Tallying

A reporter recounts tallying the dead, reporting on today's fatalities and seeking a tally of yesterday's victims. The house is quiet as the reporter attempts to count the deceased, seeking numbers to provide. As the day unfolds, the reporter covers themselves in numbers, striving for stillness amidst the chaos. The warm house envelops the reporter, who struggles to find solace.

The reporter prays for the dead, attempting to assign faces to the listless bodies, condemning their defenselessness. Despite the toll of counting, the reporter cannot escape the reality of the dead—both those who have died and those who are about to. As life takes more away, the reporter keeps the dead within, acknowledging those who are gone but not injured.

The reporter's counting is questioned, as they wonder what truly matters in the face of loss. The reporter feels uncertain about venturing outside, yet they continue to count, even at the gate of the house. A faint dusk resolve settles in, and the reporter blesses the dead, letting go of the memories of the previous year's fallen.

As the morning approaches, the reporter counts through each moment, moving their hands as if counting the dead, attempting to alter their fate.