There's a family of three on the subway on their way to see a football game. The boy, Donny has never been to the Cleveland Browns Stadium and he hops up and down on his feet with a grin stretching his face of six years. He can finally see where his daddy goes every morning to work. His mother orders him to keep holding the stability pole before he falls but can't help but smiling at her son's ecstatic behavior. She shared a glancing smile at her sister who was a few years in her senior and were quiet again as the compartment rattled silently. They were making their way to meet her awaiting husband on an almost perfect Saturday. Then everything went dark...
He caught his glasses as they began to fall from the bridge of his nose as they quite often did whereas they were much to large for his thin face. He brought his novel closer to his eyes and the light reflected off golden words on the spine of the book, 'The Inferno' glittered for moment and about two inches down glittered 'Dante'. The boy was intelligent. He was a genius. He was a clerk. "Young Man!" The boy threw up his book behind him in alarm and adjusted his thoughts to the front counter. There was an elderly and perturbed looking woman who apparently had been waiting. "Y-yes," he stammered jumping off his stool and moving to the front desk."Welcome to the Renaissance Hotel, do you have a res-" "A reservation? Yes I made it a week ago, almost as long as I've been waiting." She said irately. "Forgive me, ma'am." He said apologetically before continuing business,"Name, please." "Gooding, Ruth Gooding." She snapped once again. He typed in the name quickly and a list of information appeared on the screen. "Yes here you are Mrs.-" "Miss" She corrected abruptly. A bit darker this time. "Yes, Ms. Gooding." He reached over the counter with her key when the screen went blank and the lights failed. The key dropped to the ground...
She was upset. Another fight had broken out and this time she didn't stay. She packed a few precious belongings and stormed out of the apartment building. Another one of his girlfriends...it was enough for her. She threw her bag over her shoulder and turned the corner in belligerent strides. She walked until her rage subsided and fear and desperation took it's place. Where was she to go now? Who did she know?
She sighed and collapsed on the veranda of the jeweler's shop. She was alone and quite lost. She had only moved to Cleveland a few months ago and he was so inviting...She shook all thoughts from her head and tried to calm herself before rising.
She squinted from all the bright lights that illuminated the street. Even in the late morning the cluster of shops with their vivid neon logos accumulated to strain one's eyes. If there were a few less clouds in the sky there would be more sun, making the radiance of the stores a bit less perceptible.
She was in the heart of Cleveland, with no more than a couple dollars in her pocket and a back pack full of poor provision. However right then things got a little better, the lights stopped shining in her eyes. In fact, none of the lights were shining into anybody's eyes...
The world was dark