Excerpt from An.Al – The Origins Her footsteps echoed like the steady drum beat of a marching band. She pulled her jacket’s hood over her head and drew its lapels closer together—it was a size too small for her, its colour now faded and indistinguishable. Her hands dug deeper into the jacket’s pockets, and finding a cigarette and a box of lights, she stopped for a moment to light it up. She pulled hard on it. Long, deep, and hard. What should the next move be? Think. The dogs turned around. Their playful conjugation interrupted. Angry. Alert. The air held an alien smell. They sniffed: cigarette smoke and her. They barked as a warning to this creature on two legs: don’t trespass, don’t intrude, don’t interfere . They circled and growled. Their eyes glowed with anger and intent. The hair on their backs bristled—a war-hungry Roman legion ready to fight the rebellious Gaul. She didn’t feel like playing, not on that night, not when there were bigger and more important things pla