I don’t know what he is thinking about, but I know the expression well enough to recognize the intense focus that meant the gears were grinding inside his head. I smile at the sight of his dark face screwed up in concentration. Patrick’s clothes are rumpled, his tie askew. I barely made it through secondary-there is no way I could handle university, not with what I have to deal with every day in the Underground.

He graduated and is in some kind of school for computers or something-I don’t know. It gives me an excellent vantage point to see Patrick coming from his classes. My hiding spot amongst the trees does more than just conceal me from the ever-present cameras throughout all of London. When time allows, I like to pop in and see how he fares. Even though my visits with him lead to arguments when he asks questions I can’t answer, he is still my best friend. It has been a few weeks since I’ve gotten to check in on Patrick. My work in the tunnels keeps me too long underground most days to catch full afternoon light usually I make my way back to the boarding house at dusk or after. Still, it is enough to be aboveground while the sun shines-it has been less and less frequent that I get to see it. The sun leaks through the clouds, but the day is dry. I wait atop the park wall near the entrance, hidden by a cluster of trees. doesn't stand for Anno Domini, not anymore. The year is 64 A.D., at least the way we count it. Hunter Moon (Volume 4 of the Moon series) Jackal Moon (Volume 2 of the Moon series) Leopard Moon (Volume 1 of the Moon series)

Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista