It's unknown where it was fired from. Probably a sniper hidden on a roof or in a tree. A civil war is raging. People are murdering each other. They're fighting for their statehood. Hundreds of victims, including civilians. Shots can be heard all day long. Collapsed houses, smoking ruins, dirty children, crying mothers. Tanks are everywhere. Not a moment of peace. Constant tension. Life hanging in the balance.
The rifled barrel of a professional PSG-1 sniper rifle gave the projectile a spinning motion. At a speed of about 800 m/s, it flew in a straight line towards its target. The target was a man. Dressed in civilian clothes, he was crossing the street. I don't know where he was going. Maybe for food or water. The projectile still had 10 meters left. The man heard the shot, but there were many of them. He didn't know that the deadly piece of lead, invented centuries ago by himself, would in a few seconds likely annihilate everything he was, everything he thought, saw, and experienced. The sniper aimed for the head. He saw it clearly in the crosshairs of the scope. Then he pulled the trigger. He was shooting at a man because he was fighting to establish his homeland.
…The bullet was now only about a centimeter from the man's head. The ominous whistle had been heard a split second ago. In a moment, the bullet should have penetrated his skull, shattering his brain into many pieces. He would have been found in a pool of blood. A victim of war. That's how it is.
But no. Something astonishing happened. Simply incomprehensible. About half a centimeter from the back of his head, the bullet suddenly froze. It hung in the air. Time seemed to stop. Everything fell silent. The bullet remained motionless…
On the other side of the globe, children were playing in a sandbox. A magnificent sandcastle was being built. They exchanged shovels, patting the still-damp sand grains, sticking out their tongues. The sun shone brightly.
In a neighboring country, in some town, there was a park. Many lush green trees provided pleasant shade. An elderly man was walking his dog. The animal ran happily, barking at pigeons. Nearby, a small squirrel peered around curiously, perched on a post under a tree. It had black eyes and delicate pink paws.
A young boy approached a flower shop on a completely different continent. He was buying a rose for his girlfriend. He knew it was only a symbol, yet he wanted to give it to her, to express everything that was happening inside him. And much was happening. He knew one thing: he was happy.
…The rifle bullet remained motionless. It was already touching his hair. And nothing. It was July. In three months, in a certain city in a certain country, a car was to come around a bend at high speed. The driver didn't notice the children entering the road. He drove straight at them. The boy and girl were looking in the opposite direction. Suddenly, a man jumped out of the crowd onto the road, shoving them both towards the sidewalk. Unable to do anything, he threw himself against the hood and windshield. The car braked sharply, tires screeching. It hit another vehicle parked on the sidewalk. The man rolled a few meters on the asphalt, lying unconscious. His shaken wife and son stood nearby. A few minutes later, a siren wailed. An ambulance arrived quickly. Several doctors in rubber gloves crouched beside the injured man, working. Soon, they wheeled a stretcher over the car and placed him in the ambulance. It drove off, its blue lights flashing. The children stood on the sidewalk. They were shocked, crying. The girl's lollipop fell onto the road. It shattered into a dozen small pieces. The boy's eyes were wide open. They were alive.
…The bullet quivered, as if it had hesitated. Something unlocked. It no longer flew forward. It fell to the ground. As if someone had thrown it from above. The man walked away along the wall. Gunfire could still be heard. The war was still raging. People with rifles were running, an armored vehicle passed by. The bullet lay in the dust of the road…
After two months, peace was declared. The gunfire stopped, and everything returned to normal. The man decided to leave with his family. For a while, to forget. A month after stabilization, they left.
They were in a big city, passing eye-catching colorful advertisements. The crowd flowed along the sidewalk. They walked slowly. Then, quite suddenly, a blue Ford shot around the bend. It was heading straight for the children who were just entering the road. They were looking in the other direction, the girl was holding a large green lollipop in her hand...
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