Law and Insanity

Chapter I (Incomplete)

A quiet October evening sky, sprinkled throughout by an abundance of clouds looming the fate of rain upon the populace below, was interrupted by a middle-aged man who stepped out of a tall building into the loud streets. The spell of downpour had been teased towards the ground as the cruel heavens promised misery, but the lively city underneath took no notice. The middle-aged lad had stepped out of a lawyer's firm, and had managed to avoid contact with his boss on his way out.

He had passed by the open doors of the office, overtaken by guilt and giddiness, hoping only for the strict man to be absent from the space. He had been failing at his job, yet not solely that; he had failed himself and others. He was unable to save a small business from an unjust lawsuit just the past week, and the idea became so foreign to the man's mind that it consumed him. His record remained spectacular, and his recent accumulation of failures had brought his once amicable coworker to a stern attitude towards him.

He dodged into the street, tucking a small briefcase under his arm and walking briskly away from the building and towards a busy intersection populated by many waiting individuals gazing up at either the streetlights or others of their state for indication of movement. The streets were loud, and a barrage of cars paraded through the roads with every passing moment, crowds of businessmen flocked to and fro, into buildings and out of them, many holding newspapers of latest events and happenings. Many of the papers spoke of a newly elected president of Egypt, a Hosni Mubarak, or the growing threat of a soviet union upon the nation; a typical whisk of fear and controversy upon the citizens.

The man stood readily gazing towards the stoplight, awaiting a signal, occasionally glancing towards a luxurious watch upon his left hand to watch for the time, equally admiring his new purchase. The light turned green, and a wave of suited peoples converged upon the centre of the road, just as quickly diverging from it; The tall man followed. A gust of wind blew against his direction of travel, swinging open his outer attire, revealing a white shirt and blue tie. Others following his trail experienced the same inconvenience. They all closed and buttoned their wears in unison. The group was lost as many diverted their travels to other streets, being met with strong gusts of wind as the pillars of concrete served similar to indentations in a flute. The man took note of these deviants, and followed suite, turned to his left and leaned against the insistent force of nature. He covered his head with his hand as gentle droplets of rain began to shower down. Looking on in despondency, he decided to duck into a small convenience mart tucked away in the towering towers.

Swinging open the glass door, he was met proportionally with the ringtone of the speaker as well as the greetings of a young lady behind the register. He returned the salutations in warm regards, and continued into the back of the store towards the beverage section. Browsing around the selections, he picked a cheap pack of beer and lugged it towards the front. He placed it upon the counter and pulled out his identification and card, handing both to the tired yet gentle-appearing woman. She held up the card, comparing the photo upon it with the man before her.

"Alright- Nicholas..." She trailed her speech, blinked at his last name, and didn't bother pronouncing it, "Here's your ID back." She handed him the piece of plastic, and inserted the other card into a reader, tapping some buttons and plucking it away. The machine made a high-toned beep, and she handed it back. "Have a nice day, sir."

"Thanks, you too." Nicholas spoke, assuming a warm smile; The lady didn't return the formality.

He made his way through the mart back towards the entrance, sliding his gaze throughout the sea of products. He slowed his perpetual waltz when he took notice of an interesting good- a small assortment of Greek delicacies. He slowly picked up the package and read the box, finding it indeed to be made in the associated nation. This found much interest for Nicholas, for he's been there in the years past and had made many fond memories. He became transported to a warmer time; a happier time for Nicholas, when his youth still had resonance to his name and his guilt had not yet accumulated.