittookheraminutetorealizeshewaslook-ingatthewindow;theairwasstillandthenightstillblack.Almatriedtostand,triedtomovebutall she could accomplishwas shifting her eyesin different directions. For some reason, someunknown curiosity ledAlma to lookdown andif she could have, shewould have screamed atwhatshesaw.Hersmallfeetwereonaplankof

varnishedwood,veryhighupincomparisontoher body,which lay flat andmotionless on theground.Fromtheshadows,afigureslidtowardit; itseyesgleamedmaliciously inthedarkness,twopinpointsofhellfirelightingupthedarknessof the shop.The figure stopped beforeAlma’sbody,theoneontheground,andbegantochantandhumwords soold that only the earth andthewindknew theirorigin.Alma’sbodybegantoglowbright,awhitemiasmasurroundedherbodyandflowedintothefigure’scacklingmouth.ThefiguregorgeditselfonAlmauntilthebodywasnothingbut amoundof reddirt, coveringa small section of the floor. From her perch,Almacriedinwardlyfromangerandfrustration.Wherewasshe,ifshejustsawherbodydevouredby that...Thing?That“Thing”finallystoodandsmiled wickedly, licking its lips. It was the oldwoman who kept the toy shop! Only now shewasnotsoold;herliverspotshadbeenerased,herskinnolongerhousedsomanywrinklesandherhairandeyesgleamedwiththedarknessofthenight.ShechuckledasshepickedAlmaupfromtheshelfandproclaimed,“Fool,doyouseewhatyourobsessionhaswrought?Takethisasalesson,“doll”,when youbecomeobsessed, youloseyourself”.Cacklingoncemore,thewitchputAlmabackontheshelfandwhileAlmacriedandragedinwardlyatallshehadlostforthesakeofadoll,thedollsontheshelfbehindhershiftedtheireyesinwelcomeofanewsister.

24 The Levee

NumbNEss

Whatdoyoumeanyoufeelnumb?Doyoureallynotfeelanythingatall?Howdoyoustandinsuchastate?

Don’tyoufeelthegravelbeneathyourfeet?Doesn’tyourheadfeelheavy?

Areyoutryingtotellmeyouaresad?Areyouangry?

Don’tmyquestionsfrustrateyou?Look,I’msorryshedumpedyou,

Butdon’tjustpickupyourthingsandleave.Heneverdidstopwalkingdownthatdustyroad,

Heneverevenlookedback,Howcouldheabandonmelikethis?

Andoveragirlhehardlyknew,Ilostmybestfriend,

AsIstoodtherebarefoot,Isuddenlylostthesensationoftherocks,Infact,Icouldn’tfeelanythingatall,

Ifeltnumb

thE goLdEN gatE bridgE

HowswiftandeasytheGoldenGateBridgefloats,Asthoughweighingnomorethantheairitdisplaces,

Thismasterpiecelivesuptoitsname,Eitherendopensuptoanotherpartofthisgloriousstate,

Nomatterwhichdirectiononetakes,ThedriverwillalwaysfacethemoreincrediblestateintheUS,

Theyshouldchargemoretodriveonsuchabridge,Itsredcolorshimmersagainstthebay,

Fortunatearetheshipsthatsailinitsshadow,Luckyarethepeoplewhosecommuteincludesthebridge,Blessedaretheengineerswhorepairitswornsections,

Themorningfogmerelyactsasagiantcurtain,Toreserveitsbeautyforspecificafternoonhours,

SomedaystheGoldenGatedoesnotevenmakeanappearance,Onlytomakethenextday’sshowingallthemorespecial

