Tod woke up as sunlight hit his eyelids. Someone had opened the curtains, revealing a stunning view of the city below.

  “Hey, Tod! Get ready; it's already seven. At this rate, we’re going to be late!” a woman’s voice called out.

  Turning his head to the right, Tod saw his mother standing by the curtains.

  “Alright,” he mumbled sleepily, his voice still heavy with drowsiness. He dragged himself out of bed and began getting ready.

  After the end of Tod’s school year, his mother had suddenly announced that they would be going to Israel for vacation. “Where else to spend Christmas than where the Lord himself was born?” she had said enthusiastically.

  She hadn’t wasted any time—plane tickets and hotel bookings were already arranged. The next morning, they boarded a flight from France directly to Tel Aviv, Israel.

  Seeing how excited she was this morning, Tod couldn’t help but feel like this trip was more her vacation than his. A faint smile played on his lips as he glanced at himself in the mirror.

  The reflection showed a small boy with dark curly hair matching his eyes. Anyone looking at him might guess he was ten or eleven years old, which wasn’t far off—Tod would be turning nine this year.

  After combing his hair, he left the mirror and ate breakfast brought in by room service. With that, they were ready to head out.

  “Hey Mom, let’s go! It’s already seven!” Tod called as he moved toward the room’s door.

  “Coming!” she replied cheerfully.

  ---

  They rented a car as their mode of transport and spent the day visiting various attractions—at least according to his mother’s list of “must-see” spots—from art museums to beaches.

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  The whole day, Tod was whisked around by his mom, who seemed to be having a great time. Although Tod found it exhausting, he couldn’t deny that her laughter was contagious, and he enjoyed himself despite the fatigue.

  As the sun set, Tod sat on the beach watching its fiery descent into the horizon. He felt completely drained from the day’s excitement and travels.

  “God, I’m tired… This might really be too much for my body,” he muttered under his breath.

  Then suddenly, something strange happened—his vision blinked. That was the only way he could describe it. One moment he was sitting on the beach; the next moment, he saw himself sitting there—but not from his own perspective. It was as though he was watching someone else occupy his spot on the sand.

  Before he could make sense of it, his mother appeared behind this other version of him and hugged him warmly. Just as Tod tried to focus on what was happening next, his vision blinked again—and he returned to reality.

  A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as dizziness washed over him. Trying to stand up, he felt weak for a moment before strength returned to him abruptly.

  Before he could fully recover, his mother came up behind him and hugged him—startling him so much that he let out an involuntary scream.

  “Ahhhhhhh!” Tod shouted as he jumped away from her instinctively.

  “What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?” she asked, clearly offended by his reaction.

  Breathing heavily, Tod tried to calm himself down and focus on her presence.

  “Oh… It’s just you, Mom,” he said finally.

  “Who else could it be?” she asked with tilting her head inquisitively .

  Letting out a sigh of relief, Tod replied sheepishly, “You scared me.”

  His mother laughed softly and ruffled his hair playfully. “I don’t remember you being so easy to scare.”

  “Come on; let’s go back home—it’s almost dark,” she said as she held his hand.

  “Can we get pancakes after we reach home?” Tod asked hopefully as they walked toward their car.

  “Of course, sweetie.”

  They continued chatting while navigating through Tel Aviv’s busy streets until they reached their hotel. Exhausted from the day’s activities, Tod collapsed onto his bed immediately upon entering their room.

  “Tod! Don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed,” his mother called out from her room.

  “Yes Mom,” Tod replied half-heartedly—knowing full well that he didn’t have the energy for it.

  As sleep slowly overtook him, Tod thought back on the day’s events—the fun moments and then *that* strange incident at the beach.

  What had that been? He didn’t know for sure but guessed it might have been clairvoyance—a childish thought that he quickly dismissed before drifting off into slumber.

  ---

  The next morning began much like the previous one: sunlight streaming through open curtains and revealing a breathtaking view of Tel Aviv below. His mother stood beside them with a bright smile.

  “Rise and shine, Tod!”

  Trying to get up proved difficult; every muscle in his body ached as though he’d just run a marathon.

  “What’s for breakfast?” Tod asked groggily as he climbed out of bed.

  “It’s a surprise! Go wash up first—the room attendant should be here any moment now,” she replied cheerfully.

  As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

  “That must be him,” she said while moving to open it. Tod watched curiously from across the room—wondering what awaited them for breakfast.

  But when she opened the door… it wasn’t the room attendant standing there—it was a tall man in a suit holding a gun in his left hand.

  Surprised his mother tried desperately to shut the door but failed; with little effort, the man forced it open—causing her to fall backward onto the floor.

  Before she could get up again…

  The man raised his weapon and spoke in a deep voice: “This is where your story ends.”

  *BANG.*

  *BANG.*

  Two bullets pierced her head—splattering blood and brain matter across the floor.