The glorious day the dictatorship fell like the house of cards it was built upon, the country of Benadir realized that the power had always been with them, the people. The country had begged for years for a military intervention lead by the United States. But an isolationist United States Government, still hungover from the endless wars in the middle-east decided to listen to its public opinion, and steered clear from the conflict letting the starving people of Benadir fight for their own freedom alone, weaponless, and without leadership. But the power of the mob roared like an angry lion that day, the same day they dragged the dictator and his right hand man to the nearest city square, and burnt them alive. That day, just like their freedom he was also reborn.

Tortured, traumatized and hopeless, the young boy sat in his cage. Lit by the faint glimmer of a half-dead candle, the boy wanted to weep but couldn't because his eyes hurt too much. His face had been burnt with acid, and some of it had leaked into his corneas. He wasn't sure if he was completely blind or not, as his eyes and most of his face was covered by a raggedy, dirty cloth. 

It was unusual for DePleur to do the torturing himself anymore, as he was hiding in his bunker those last days of the dictatorship's life. However, he himself had burnt the young boy's face with such cruelty it almost felt personal. 

Unmoved by the gunshots outside, the boy simply sat there on the cold floor, inside a small cage where they kept him after the torturing. Suddenly he felt as men broke inside the hut where his cage was, and walked towards him.

-"We are the sons of Benadir, we are free now!" -One of the men said as the boy lifted his head from his knees and paid attention.

Back to the present...

Aaron rolled down the steps of the secret room which looked more like an abandoned basement than a game-room. Inside it was dark, dusty and it had a strong smell of soil and humidity. As he stood up a flaring light hit him in the face and blinded him for several seconds. Once his sight settled, he recognized a frightful Michael standing in the dark pointing a flashlight at him.  

-"Mike, it's ok... it's me, Aaron!- But the five year old remained apprehensive, with a fearful expression on his face still.

-"Come on Michael we have to leave man!" -Aaron exclaimed with desperation in his voice. 

The boy didn't move, he still had those terrified eyes, like a person who had just stared at death right into its eyes. Aaron approached the little boy with his hands stretched, and with slow steps to not scare him, but as soon as he was close enough, Michael ran and hid in the dark. 

-"Damn it!" -Aaron exclaimed.

Suddenly the silhouette of the young boy ran behind him, it startled Aaron, who turned around with a jump. Michael kept reappearing out of nowhere, running fast, and giggling naughtily just to disappear again in the dark.

-"It's not time for games Mike, we have to get out of here man!" -Aaron said with a broken voice, as the little shadow kept reemerging and disappearing all around him, running and laughing. 

-"Stop playing!" -Aaron protested.

Out of nowhere, the shadow of the little boy hit Aaron with a tremendous force and made him fall on the ground. Flat on his back, Aaron noticed in the dark, how Michael began climbing him until they were both face to face. Michael's face was corpse-like, his skin looked pale and rotten, as little pieces of it were flaking off, like the skin of a dead person who has been dead for a long time. The little boys eyes were also lifeless, glinting with a somber crystal blue. Horrified Aaron then noticed that Michael's mouth was sown with stitches and that the boy wanted to say something but couldn't, all he could hear was the throaty and dry voice of a corpse humming instead. Aaron tried to shake him off, but couldn't, the boy was overpowering him. Then the boy was able to pull open his mouth ripping the stitches out, and spoke:

-"You let me die!" -Michael said with an agonizing voice, before shutting down his eyes, and dying on Aaron's chest.

As it happened the horror made Aaron wake up, it had all been a dream, he had rolled down the stairs and lost his consciousness. With an unbearable headache he stood up and looked around, now the secret room looked a lot fancier and cleaner than it did in his dream, only problem though... no Michael on sight.