Like every year, classes ended on December 21st. The heat was quite intense. Tthor retraced the blocks that separated the school from Viper Tive RD's house. The sun burned his skin and if he didn't urgently find a place of shade, the blisters would last for several days.

Since his birth, Tthor had a disease in his epidermis, which literally burned with sunlight. This, along with his short vision during the day, made him feel like a "freak." When he saw that no car was coming, he crossed the cobblestone street and quickened his pace. Furthermore, he was in a hurry because his classmates were chasing him, a block away.

"The Hunt for Tthor" was the favorite sport of the school band. Charges, practical jokes and blows were an everyday occurrence. But that day, Tthor knew that he should not be captured because it was his birthday. And it was on that date when his companions seemed more poisonous than the rest of the year.

On December twenty-first of the previous year, Tthor had ended up locked in one of the school's half-empty water tanks. For him, it was lucky that that tank was out of service, that's why it wasn't full. If it had not been for the school's caretaker, Mrs. Fresia Nogg, the boy would have spent the entire night there, in water up to his neck. It was she who alerted the director of the establishment. There was no punishment, of course, because the school had adopted a teaching system in which the student was guided to "reflect" on his mistake or his behavior. "After all, they are just children expressing themselves..." - the teacher had said.

Tthor unconsciously quickened his pace, remembering that episode, and looked over his shoulder, squinting his eyes to see better. He became even more worried when he noticed that they were running, getting dangerously close, and without showing the slightest sign of fatigue.

He turned a corner, a black dog that was taking a nap jumped out deftly and seemed not to notice and suddenly stopped. He had heard his name. He looked toward the smallest house on the block and saw Mrs. Nogg waving at him from the doorway. Tthor ran towards her hopefully. He entered and the door closed behind him. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he drew the window curtain to look out. The five young people who had been chasing him were now turning in his direction, no longer running. They had macabre smiles and looked towards where Thor was.

At the moment they got onto the sidewalk, the dog that had been dozing suddenly woke up and without them having time to react, attacked them, first barking and then showing its sharp teeth. He bit the taller one on the leg and made him fall to the ground. The others retreated quietly. The dog barked a little more and seemed to call other dogs with those barks, which appeared, as it seemed to Tthor, out of nowhere, and began to bark at them in unison. Thor couldn't believe how those who enjoyed hitting him had run away, only to disappear in seconds.

"Did you see that, Mrs. Nogg?" Tthor said, looking toward the kitchen.

"What, dear?" Fresia Nogg asked, bringing a plate of anise cookies.

Tthor looked out the window again and was taken aback when he saw that everything seemed to have returned to normal. His pursuers had not returned and there were no traces of the pack. And the black dog that seconds before had been barking furiously was now lying under the shade of a tree and seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Still confused, he sat at the table and took one of the cookies that Mrs. Nogg offered him with an open smile.

"How old do you turn today?"

"Thirteen," Tthor said and took a sip of tea.

He shivered at the sweet, warm taste of the liquid. With another sip he felt fresh and energized.

"This tea is very delicious, Mrs. Nogg. Thank you. And I thank you for helping me. I didn't feel like ending my birthday hanging from who knows where," the boy said bitterly.

Fresia Nogg looked at him with sympathy... she smiled at him and fixed the knitted fuchsia scarf that wrapped her. He had white hair, tied neatly in a bun, and his face was quite wrinkled but kind in his eyes and in her gestures. Tthor had already gotten used to the strange clothes that Mrs. Nogg used to wear and, out of respect, he had never dared to ask her why she wore wool coats on a day when, in the shade, it was thirty-five degrees Celsius.

Tthor had known Mrs. Nogg since the first day of school, about seven years ago. And because she seemed quite strange, she was also the target of criticism from teachers and students, but no one seemed to want to mess with her and she seemed to have a parallel job to that of the goal: taking care of Tthor. She was always around when the boy was in trouble.

"Eat more cookies," Mrs. Nogg said suddenly. "And watch some television, if you want. At dusk I will accompany you home.

"I would prefer to read some of his books, if you allow me, Mrs. Nogg," said Tthor, looking into the other room.

He had never entered there but the woman always left that room with a book in her hand, so Tthor thought that a large library must populate that room.

"And what would you like to read?" Fresia Nogg asked smiling.

"Something about... self-defense...," he muttered hopefully.

Mrs. Nogg laughed amused.

"For that you don't need a book, you need a mirror."

Tthor thought it was a joke and laughed out of politeness even though he hadn't understood the joke. The old woman also laughed but her eyes seemed to shine brighter than usual.

Tthor took a bite of another cookie and looked out the window. It was now becoming cloudy and a cool breeze had begun to blow.

"Gaia is friends with the Dragon," Mrs. Nogg asserted.

Tthor knew her quite well and knew that meant it was going to rain.

In good time..., thought the boy, because he loved rainy days.

He could walk away peacefully, without having to suffer from sunburn. He looked at his hands and smiled as he saw that the sores were disappearing. Another hearty cup of tea and he would get back on the road towards Viper Tive Rd. It had been a good birthday after all. He secretly wanted a change. He didn't know what kind but he had been wishing the same thing for many birthdays. And now he believed that he had been fulfilled. At least he hadn't suffered any practical jokes.

And as he walked forward, a little disappointed because the rain clouds seemed to retreat, lost in his thoughts, he couldn't imagine how much his young and somewhat rocky life was going to begin to change that particular day.