From the day
Perspective: The Teenager · Sound
The rhythmic clatter of horse hooves on the cobblestones is nearly drowned out by the muffled roars coming from Madison Square Garden, where that madman Dowie is shrieking about being Elijah to a crowd that’s turned truly sour. I’m leaning against the brick wall, whistling "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider" and watching my kid brother use his new box of Crayola Crayons to scrawl nonsense on a discarded crate. The wax scrapings hiss against the rough wood, a bully little sound that beats listening to some zealot’s ego. Dad says the atmosphere in the city is capital today, but all I hear is a riot brewing and the crisp snap of autumn leaves under my boots.