Say cheese

Once I've grown a wing or better two I'll fly, get out. Why should I stay? I like to see the sunrise for a change instead of lying down and hiding in a wooden shed, one that's not even able to save our lives like one of those decent underground bunkers. Any idiot can see that we are hiding in here, not only from the ground but also up in the air. I'm tired of being afraid.

Don't you hear all those aeroplanes throwing bombs instead of food, don't you smell what they spray on their way out of here? If I have my wings I will fly far, far away just like that lady dragon in the animation Shrek. I ignore, won't obey, what some lunatic says whose only goal is to fill his pockets with our death.

Proclaim your love, the dictator said. He's the man who only cares about his wallet and real estate abroad, which of course is a good reason to start and force the plebs to fight the next war.

The game is to gain fame, expand, grow wealth and of course... reign, which can only be done after every stone is turned, and all that was ever built is gone. Once the Biolabs are bombed there's no piece of evidence left, such a shame. Destroying power stations by the way is a good start to putting an end to the country's economy. Let's see who next can be manipulated. Greed should speak, why not make the people blame the strategically chosen enemy instead?

After years of education, it's high time those spoiled brats prove their loyalty.

It's payback time, the message on the display said. All should fight for your Highness's rights, preferably give their lives, before the curtain falls for the self-made Royalty.

Rob wasn't the guy who pretended he cared, living by the day, or better night, he took the moment for what it was, "it is what it is, why breaking my brains and worry" was his lifestyle slogan.

As long as his mom kept cooking his food, paying the bills and doing the laundry he didn't feel the need to change anything. He considered his life good, after all, one should never try to reach for the stars unless he knew what he was doing.

Being a couch potato was already exhausting enough, why fight against an imaginable invisible enemy? Someone who might, just like him, rather stay home to binge-watch a Netflix series or see the latest film? The best thing he could do was not interfere, keeping the peace by doing nothing which he knew he was an expert in.

The wrong diagram give me the right one, he roared although he feared that piece of paper showed the truth. How could it be that a perfectly written scenario was dragging him, the most beloved and greatest King of history, down to earth? Where did it go wrong, which one of his employees had spied for the enemy and intended to deliver him to the hands of the most hated man?

Revenge should be sweet but all he tasted was the bitterness of the biggest disappointment he had experienced in his entire life. And while the angst closed its claws around his neck he snapped back at the delivery man and spat in his face. The death penalty was too good for the bringer of such bad, if not the worst, news he ever had. He would feed that bastard to the lion and if necessary put his head on a stake as an example for all those who dared to undermine the deep state.

The lion in the kitchen felt satisfied, he didn't have too much appetite. He had had enough to digest and thought it wouldn't harm to save the best for later, which was the moment he felt the urge to eat. There was no reason to bite the hand that had raised and had always fed him at least twice a day for as long as he could remember.

Sweet dreams my dear friend, the delivery man said before he curled up next to the beast and fell asleep. It had been an exhausting day and behind his closed eyes he already saw the light at the end of the tunnel of inhumanity.

The big cat was flat on the kitchen floor while it kept one eye on the door and the other one closed so he could take a well-deserved nap.

In the evening around 11 p.m., a star fell straight from the sky. It's good to know that only 30 minutes before a set of wings did indeed grow and unanimously was decided it was time to leave the shed, where they all had been hiding for too long.

In the meanwhile the dictator packed his bag happily, glad he could travel light. Satisfied about how smart he was to sneak out. His car was waiting. Not a single soul would notice if he walked out the kitchen door, over the lawn, and next climbed the wall, which was the only obstacle he should take to escape the fall of his desired empire.

No one did see how clumsy and unfit Your Highness was. The man who in reality had never joined the army ended up flat on the street where the lion just happened to be. Was it his instinct that made him jump silently?

Say cheese, Rob said as he passed by, although lazy he had decided to take a few steps outside. Taking a photo of the cat playing with a man would be proof of that.

Sit still can't you have a time-out? Please, smile if you can. It's a long time ago I met Royalty, you are the King of all beasts can't you at least pretend?

He pulled a piece of cheese out of his pocket and threw it between the teeth of the lion. It didn't care about the fungus spread, after all, it wouldn't cause his death.

Great catch, Your Majesty, Rob said.

The photo was taken by me

20-1-2024