Prologue
The freezing wind blew against me, dragging with it the helpless snowflakes that fell from the night sky. The vacant streets I walked down were covered in a thick layer of fresh snow, the only sign of life being the footprints that trailed behind me. I then came to a stop, having come to a crossroads. I watched as the traffic lights went about their patterns without the input of people, cars or trucks. My eyes then drifted up to the plaque, hanging from the pole next to the light, that stated the name of the cross-street.
"Fraser Street," I said to myself, "Why does that sound familiar?"
I looked to my left. There was an L shaped strip mall on one of the corners; a restaurant, Laundromat, and Starbucks, all closed. An RBC Bank was on the corner across from it. I could make out the dimly lit sign for a Blockbuster Video a little further down the street. I looked ahead of me. There was another bank on the corner across the street from me, its still lit sign reading 'TD Canada Trust' in white letters on a green background. The street lights in that direction seemed to dim more into nothing the farther passed the bank I tried to see. I looked to my right. There was yet another bank on the corner that I was standing on. Its sign wasn't lit, but a nearby streetlight gave off enough illumination to read it.
Scotia Bank, You're Richer Than You Think.
I looked farther down the well-lit street. There was a Dollar Giant, a Post Office, and a Subway restaurant among numerous other businesses that weren't as distinct. A few lights were on inside of the restaurant, but the light box sign that wrapped around the corner building wasn't lit. The longer I looked down the street, the more I felt that it was beckoning me, calling me, screaming for me to remember. I shook off the feeling and pulled my right hand out of my jacket pocket; a piece of folded, yellow paper was in my grasp. I unfolded the tattered paper and scanned the list of names and numbers until I found what I wanted.
"787 East 38th Avenue." I looked up again to find the name of the street I had been following for the past while. "I'm on East 49th. So that's about... eleven blocks." I spoke without a recipient.
I looked both ways along Fraser, wondering which way to go. Then my eyes locked onto the sign for the Subway restaurant. It had just lit up, signalling that the restaurant was now open for business. I had no Idea what time it was, maybe early morning, but I didn't care. I was cold and hungry, and the restaurant was like an oasis in the middle of a desert. I refolded the paper and put it back in my jacket pocket before digging my hand into the pocket of my jeans. Grabbing its contents, I pulled my hand out and proceeded to count the coins in my palm.
Two tonnies, one loonie, three quarters, five dimes, four nickels, and six pennies. That's at least six bucks.
I wasn't really sure, but six dollars sounded like enough for a simple BLT. I put the coins back in my pocket and started making my way up Fraser. Little did I know, that as I made my way to the restaurant, a group of figures walked out onto the corner where I had just been standing.
