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Description
Thunder rolled across the dark clouds bearing heavy rains which they liked to randomly dump on unsuspecting people below.  Ken held his jacket close as the wind tried to snatch it from him, the rain playfully teasing him in an atempt to aid the wind.

“Odd weather,” he noted, his soft words were torn from him by the wind the instant they left his lips.  Summertime in California almost NEVER had four strait weeks of cold rainfall this heavy every day.  He loved the rain so Ken wasn’t complaining.  Not to mention this was “Fire Season” and with all the rain it was difficult at best for any sort of fire to get a foot-hold to start a major firestorm.

Water dropped down from Ken’s soaked hair and into his face.  He grinned and shook his head violently, flinging rain water from his dark red hair in a futile effort to relieve it of it’s extra burden.

Across the street an older man walked huddled in his long, light brown coat.  He wore nice shiny black dress shoes and black dress pants carrying a black umbrella to shield himself as best he could from the rain.  Ken figured he was heading to work and continued his journey back to his dorm.  A strong gust of wind surprised him and almost accomplished its mission to take his jacket from him.  A shout brought Ken’s eyes back to the businessman only to find him scrambling after his umbrella the wind had managed to take and send spinning down the street back the way the man had come.  Ken immediately took off after the man’s umbrella, managing to retrieve it and return it safely into the already soaked man’s hands.  Ken gave a smile along with the umbrella.

“Thank you SO much young man!” he returned Ken’s smile with one of his own that lit up his dark brown eyes for an instant.

“No problem!”

“Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket, “I want to repay you for your kindness.”

“No need!” Ken said, his cheeks getting slightly warm.  “I did it to be nice!  Not for reward!”

Screeching.  Shouting.  Screaming.  An impact.  Shattered glass.  Crunched mettle.  Blood, life, warmth, seeping from a broken body.  A horn to acompany a soul on its final journey.  A black umbrella lying beside a pool of diluting blood.  A shaft of golden light split the clouds so softly illuminate the businessman lying at the center of the crimson puddle.

“Hey!  Boy!”  A warm hand on his shoulder brought Ken back to where he was.

“Hu?  What?”  He swallowed.  He was going to die.  This man was going to die.  Today.

“I asked if you were alright.  You went white all of a sudden.”

“Oh, sorry.  I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Ken managed a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.  It was this man’s fate to die today from a car accident.  Ken saw it and it was to be true.  Whatever Ken saw ALWAYS came true.  Always.

“Hey!  What time is it?”  He asked cheerfully.  The businessman took a glance at his watch.

“OhmyGod!  I’m LATE!” he shouted.  “But I must repay you!”

“Just be safe” Ken said, “That’s payment enough.” No matter what he wished or what he did he never could change fate.  He hated it.  And hated himself for being able to see other’s futures.  He wished he could tell the man what would happen to him, but from experience Ken knew that it would only make things worse.  This man will die today.

“You too.” he waved farewell and turned around and walked at a brisk pace.  Ken spun around and ran.  Anger, hate and shame, at himself and the world, swelled up inside him.  Why couldn’t he change anything?  Why couldn’t he do anything right to help someone?  Why did he have to see things like that?  Why?  He slowed his pace as he came within sight of the dorm rooms and he entered the building wearing one of his many masks that he showed the world.  This one was a cool mask, almost cold.  Just cold enough to hide the heat of his anger.  As usual, none of the other students noticed anything different.

Description
Thunder rolled across the dark clouds bearing heavy rains which they liked to randomly dump on unsuspecting people below.  Ken held his jacket close as the wind tried to snatch it from him, the rain playfully teasing him in an atempt to aid the wind.

“Odd weather,” he noted, his soft words were torn from him by the wind the instant they left his lips.  Summertime in California almost NEVER had four strait weeks of cold rainfall this heavy every day.  He loved the rain so Ken wasn’t complaining.  Not to mention this was “Fire Season” and with all the rain it was difficult at best for any sort of fire to get a foot-hold to start a major firestorm.

Water dropped down from Ken’s soaked hair and into his face.  He grinned and shook his head violently, flinging rain water from his dark red hair in a futile effort to relieve it of it’s extra burden.

Across the street an older man walked huddled in his long, light brown coat.  He wore nice shiny black dress shoes and black dress pants carrying a black umbrella to shield himself as best he could from the rain.  Ken figured he was heading to work and continued his journey back to his dorm.  A strong gust of wind surprised him and almost accomplished its mission to take his jacket from him.  A shout brought Ken’s eyes back to the businessman only to find him scrambling after his umbrella the wind had managed to take and send spinning down the street back the way the man had come.  Ken immediately took off after the man’s umbrella, managing to retrieve it and return it safely into the already soaked man’s hands.  Ken gave a smile along with the umbrella.

“Thank you SO much young man!” he returned Ken’s smile with one of his own that lit up his dark brown eyes for an instant.

“No problem!”

“Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket, “I want to repay you for your kindness.”

“No need!” Ken said, his cheeks getting slightly warm.  “I did it to be nice!  Not for reward!”

Screeching.  Shouting.  Screaming.  An impact.  Shattered glass.  Crunched mettle.  Blood, life, warmth, seeping from a broken body.  A horn to acompany a soul on its final journey.  A black umbrella lying beside a pool of diluting blood.  A shaft of golden light split the clouds so softly illuminate the businessman lying at the center of the crimson puddle.

“Hey!  Boy!”  A warm hand on his shoulder brought Ken back to where he was.

“Hu?  What?”  He swallowed.  He was going to die.  This man was going to die.  Today.

“I asked if you were alright.  You went white all of a sudden.”

“Oh, sorry.  I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Ken managed a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.  It was this man’s fate to die today from a car accident.  Ken saw it and it was to be true.  Whatever Ken saw ALWAYS came true.  Always.

“Hey!  What time is it?”  He asked cheerfully.  The businessman took a glance at his watch.

“OhmyGod!  I’m LATE!” he shouted.  “But I must repay you!”

“Just be safe” Ken said, “That’s payment enough.” No matter what he wished or what he did he never could change fate.  He hated it.  And hated himself for being able to see other’s futures.  He wished he could tell the man what would happen to him, but from experience Ken knew that it would only make things worse.  This man will die today.

“You too.” he waved farewell and turned around and walked at a brisk pace.  Ken spun around and ran.  Anger, hate and shame, at himself and the world, swelled up inside him.  Why couldn’t he change anything?  Why couldn’t he do anything right to help someone?  Why did he have to see things like that?  Why?  He slowed his pace as he came within sight of the dorm rooms and he entered the building wearing one of his many masks that he showed the world.  This one was a cool mask, almost cold.  Just cold enough to hide the heat of his anger.  As usual, none of the other students noticed anything different.