HOOD'S PERSPECTIVE

He was shocked. He had been coming back home from an overtime shift with a bag of groceries for dinner, but there was nothing that could prepare him for this.  The apartment was empty: no wife, no kids. Just some old memories of what was, only a few days ago of an ordinary family life. He felt his legs sink, the knee caps shake and just like boiled spaghetti, his boneless body shrunk and gradually collapsed to the floor.  A shock of fear, a dread of not knowing. A sadness, a loneliness, a grief, a fear: it all came like an ocean wave, all at once. It all came as a single wave of pain and misery, an overwhelming feeling that nothing would ever again be okay. He rushed to the bedroom calling the kids name - Opio, Akello, Opio, Akello. The loud and chaotic response of "Yes Dad" was no more.  There, in the kids room, he found a simple note on the floor. He unfolded the letter and read it. His eyes widened as he read the note over and over again, each time feeling the dread inside