Lost in the Stars

Chapter 1: Welcome to Possum Springs

' "YOU'RE NOT LOST. YOU'RE HERE!" Yeaaaaah. Sure.' Jon slouched, paws tucked deeply into the pockets of his jacket. His Cigarette hanging limply from his clenched teeth as he strolled down the sidewalk of the sub-prime suburb. The air bit with the chill of the ghost of rain from the previous night. Signs of the storm were scattered here and there, the water trickling in the gutter as it rushed to the storm drains, the bright dew the sparkled in the grass and leaves of trees. There were rows of neat somewhat uniform houses, nearly identical to the one he had just walked out of moments earlier, they extended a short distance as maple melded into main street. The taller buildings loomed over the small houses in the distance. However, they were both overshadowed by the corpse of some factory off to the north. Jon had heard this place was just like Moreano Valley, an old burnt out mining town, so it only raised questions as to what the dilapidated factory had originally been for. On all sides beyond, a sea of maples, oaks, and ever greens flowed as far as the eye could see. In the early sunrise the light peeked over the foliage of this green and brown ocean.

"Borowski." Jon read the name of the mailbox as he passed by. He threw a quick glance to the home associated to it. A two story with vinyl sidings painted a light tan. A smattering of red shingles covered the home's roof and eaves. And a green neatly trimmed lawn fresh with dew. 'Just like ours... and every other house on maple.' A car and it's driver quietly rolled down the street next to him and off to god knows where, to do god knows what.

"Twigmeyer." Mailbox number two. A couple of squirrels ran across the street and into the bushes by a nearby house. A crow probably 30 or so coughed as he sipped coffee on his porch across the street.

"Huh no name." Jon paused at this one. It was the last of the short suburban sprawl and the beginning of the actual town. A set of large apartment buildings loomed in the distance. He watched as a gator, probably in his 40's, walked out of the building closest to him and into a car, before speeding off. 'Yes, the rat race.' Jon continued his walk toward where ever it was he was wandering to. 'And I am forced to join in, out of a desire to see and not starve to death.'

The taller buildings of Towne Centre, as the sign by the locked-up trolley tunnel put it, continued all the way down main street. Coating everything in a brownish gold color. 'Rust, it's a rusty old place.' A gentle breeze wafted down the street as Jon passed, rustling the leaves causing a murmur of sound to echo down Maple Street.

"Hey, the real estate office. Found you." Jon muttered to himself as he gazed up at the concrete steps leading to the door. "I'll be back for you later, first I'm going to visit your neighbor." Jon turned toward the neighboring building, a much smaller two-story brick structure with a large window out front. Stenciling in the window read: "OL PICKAXE. GET READY FOR SPRING WITH A SPECIAL ON RAT POISION!" Jon squinted at the bricks above the window noticing the faded text painted onto the building.

"Kerb-Kret-Kremman. Kremman's market house. Huh." Jon shrugged as he looked for any indication of when the store would be open, aside from the "sorry we're closed sign.". 'Well I still need to find that Food Donkey anyway, I can come back later."

Jon passed by more of the town kicking up dust and leaves on his way through, forcing them to float slowly to the ground in a dance only nature could see the pattern to; A war monument crumbling and fading, more apartments, an IRS office, a telemarketing center.

"No fucking way." Jon said, truly astonished as he tossed the butt of his 45 to the ground before stamping it out. "A damn Video Outpost? Here? How does this place even survive with Netfilms... you know... existing?" He pressed his face to the glass and peered into the darkness of the store. Shockingly enough the store actually contained shelves upon shelves of different movies in bright dvd cases. He stepped back from the window "Whoa, it's like an alternate universe. Where watching movies still sucks."