As the setting sun faded in the sky, it dissolved its yellowish colour and sprayed it into the faces of the arrogant mountains that stood up to it.

On a small, wooden, black and white tv, the president addressed the nation. The president wasn’t angry. He only struggled to keep his voice down when he spoke and couldn’t resist banging a fist on his desk, an insult or two slipping out of his mouth unto the objects of his speech.

The man behind the tv set is deeply asleep, seated, his stand fan blowing his fatigue and the ranting on tv out his window, into the darkness of the woods engulfing his home.

Odessa’s father arrives from work and is served his supper. Odessa’s mom picks up little Odessa from the bedroom and returns to the living room where she sucks phlegm that stuffed Odessa’s nose with her mouth and swallows it, partially killing her husband’s appetite with the incident.

While Odessa’s father struggled to swallow his meal, he hears news that is even harder to swallow.

Initially, he heard gunshots. It was like a million guns firing at the same time, followed by wails from masses of people outside.

Rushing out to find out what the hell was going on, he almost got himself tumbled over by his wife who was more eager than he was to find clues to the confusion outside.

Soldiers and caterpillars. All they saw. The shrine was ablaze and stood like a motionless flag of fire in the darkness. Caterpillars combed the neighborhood like termites, eating every building in their path…