Phobos

James was a frightened and lonely child. He lived upon a hill above the school. During his days off her would climb the trees and look upon the masses that lived within the city just beyond his vision. The hustle and bustle of the city brought about an anxiety that constricted his throat and made his muscles tense. The voices of humanity, all condensed in a limited space brought about images of death, destruction, and the evils of humanity. James would often lay awake at night, picturing the sinful lives of those that lived perpetually in the city, scornful of nihilistic lives and the grating sound of soulful pestilence. 

James was not filled with hate, nor pity. James didn't feel sympathy, and he rarely felt love, all he felt was fear. In reality, he never truly saw anyone from the city. He only lived in his house, and within his large and tall tree that overlooked the burdensome school nestled below him which acted as a beacon of distrust. During James weekly climb, he slipped, and fell to the ground. it was the first time he had made a misstep. He wasn't very far from the ground, and he was simply winded by the fall, but the end result did not console his imagination. Upon the fall to the ground, the tree shrunk before his eyes, and time changed before him. he was no longer a few meters from the ground, but falling from an unfathomable height. He saw his hands grasp at empty air, and the distressing feeling of helplessness that always ruled his life. When he hit the ground, and realized he wasn't dead, he was surprised, and strangely disappointed. His heart slowed, and James raised himself from the ground once he had caught his breath. 

The next week, standing before the tree, he could not longer will himself to climb the tree that he had scaled hundreds of times before. He felt beaten, as if the single failure amounted to a lifetime of flawed actions and sentiments. James was scared of the tree. Looking down upon the school James saw the young children, many his age, playing and rough housing. He saw them kick a ball, and run after it with wild and enthusiastic abandonment, laughing wildly and mirthfully. James considered there actions from a distance at first. He moved closer, and then stood before the fence of the school. 

Unable to focus his attentions on the ruinous city on the outskirts of his suburban life, he became enthralled by the beastly, yet kindly nature of the children. With each day James grow more confident. He was able to speak to one of the the children. The child, though not unkind, responded with indifferent confusion. James grew anxious as the awkward interaction lingered longer than he felt comfortable with. At last he was able to mindlessly break the conversation, and walked away. The next day, James once again climbed the tree, and looked down upon the school before him. He stared at the city that once again laid before him, masked in a layer of smog and raising above the land in a disordered array of skyscrapers, buildings, and open parks.