One by One

He could feel it

His body turning to dust

Like the others around him

He didn’t wanna go

Not now. Not when they’re almost done.

He could do nothing but feel pain

I don’t feel so good.

As he stumbled over to the man who helped him

The man who shaped him

His hero, mentor, father-figure.

It wouldn’t be long before he too was gone

So he fell into the man’s arms

And in a voice holding nothing but fear,

I don’t wanna go, please, I don’t wanna go.

He fell to the ground his feet turned to particles

Continuing until only his head remained.

He managed to get two words out to the man

Before the dust took him like it did countless others

The man with eyes stricken with grief and despair and anger

The man who could only watch as the boy left this world

I’m sorry.