The glass felt warm, almost too hot to hold. The green smoke swirled angrily in my hand. I carefully slipped it into my pocket and picked my way over the mess on the floor. I was only too aware that something small like a trip could shatter the glass and release Ethos’ back into the world.

The elevator ride down took the blink of an eye. I walked through the silent lobby. My eyes fixed on the writhing masses outside. I pushed my way through the glass doors into the wind and rain. I walked to the spot I remembered Perim had risen from the ground before. There it was, barely visible in the night. A small switch sticking out of the grass. I kicked it with my toe. Up I went, fifteen feet or so into the air.

“Stop!” I yelled high above the crowd. No one heard me above the din. A small switch labeled as a backup microphone was on the left hand side of the podium. I flicked it on.

“Stop!” I tried again. The microphone built into the platform boomed my voice around the masses. The people stood still, fists still raised to strike.

I inhaled deeply. Ethos’ powers were contained in my pocket. All would listen.

“A third term is unlawful. Persim’s policies have done nothing but widen the gap between the wealthy and the poor. Lay down your arms, and raise them up again open and receptively to rebuild America the way she should be.” I lowered the platform and jumped over the white picket fence, knowing the forcefield would never be on again.

Pushing through the stunned crowd was Sam. When he got to me, he looked me up and down once, taking in my ragged and damp appearance. His hands were around my face in an instant. He pulled me close, and up on my tiptoes. He pressed his lips against mine. In the distance I could hear the rumble of thunder approaching again. It began to downpour harder than before, but we remained, his hands caressing my cheeks. My hands wandering up through his hair.

When we pulled apart, the crowd was beginning to disperse. The clouds began to turn overhead, and suddenly a forked streak of lightning came down. It struck not too far off, perhaps a couple of blocks away. The ground shook with the violent force of it. Now the people around us were running, in a hurry to dry off and be safe.

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We did it!

There was no response. I could feel the emptiness that had previously been filled by Pathos and Logos for the past few months. It was all me upstairs. But instead of feeling lonely, I intertwined my fingers in Sam’s.

It was blurred by the rain coming down in sheets, but death and destruction lay strewn all around us. I wanted to die along with so many others that had fought for me. No, for our country. But as I felt the warmth of Sam’s hands bleed into my own, I also knew that the worst was truly over. American’s could begin to heal.

The next few days were filled with chaos. The people demanded an impeachment. The Supreme Court met to discuss the unlawfulness of Persim’s third term. The day before the trial was to begin, Persim leapt from the window in her top floor office. It was hard to say if she was splattered more across the news or pavement.

The next few months were better. I backed down from my candidacy. Lewall was elected into office in my stead, and many of the policies from Persim’s terms were easily overturned. As Cherry Reeds put it on the evening news one day, “It is as if we were blinded before. How could the country not see the problems with the previous policies?” I began looking for work again. Interviews were difficult without Pathos and Logos. I felt nervous and despite all I had done to save the future I felt inadequate. But something of them must have stuck inside me because I got a job working for a small online journalism company. The editor thought having me as an author would bring a higher reader volume. I didn’t want to work for any large company. My time in the spotlight had worn on me. Now I wanted nothing more than to slip away into a life of normalcy and calm. I declined interviews and job offers based only on my claim to fame.

Boss, amazingly let Sam leave again. No strings attached and no persuasion required. Sam lived with Aunt Sarah Gene for a couple months before he found work in construction and could afford his own place. Lewall launched a new program to build new schools in most of the inner cities in the country. The idea was not loved by all, as it had to cut back spending in many other areas, but arduous arguing in politics is as it should be.

I still made my presence known at the local level. I would always accept invitations from student’s at Park’s Middle School for any initiative they were working on. Although now, the students and teachers lead the discussions instead of me.

I knew some part of Pathos and Logos would always be with me, but the power I held before was fading. I wasn’t as upset by this as I first thought I would be. But as time went on I missed the siblings more and more. Were they with someone else now? Were they constantly shifting from mind to mind with little rest? Why hadn’t they come back to me?