Siggi's Strength: Knppelt sie ohne Gnade.

I wasn't too sure, but I think Siggi Janz Groth was a scoundrel.

He was always smiling and laughing, like he didn't have a care in the world. He took everything that life threw at him as an opportunity to grow, and even when he lost things of great value to him, he kept that smile on his face and kept going.

That's why I hate him.

Not because of his talent, or his looks, or anything like that. I hate him because he was able to keep the hope alive where it was dead for me. I hate him because he made me realize how alone I am in this world and how little anyone cares about me.

Siggi had no family. His father died when he was young, and his mother had passed away just last month from cancer. He had no friends, either. No one who cared about him enough to come visit him in the hospital as he lay in bed dying of cancer himself. He was alone and dying with no one by his side, yet still kept that stupid grin on his face the whole time.

What a scoundrel! Was his smile really worth more than my own life? What could he possibly be so happy about? The stupid sod seemed to have nothing but sunny days ahead of him, while here I lie trying to keep my heart beating for just one more day before it gives out for good and lets me pass into whatever afterlife awaits me...

"Attention passengers: we are now approaching the Berlin-Schönefeld International Airport where we ask you to please remain seated until our flight has come to a complete stop."

Schönefeld? That's near my house, I thought as I struggled to open my eyes under the blanket of sleep that covered them. After blinking away the fog, I looked around the plane for some familiar faces who might see me off after my travels through Europe were over.

While there were some people sitting in my row on both sides of me, none of them looked even close to being familiar with me; they all seemed like they were tourists taking a trip through Europe too themselves. My parents weren't even on this flight! How would they be able to pick me up at Schönefeld? Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway since they're not here! It's not like they even care that their only son is leaving them forever...

The plane slowly came to a stop at Schönefeld airport, and passengers started shuffling around the cabin collecting their belongings and preparing themselves for disembarking the airplane upon landing. As an eager passenger reached the front door of the plane first and pulled it open, cheers went up from those waiting behind her for their turn outside at last. As each person stepped off onto German soil for the first time in their lives, wide smiles crept across their faces as they took in all that Europe had to offer them for as long as their stay lasted with glee and wonderment shining brightly in their eyes...

"I'm going," a voice whispered from somewhere near my ear. "I'm leaving now!" It was almost as if someone had caught wind of my plans to leave home forever myself! But no one had ever heard those plans! Not even my parents really knew how much I regretted staying here with them rather than moving out independently once I turned 18 two weeks ago! That's what everyone else back home did when they graduated high school and had no one left who cared enough about them to stick around anymore...

Is this supposed to mean something? Were they trying to tell me something? Is this all a sign telling me what I should do next? Should I finally take this chance to live happily ever after with Siggi Janz Groth instead of staying here with these uncaring people who never loved me? Or should I stay here after all despite everything? Am I letting fear win over love again here? Do I really want Siggi's carefree attitude more than my own life? Am I willing to sacrifice myself so selfishly for such trivial matters? ...