101 - Middle Gray

Awful Grace, or The Tolling of the Void Bell

It's raining hard on the South Side of Chicago. A photojournalist and his wife have already put their two children to bed when a series of loud cracks brings them to their window. They see a man scampering over a fence and yelling for help. Near the curb they spot another man on his back, floating in a deep puddle. They run outside.

There's a gun on the grass; broken glass on the street from a car that's already gone. The man has been shot. His eyes are open, gazing at nothing. He inhales sharply. The photojournalist sits beside him and grabs his hand. His wife calls the police. The rain does not stop. This is their story.