• My name is David. Once, I was five years old. Now, thirty years have passed. I don't even know what I am: a grown-up man, a late teenager, an elder. But when I was five, I perfectly knew what I was.

    I was a superhero. Everyone used to see me as a normal kid, but if the city was in danger, I wore my costume and put on my mask and flew at supersonic speed. With my inhuman strength I could lift cars and throw them away; with my powerful breath I could blow away everything and extinguish the greatest fires. The people loved me: every woman wanted me, every man wanted to be me. I was like Superman, just…well, just better.

    But…I also was a super villain. It was my dirty secret. I crawled in the darkest alleyways of the town, waiting for my victims. My canteen was my secret headquarter, where I conducted my evil experiments. My servants were horrible and deformed, chimera between men and beasts. I was a good and quiet child in front of my parents, but, inside me, evil instincts were burning. This madness was tearing apart my mind: I used to spend many nights screaming out all my pain, a part of my satisfied for my crimes, the other regretting them.

    And I was a prince. A great and beautiful reign was under my control: I was kind with my subjects and helped them to grow and live. But when I was threatened by my enemies, I lead my army to the battle with force and charisma, inciting them to go on and attack.

    Oh, and I was a dog. A real dog. Those ones that bark and growl. I don't know why, two humans that pretended to be my dad and mom raised me like their child. They scolded me with harsh words when I instinctively started to pee on the garden plants or tried to hide a bone in a hole, but they loved me and treated me well.

    As I said, I perfectly knew what I was thirty years ago: a superhero, a villain, a prince, a dog…and many other things. Everything that I wanted to be.

    I miss being five.