The Boy brings the torch closer to the Man’s face, and the Man twitches, knocking the back of his head into the tree.

Somehow, the entire day had passed us by—quickly, traitorously, and without us noticing.

There seemed to be no sign of anyone or anything else around him except for the infinite expanse of plain white landscape where he stood.

We were sitting around the big table at Bar SK, when the booze began to take hold of the night.