Justice decided his life in Sunset Valley was over and he was long overdue for a change of scenery as well. For the last decade and more his situation has been such that he didn’t have that option; as badly as he had wanted it; and it wasn’t until now that the opportunity presented itself. He has never had much good fortune in his life, and when coupled with a penchant for making impulsive decisions had led him down the path he had been on. Not having much money made the choices for modes of transportation out of the city extremely limited. He had decided to buy an old bike from a thrift store and spent days repairing it and scraping together what supplies he could manage with his limited resources.
The trip from Sunset Valley to Hidden Springs has taken the better part of a month by bicycle, with him having to stop here and there to camp and scavenge for food wherever he could so he could move on. The final stretch to the town is a long winding stretch of road in a mountain valley with pines, firs and other evergreens dotting the landscape and the stern gray of granite cliffs are a stark contrast to the vivid green of the trees and grass or blue and silver of the river that is glittering in the distance.
The town of Hidden Springs is small and quaint, and is nestled between a swiftly flowing river to the south and large jagged gray peaks of granite to the North. Clean air and verdant wildlife is apparent as he slows down on his bicycle to take in the sights of town; mostly checking possible places to sleep. It takes a long while, but he eventually finds a small weed choked lot on the fringes of the town’s center as a possible place to unroll his sleeping bag.
The lot was apparently used at one time as a place to dump trash and unwanted items and over the years has become largely overgrown with weed and tall grass, perfect for a temporary home until such time as he can find some way of making money. Sunset Valley had been a bust for finding gainful employment considering his history and he had hoped it would be easier here; in a place where no one knows him. Considering the economy and his lack of employment in the last twelve years, he knows finding work will be problematic at best. He decides to make his initial attempts in the morning, but in the meantime, he needs sleep.
His sleeping bag is just as worn as his clothes; neither of which has had much washing in last month. “Another thing on my to-do list.” He thinks to himself as he unrolls it and slips inside, falling asleep to the sounds of chirping birds, chittering squirrels and the smell of his own sweat and dirty body; which no longer bothers him as much as it did when his trip started. He had gotten used to not showering; just the occasional bath in a stream of icy water or a splash of water on his body from a rest stop bathroom sink.
It is morning when he wakes and opens his eyes, even though it has been afternoon when he slid into his pack, must have been more tired than he imagined from the trip. Stashing his gear in an old box he finds hiding in the grass, he makes his way to the city center and sits on bench to watch life go by. Men and women pass by and most give him a look that could curl a man’s hair; like they are wondering what sewer spit him out onto the streets of their fair city. Surprising though is the many looks of sympathy plainly painted on their faces as they hurry by; going about their day. He doesn’t stay long since he used up the last of his food two days before and there is a hollow feeling in his middle; also something he has gotten used to.
The town is sprawling, though after a little investigation of the area he discovers some of the more “ecologically aware” townspeople started a community garden last year. He finds it on the edge of the city and is well-tended but abandoned, but doesn’t really want to take advantage so takes only three tomatoes and a couple apples for the next couple days. He has always been a person who earns what he gets, so even that little bit of produce is taking advantage in his estimation. He makes a promise to himself that he will pay back the favor some way.
With his stomach satiated, he makes his way to the public library and while it has been a long while since he has used a computer, soon finds the website for the local paper; The Hidden Springs Herald and surfs to the job listings. It doesn’t take long for him realize there isn’t much to offer; and what is available will need a better physical appearance, not something he can manage at the moment with his limited resources.
His sleeping bag is just as worn as his clothes; neither of which has had much washing in last month. “Another thing on my to-do list.” He thinks to himself as he unrolls it and slips inside, falling asleep to the sounds of chirping birds, chittering squirrels and the smell of his own sweat and dirty body; which no longer bothers him as much as it did when his trip started. He had gotten used to not showering; just the occasional bath in a stream of icy water or a splash of water on his body from a rest stop bathroom sink.
It is morning when he wakes and opens his eyes, even though it has been afternoon when he slid into his pack, must have been more tired than he imagined from the trip. Stashing his gear in an old box he finds hiding in the grass, he makes his way to the city center and sits on bench to watch life go by. Men and women pass by and most give him a look that could curl a man’s hair; like they are wondering what sewer spit him out onto the streets of their fair city. Surprising though is the many looks of sympathy plainly painted on their faces as they hurry by; going about their day. He doesn’t stay long since he used up the last of his food two days before and there is a hollow feeling in his middle; also something he has gotten used to.
The town is sprawling, though after a little investigation of the area he discovers some of the more “ecologically aware” townspeople started a community garden last year. He finds it on the edge of the city and is well-tended but abandoned, but doesn’t really want to take advantage so takes only three tomatoes and a couple apples for the next couple days. He has always been a person who earns what he gets, so even that little bit of produce is taking advantage in his estimation. He makes a promise to himself that he will pay back the favor some way.
With his stomach satiated, he makes his way to the public library and while it has been a long while since he has used a computer, soon finds the website for the local paper; The Hidden Springs Herald and surfs to the job listings. It doesn’t take long for him realize there isn’t much to offer; and what is available will need a better physical appearance, not something he can manage at the moment with his limited resources.
He checks with several small businesses around town and all of them took one look at him and rejected him for his lack of personal hygiene; even though they were made aware of his personal situation. Though he is deliberately hazy about his past employment history, most use the excuse that he has no home address or personal references but he can tell by their face they don’t like his appearance at all or maybe his candid way of speaking. After a disappointment at the local theater, he finds a bench to sit on and has supper. He goes over and over in his mind the event of the past decade and the more he thinks, the more frustrated he becomes.
This had been his desire and dream for the past twelve years and it is proving to be more difficult than he had ever imagined or had even planned for. “What would become of me and how can he get my life back on track?” He screamed in the silence of his mind until he was physically tired and depressed.
Returning to the vacant lot he calls home, he curls up inside his worn sleeping bag and hopes wholeheartedly that he can pick himself up again in the morning. Maybe there is still something worth living for, but as tired and depressed as he is, he just can’t think of anything as he dozes off to sleep.
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