PROLOGUE

Here, in this town, every day passes by like the last: uneventful, and yet full of life in its own right. The wind blows by, leaving the past to itself, always moving forwards. Nothing ever happens, and yet everything is always happening. We are a normal town in most fashions, but could anything this unique and special ever be considered normal? We each have our own lives, our own stories. Some may cross at certain points, and are always influenced by the people around you. Others may take part in your story, but the key characters are always distinct and unique to ones own tale. It is your personal story, and yours to keep. However, these stories are not those of adventure, or tragedy, or mystery. They are simply a tale depicting ones everyday, uneventful life. They may tell a happy story, or maybe a sad one. But there are no key events, no climaxes, no nothing. Nothing special ever happens here. Were simply an aging town, where the only newcomers arrive in their mothers wombs, or at the university dorms. Our lives all end up at the same place; its the route we take there that makes us different. The irony is that because everyones story is unique, being unique is no longer unique. Everyone has the same everyday life, but different stories. So maybe a change in pace is required to mess with things a little. Maybe even the slightest change in our lifestyles could drastically alter everything weve ever known and believed in. Maybe even the slightest rebellion could be all that we need to move forward in life, as we will accomplish nothing by repeating the same day over and over. Maybe if someone were to go out of their way to avoid doing what was expected of

them, they could render our lives interesting. Maybe nah, thats probably good enough. I open my eyes and remove the pencil that had been balancing on my upper lip. Maybe maybe Im over thinking things. Light floods from the window across the room. I let out a sigh and slouch back on my bed, arms sprawled out. A smirk spreads itself out across my lips. Yeah, thats a good enough excuse to skip philosophy for today. My teacher has always been fairly lax, letting people skip with no major repercussions as long as they did research on given topic, and wrote a paragraph or two about their thoughts on whatever. You just had to show up for a set amount of classes and you were fine. Hell, Id be surprised if anyone showed up for class today. After last night, I bet most people are lying hung-over in bed. I roll over to look at my clock. It reads 10:00, so class starts in around 30 minutes. If I really wanted to, I could make it to class if I got out of bed now. Oh wait, the time that means My thoughts are cut off by the same incessant beeping noise that woke me up 30 minutes prior. Right on time. A groan made its way out of my throat as I reached over lazily and turned that one off as well. That would be the back up alarm that I set up thanks to my being a heavy sleeper. And its not just a nuisance; its saved me many a time. I roll back so that Im lying down and close my eyes again. And, on those mornings where even two alarm clocks arent enough to get me out of bed, I can always rely on my mom to act as a fallback. A sudden realization causes me to bolt upright in my bed. Oh crap, my mom.

Right as this thought crosses my mind, I turn my head to the sound of the door slamming open. My frightened gaze meets that of an angry rhino. Paul! Why arent we out of bed yet? My hands reach to cover my ears to shield them from the less than welcome wake up call. But before they can fully protect my eardrums chastity, another wail escapes my less than pleased rhino. Look, I know you had a late night last night, but that doesnt give you any excuse to be skipping class. So get your ass out of bed! I slouch down and sigh, Yeah, I know mom. I was just woken up by my alarm. She screeches back at me, Well set your alarm earlier! I swing my legs over the side of the bed and mutter under my breath, It is. Well I guess I am going to class today. Please excuse my earlier rambling. Although I actually do think I stumbled across something interesting there. Maybe I can discuss it a bit with my professor. While slowly stumbling down the stairs half dressed, the rest of my clothes in hand, I ponder a bit more on my philosophical elaboration. Maybe things dont really need to change. Our lives are plenty eventful as is, and our struggles in life are a constant source of entertainment. Maybe in 10 or 20 years, we can look back on these struggles and laugh, or feel impressed with ourselves. Feel ashamed at choices we took, but regret nothing. I slip on a pair of runners, and with a piece of toast in mouth, I rush out the door. A cool breeze rushes by, and I immediately regret throwing on a loose t-shirt in my haste. Oh well, time is

no longer on my side, so I shrug in spite of myself, and start a light jog over towards the university. The sky is clouded over as far as the eye can see, casting a grey light over the town. There is no snow on the ground, although there might be within the next few days. Its certainly cold enough for it. We tend to get early winters here. There arent that many people out and about right now, which are somewhat strange for this time of day, especially on a Monday. Normally, thered be I chuckle for no real reason, and breathe in the fresh air. It feels as if the wind surges throughout my body, fueling me. Well, I guess being cold isnt too bad; it certainly is refreshing. My smile suddenly turns to a frown as my stomach alerts me of its emptiness. Yeah, I guess a piece of toast isnt going to cut it after all. Damn, I wish some of last nights turkey were still around. My mouth starts salivating just thinking about it. Whod have thought that such an ugly looking creature would taste so good? Suddenly, about a block from campus, I hear a familiar voice call out to me. Hey Paul! You heading to class? I slow down, and then spin around to face the voice. Yeah, of course I am! What, where else did you think I might be going? Taking an unnecessary detour to Jacks? My friend stops his running and pauses to catch his breath, bent over, hands on his knees. Nikki looks up at me and smiles, Nah, I just didnt think youd be going to class today. He picks himself and rights his stature. I respond, Yeah, maybe well be the only ones. I give him an awkward smile, Oh yeah, speaking of Jacks, I havent actually had any coffee today Although my

mothers wake up call was hopefully more than enough to keep me conscious for the time being. Nikki cringes before giving me a look of complete and total sympathy. Oooo that must have been though. Were you planning on cutting? Yeah, I was. My mother is a thing of legend in this town; there are even some myths claiming that she harvests foreign children and keeps them in her basement. I personally can rebuke that particular story, but for some of the others, Im not quite so certain. I breathe in some more fresh air, and continue walking with my friend. I reiterate, nothing special ever happens here, but I believe that we dont really need anything special to happen. Everything in our lives only happens once, so doesnt that make them special enough? We should treasure our lives, and the stories they hold, because if you pay attention to the details, the everyday ritual can be quite satisfying.