Laughter trailed behind them as a toy was launched into the darkening sky. A bouncing, chocolate shadow shot passed.

Bum Bum

A sharp, piercing cry echoed all around, the acrid smell of skidding tires woke his senses. The forgotten tennis ball rolled off into the gutters, soon stolen by the strong current. For a moment, he just stood there, palms resting on his grass-stained overalls, as if waiting for a sign that it was ok to move.

A woman lunged out of the vehicle. Arms raised to cover her ears, she looked about, pausing on the tiny child. The air grew thick with tension. She blinked a couple tears out of her glassy eyes. Then she was gone. A fleeting thought. In the distance, all he saw was a once grand animal shrunken into the ground.

Bum bum

As the boy approached, he noticed the pool of red paint that stained the cement. Gasp. The boy knelt, raising his best friends head ever so slightly, he prodded the sealed lids. There was no way of distinguishing blood from coat color. A whimper followed. Rigid with fear, he cried out: "Mommy!"

Bum.