Chapter 1.
"Gooooood morning Brannel city. Lovely morning isn't it..." The morning radio is relentless as the voices behind it are spouting their good-mornings at 7:30 AM.
"SNOOZE!" shouts Adrian as he fumbles for the snooze button which feels as if it is getting further and further away every 10 minutes. "Can't you just leave me be for 10 more God-damned minutes!". The sound of his voice echoed through the apartment he is currently occupieing.
"Yo, Adrian, get your ass out of bed!". The voice belongs to his next door neighbor Barney. The walls are paper thin and the sound of the alarm is pissing him off. Barney likes to keep an eye out for Adrian."Only if you promise to stop eavesdropping on my morning affair with the radio" Adrian says, smirking at the wall."Can't promise anything" replies Barney.
Adrian grunts as he slowly arises from the warm, comfortable bed he wishes he was sharing with a beautiful woman. He shuffles into the bathroom whilst tying off his robe and curses Mondays under his breath. A bowl of unfinished cereal is still sitting on the kitchen bench from the night before. "Yummy" Adrian says in a sarcastic tone.
Adrian Rann is 29, he lives in a lackluster apartment complex called "Victory Apartments". Much is to be desired of the location as it is situated in the lower class areas of Brannel. It's an apartment on the first floor containing 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen, 1 toilet, 1 laundry and 1 lonely man. Adrian has a cubicle job working for the government that seems to take more money from him than it gives. He never complains for fear of getting fired but getting fired didn't seem to bad an idea at the moment.
His neighbor Barney Marts is 58, he lives next door. He chose early retirement over work because he says you only live once and work is over-rated. For a man getting on in age, he is surprisingly strong and doesn't like people messing with him or his friends. His living situation is the same as Adrians.
Adrian slowly moved over to the phone that hung off the wall in a manner that it didn't really want to be there. He lazily dialed the higher up from his works number.
"Howdy, it's Adrian...I work for you...Yup...I'm well how you doin?...Oh well. Anyway, I just called to tell you I won't be coming in today...Uh huh...This being the 3rd day off this week? No way...Records my ass...Let me go?...Whatever, I could probably make more money flippin' burgers you prick!" with these words, he hung up the phone.
"I'm not going in today Barn. Or tomorrow, or then next day and...you get the picture" Adrian yells to his neighbor."Your problem, not mine" Barney yells back. Most of the conversations between the two are handled in this manner.
"Hey, turn the TV on channel 7, The riot report is on again"
"I'm betting it's just overblown nonsense. That's all that's on these days, drama, anything to pull in the people with no sense of fun or drama in their own lives"
"What are you insinuating?" Barney said with a "back-off" tone.
"Nothing" Adrian said with a grin. To humor Barney, he turned the TV over to channel 7. Images of police beating civilians and bloodstained cars shot into Adrians eyes. "Yup, that's what I wanted to see while I'm eating breakfast" Adrian mumbled.
"It's just monstrous ain't it?" Barney called over. There was no reply. Adrian was to engrossed in the story, falling into the drama trap that is the news.
The news headline was "Riots in Lermen", Lermen was about 200 miles from central Brannel. Riots had broken out in another neighboring town about a week ago and the news presenter was announcing that it is starting to blow over. Casualties are in the 40's due to possible police brutalities and crowds of people getting crushed. Of course some blamed terrorists as being the root of the problem, but then again, what isn't these days.
Adrian turned off the TV before he hurled all over it, the images where playing with his mind and stomach. He tipped what was left of his cereal down the sink and spent the rest of the day at Barneys' place, smoking, playing cards and thumbing through the personal ads.
Today may be the last day that he could ever enjoy these simple pleasures ever again.