Another pitifully boring day in the simulation of life. I wake to the same room that I have been sleeping in for the past eighteen years. Getting out of the same bed, putting on the same clothes leaving the same room. It is so monotone but yet so common. I sigh as I finish getting dressed, the uniform for the only school in town.

[sigh] Another day in this small town.

After I finish getting ready for the day, I head downstairs and greet my mom in the living room.

“Morning mom.”

“Hey sweetie! Are you ready for school today?”

“Yes mom, I’m ready.”

I pour myself a bowl of cereal and quickly eat it. I then say goodbye to my mom and leave the house. Once I leave the house, I head to the school. It is a little walk to the school, which is at the center of town. When I reach the end of my street I brace myself for inevitably for what happens every school day. 3… 2… 1…

“Hi Cameron!”

With those words I am nearly tackled by my friend, Heather.

“Geez Heather! Why do you always do that?”

“I do it because I want to!” Heather says.

Heather is one of my closest friends. We know each other because our mothers know each other. Since we met each other, we have been nearly inseparable.

“Can you please let me go? We have to get to school.”

She finally let’s go of me and allows me to regain my balance. After this farce, we start heading to school. The scene around us is as normal as ever. The market to the right, the little corner store to the left.

Frankly, the school is one of the biggest buildings in the area as it is three stories. The only reason it is three stories though is because it is the only school for about a ten-mile radius. Luckily, I am one of the people who live closer to the school.

“So how was your weekend Heather? The usual?”

Usually Heather stays at home and practices coding. She wants to leave home as fast as possible and at the rate she is getting recognition for her coding, that dream will most likely become a possibility. As for me, I have the same dream but am taking a different path. I am working to become a scientist for an institute. Where, I don’t know, but if it gets me away from here, I’ll be fine.

“Not really… My grandpa on my father’s side apparently died a few weeks ago and the funeral was last weekend. They also read the deed to see who gets what.”

Heather never really talked about her father since he left her and her mom when she was three. So, hearing anything about her father’s side of the family is odd.

“Why are you telling me this? Does it concern anything with you?”

I don’t really expect an answer from her. I’m purely asking her for the sake of being courteous.

“Surprisingly, yes.”

“Wait, are you serious?”

“Yeah, apparently one part of the deed was an old eighteenth century house around 30 minutes from where I live.”

“Wait, you mean that house?”

I remember when we were younger we thought that a lone house was haunted as it looked old and looked sort of like a castle to us. We would sometimes try and sneak into the house, but we would always back out due to us being paranoid little kids.

“Yes… that house, my grandpa apparently owned the house as a vacation home. But he never went there for some reason, probably because my dad abandoned us.”

I continue walking with her in disbelief.

“That… would make sense. Wouldn’t want to put any more salt into the wound.”

“Yeah… but enough about me, what happened to you this weekend?”

“Well, my dad took me out to the shooting range on Saturday and surprisingly I enjoyed the time.”

Heather looks at me surprised.

“You actually enjoyed the shooting range?”

Of course, Heather is surprised, I have always been an avid pacifist.

“Yeah, I…”

I am interrupted by Heather.

“Hey, we’re here!”

I look in front of me and realize we are at the entrance to the school.

“Indeed, we are.”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around lunch then!”

“Sure, see you then.”

We are in different classes this year, so the only time we can really meet with each other during the school day is during lunch. I head to my class as I wait for the school day starts.