The dynamics of the preschool playground were terrifying in their simplicity.

We — that is to say, I and some other boy whose name I have long forgotten, so I’ll call him “Billy” — were standing together at one point in the playground.  Another anonymous figure in my past, whom we shall dub “Roy,” was standing over on the other side of the playground.

The die was cast.

Billy and I were allies because we were here.

Roy was the enemy because he stood there.

We ran over, pushed him down, and ran away.

The terror lay in the fact that this somehow made sense.

And that sooner or later I would be standing over there.