He picked up the burnt end of the branch and made a mark on the stone. Day 52 if the marks on the stone were accurate. He couldn't be sure. Day and nights had begun to blend, creating confusion, but he knew it was a long time. Much too long.
He was an expert but not in a discipline that anyone could fully appreciate. He knew how to hold the cone just right so that the soft server ice-cream fell into it at the precise angle to form a perfect cone every time. It had taken years to perfect, and he could now do it without even putting any thought behind it. Nobody seemed to fully understand the beauty of this accomplishment except for the new worker who watched in amazement.
Was it enough? That was the question he kept asking himself. Was being satisfied enough? He looked around him at everyone yearning to just be satisfied in their daily life, and he had reached that goal. He knew that he was satisfied, and he also knew it wasn't going to be enough.
Dave watched as the forest burned up on the hill, only a few miles from her house. The car had been hastily packed, and Marta was inside trying to round up the last of the pets. Dave went through his mental list of the most important papers and documents that they couldn't leave behind. He scolded himself for not having prepared these better in advance and hoped that he had remembered everything that was needed. He continued to wait for Marta to appear with the pets, but she still was nowhere to be seen.
He heard the loud impact before he ever saw the result. It had been so loud that it had made him jump back in his seat. As soon as he recovered from the surprise, he saw the