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The summer winds swirled around his shoes, sending leaves under and around his legs. The sun seeped through the cloak of tree branches, shining like a strobe light periodically. The heat was unbearable this season and the armpits of his shirt were black. He didn't care, the day was wonderful and he'd decided to take a walk with his little girl. The grass was vibrant green on this day, this wonderful day. He felt like he could take on the world, the universe, all of it just because he wanted to. The clouds floated serenly across the oceanic sky and from time to time, he'd see shapes and point them out to his daughter who laughed and told him what she saw. It was a perfect seen, something most parents would be envious of, and most of them were.
Zack, and his daughter Hannah, crossed Timberline Ave. he walked at a normal pace while his daughter skipped and whistled under her light blonde hair. The hair of her mother, the woman he'd fallen in love with. It seemed like yesterday he'd just met her. They had met in a subway station going to their jobs respectfully. He'd seen her boardning, saw the blond hair, her beautiful emerald eyes, and fell in love instantly. He would have told you he didn't believe in love at first sight, but at this very moment, he would have ignored you and approached her. He was nervous at first, fearing she'd see him more as a creeper then a lovestricken young man. He pushed through the crowded subway train.
"'Scuse me, sir."

"Pardon me, ma''am."

"Sorry for the shoulder, sir."

He'd finally made to her and saw her sitting down next to a rather overweight bum. She was reading a book, something called The Gunslinger by the author Stephen King. He'd read the book three months ago and knew the artwork by memory. He watched her read for a moment, just staring at her perfect features. He spoke up.
"Hey, is that the Gunslinger by Steve King?"

"Aye, so it is."

He'd grinned and chuckled, while she looked up at him mischieviously with her emerald eyes.

"What do you think?"

"This is my third time reading it, but thanks for asking." She said, smiling with her perfectly white teeth.
Zack knew she was the one at this moment. He remembered the prom day briefly. It was a brunette named Miriam Lebelle, who'd danced with him once before going to the bathroom for an hour. When he'd gone in to investigate, he found her blowing her lover in the stalls. Disgusted, Zack slammed the door and heard her giggle behind the door.
Zack and Isabelle talked all throughout their trips, even missing their stops and calling in sick with childish glee. They got off the subway and went to the nearest coffee shop.
Three years later, they were married.
One year later she was pregnant.
Life was hard at first, she had quit her job to be a stay at home mom and he had to work two jobs to pay off their bills. When Hannah had been born, he knew it had all been worth it. After various jobs from McDonalds to Wal-Mart, Zack finally got a job at a steel mill, much to Isabelle's protest and desire for him to be safe. He told her it wouldn't get to him and he'd be fine.
His mind flashed back to the present, walking with Hannah down Timberline. He heard Hannah's pleasant voice in his ears.

"Dad, look at that one!" He hand pointed at a cloud, "It's like a wolf!"

Indeed it did, the white fluff had made a snarling wolf in the sky.

"Hey, you're right, Hannah,"

"I'm always right!"

Zack laughed and questioned how he managed to raise a girl as sweet as this, she was an angel. He wondered how his son was doing. Ralph had shaggy brown hair and shining brown eyes. The hair grew like no tomorrow and Isabelle had decided it was time to cut it. He'd agrue and pout, but momma bear will convince him. That's why he was walking with his daughter now, his son was getting the hair trimmed. Hannah didn't want to sit at home and neither did he. It was good exercise.

They got home at a quarter to six and ate dinner. Dinner tonight was chicken and salad. It was a classic scene, the kind you'd expect to see in a movie with that perfect family. Almost like the Brady Bunch. Exchanging jokes, asking for seconds, that kinda stuff. Including "could you pass me the..." "hand me some..."
A picture perfect family, it seemed. Zack had just finished cleaning his plate off, sweeping the chicken bones off of his plate when he was called into the dining room.

The floors were oak and a long, glass, table sat in the center. There was a T.V. hanging onto the ceiling, it was something Zack had made the family only a year before, it was flimsy, and it had fallen many times before, but the T.V. never got a scratch. He passed right under the T.V. hearing the creak, but ignoring it. It had creaked and groand and moaned and threatened to fall many times,
"So, I got a job at Ralph's school,"

"You did?" He asked. "That's great!"

"Right? Ralphy is ecstatic! You shoulda seen his face, Zack."

"I wish I had, Izzy!"

"It just lit up!"
She went on about how she'd beat the s**t out of other teachers if they even tried touching Ralph. She wanted their son to be safe since she couldn't keep Zack from it, she went for the next best thing. He knew this, she just wanted to have power of one of her loved ones lives. It wouldn't last though, Ralph would be in Middle School before they know it, and she'll try to get a job there too. It wouldn't work, people these days were more fond of the rules then a parents' pleas to protect their son.
Isabelle asked him to take her dish up to the sink and wash it out. She didn't eat most of the chicken, but the ate at least two bowls of salad. That was enough for her. He grabbed the plate and kissed Isabelle softly. It would be the last time he kissed her.
Zack walked under the T.V. again, and he heard the creak and groan and moan of it. He knew, in his heart, what was about to happen. He turned around, eyes wide, and pleading. The T.V. fell on his head a second later.
Another second and Isabelle was screaming.
A second later everything went dark.

It was a month later when Zack regained his mind. He had been sent to the hospital and came back a day later. That night, he'd killed his family brutally with a machete. He'd been mad at the time of the murders, his head had a "screw loose" as his lawyer had put it. He didn't know what happened, everything from that moment was lost to him. He attended the funerals of his family. His wife was first, he laid a rose on her casket.
His son was next, he put his favorite blue car in with his.
And his daughter, she got the earrings he was planning on giving her for her birthday. She was going to be thirteen and entering the sixth grade.

When he was given the sentence, he didn't try to fight it, he only accepted his fate. His family was gone, what else had he left on this mortal plane? His life was dust in the wind, empty, and alone.