Josh Strnad

Hades cracked his knuckles on each hand, and the noise was like gunpowder caps exploding in the silence. "First dish duty," he mumbled to himself, "now possessed cowboys. This just isn't my night.

He shook his head again. ____ afraid I don__ feel much of anything these days. Especially not hope. I have no time or energy to waste on false wishes and dreams that won__ come true.___ope isn__ about ignorant wishing._ She surprised even herself with herdefensive backlash. __ope is about believing__elieving there are betterthings in store for us if we just wait for them. It__ about understanding we__e not left completely on our own here, regardless of the way things appear.__amont snorted. __hat ain__ much for a body to go on.___erhaps not, but I reckon it__ enough. Sometimes it__ gotta be, anyhow.Without hope, what would drive one onward?__e was silent for a long moment before he looked up and met her eyes.His own eyes displayed no emotion when he answered in a weary, grimtone, __ear._ He took a drink and fell silent again as she quietly scrutinized him, attempting to discern in his haggard face the thoughts behind what he had said.