The Levee 25

sPLash

26 The Levee

The Levee 27

28 The Levee

Itislateafternoon.Thesunshinesaboveme.Thecloudshover in thesky.Agen-tle breeze blows through the trees.Theleavescastashadowontheground.Ilay

flat onmy stomach, as Ihadbeen for thepastseveral hours. Meticulously, I have tracked mypreytothislocation,waitingfortheperfectmo-ment to pounce.From my vantagepoint, I have aclear view of mytarget, nesting ontheground,obliv-iousofthedangeritisin.Outofthecorner ofmy eye,I see a stragglerstrayoffthemainpathandwanderintomyvicin-ity.Iinstantlybecomealert,asmybodystiffens.I letoutaviciouswarninghissinthedirectionoftheintruder.Thestragglerlooksup,temporar-ilystartled,beforeitquicklyspotsmeinthedis-tance.Afteramomentofdeliberation,itquicklyscurriesoff,decidingthatIwasnottobetangledwith.Irelax.Ishiftmyattentionbacktomyprey.ItremainsinthesamespotasIsawitlast,bliss-fullyunawareofmypresencedespitemyhiss.Ipreparemyattack.MymusclestenseupasIfeelthe adrenaline flowing through my body, itch-

ingtostrike.Waitinguntilthelastpossiblemo-ment,Ispringupfrommyrestingposition,andrushwithblisteringspeedtowardsmyvictim.Mymind issolely focusedonmyprey,as Iquicklyclosethedistancebetweenus.Suddenly,outofnowhere,Ihearathunderousroaraccompaniedbyapowerfulvibrationontheground.Istopin

my tracks, abso-lutely paralyzedin terror. Severalseconds pass as Iam naked, with-outcover,andnotknowing what todo. When noth-inghappens, I re-gaincontrolofmy

body and resumemy assault as if nothing hadhappened.AsIapproachmytarget,Isalivateatthe thought of capturing it. Hours of trackingandplanningareabouttopayoff.Icanalmosttasteit.Afterwhatseemslikedaysofrunning,Ifinally reach thespot. Incredibly,my targethasnotnoticedmeduringthiswholetime,andre-mainsimmobileandunawareofmyexistence.Ifranticallyloungeatmytarget,fumblingaroundbeforefirmlygraspingit.Itightlyclutchittomychestandrefusetoletgo.Atlast,Ithinktomy-self,theacornisfinallymine.

thE huNt

I spring up from my resting position, and rush with blistering

speed towards my victim

The Levee 29

humaN boNEs

oneofthethingsthatscaresmemostismurdererskillersthievesbombersdictators

NotthatI’mafraidofthem

It’sjustwe’reallonlyhairandteethandskinandeyesandfingernailsandbeatingheartsafterall

ExPirE

I’mrunning.Myfeetpound.

Breathing.

Iracetheclock.Buttimedoesn’texistthereisnoclocktoraceinlifeexcepttheoneinsideyourself.

iLLusioNs

maybeidon’tactuallyhave

askeleton.maybe

underneathmyskinthereareno

bonestoholdmeup

andmaybeeveryonewhoseesme

doesn’tnoticethatreally

allthat’sthereinside

isjustapuddleofbloodandgutsandorgans

causeimisplacedmyskeleton.

ormaybeitneverexisted

30 The Levee

8

anditscaresmealittle

thateverythingiscarbonandoxygenandnitrogenandhydrogen

andthatyou’remeandthati’myou

andthatwe’realljust

pilesandpilesofolddirtorsomething.

aLivE

asweranoutthefrontdoor

intothedarkintothenight

underthemillionsandmillionsofsmallsparklingstars

thecoolairhitmylungsandwithmybreath

theworldcamerushingin.

uN-

Iwonderifallthescatteredpieces

ofeverythingyou’veeversaideverywordyou’veeverheard

arefloatingoutthere,onandon,inspace

intheinfiniteabyss

floatingwherethemilesandyearsbleedtogether.

IfitallcamebackIwonderwhichwouldbeworse--

theunbearablenoiseortheunbreakablesilence.

LiFE, dEath, EtC.

…it’snothingpersonal

thE CavE

wesatinthedarknessstaringatthespinningluminarycrackedandancientwonderingwhatitwasinsidethatcastthelightandshadows.spinning,spinning,onandonitwentaswestared,grasping,untilfinallyitbroke.

weallgazedintoseewhohadbeenright.

butweweredisappointedwhenwesawthatallithadeverbeenwasatiny

insignificantmirror.

The Levee 31

FIN