Who is Hate? They say he drives people to kill. He causes broken families and lifelong enemies, fueling the fires of jealousy, rage and anger by whispering in ones’ ear. Sometimes I feel anger at people- bullies who push me in school or shove me into the dirty bathroom wall, teachers that mock me in front of my peers.What I feel in these moments- is that Hate talking to me? I don’t think so-this anger always goes away. Hate must be a really strong feeling to last for so long and cause so much destruction. If those bullies can’t cause me to hate, then what will?

Who is War? I heard that with her powerful voice, she can command someone to ever take another person’s life. Does she not understand that the soldier that was just killed has a family? War has brothers named Hate and Death. Surely she would understand how sad it would be if they perished, right? I wonder how I would react if my dad was killed in war. Maybe I will feel hate for the person who murdered him. I don’t want to hate- the thought scares me more than anything. What kind of monster will War turn me into?

Who is Death? Why does he take people away from us so quickly? When they grab his hand and walk away with him, will he ever bring them back to visit? Sometimes I hear of people who walk away with Death because they choose to. What does Death tell them, in his soothing voice and persuasive language, that would make them leave their families? They are unhappy with their lives, or maybe they want to find people who disappeared long ago. Wouldn’t it be easier if Death just let us see the people we love whenever we wanted?

Who is Innocence? They say she is a child like me. She plays with toys and asks hundreds of questions. But unlike me, she never grows up- she stays by your side when you are a kid, watching you grow and play, but one night, she decides to disappear from your bedside. Where does she go after that? If she stayed with us, would she protect us from Hate, War, and Death? Some say that Innocence is cruel for leaving us, but I think she is beautiful. I think she tries to shield and comfort us from Hate, War, and Death, but when those monsters knock at her door to take away the kid she is caring for, she has to leave or else she will be stolen, too. We may not stay with her for our entire lives, but the moments we do have with her are ones that I don’t want to forget. Those moments tell me...or they used to tell me... that everything would be okay.