Prologue
1 left.
He only had 1 left to go through and then he could finally finish his day. Put the mind numbing work behind him. The paperwork, despite being his least favorite part of the job, was a concession for having the position he did. He just had to get through it. At least it was quiet.
His peace was distrubed by an opening of his door.
"Pardon me, sir, but I have 3 new notices left for you to look over and sign," A voice informed, as footsteps got louder as they approached him
Tobey's eyes drifted up to meet his butler's and then glanced at the 3 page stack in his hand. Tobey begrudgingly took the pages, keeping any sense of annoyance inside.
"Are you positive these are the last ones?"
"Yes, sir. I can put them in the mail immediately if they are approved."
Tobey nodded and turned his attention back to the notices in front of him.
3 new citizens the city was prepared to send his way. All he had to do was write his signature at the bottom of the page. Easily he could have just signed every page and not read the names. Would that make the process easier, who knew, but his internal curiosity always got the better of him.
What poor sucker…
Tobey reigned in his thoughts in an effort to just get through the last of his work.
The first page had some no name he had never heard of. He took no excitement to signing the bottom of the page.
The second page: Hunter Throbheart.
Tobey remembered him from school. Remembered how the girls would fawn over him. How the teachers loved him. He especially remembered that day in the cafeteria…
Tobey signed the page as quickly as he could to take his mind off of the memory threatening to resurface. He didn't care about Hunter and he wasn't going to give him another second thought. Onto the last one and he was done.
The last page…
Tobey's breath hitched. He had not seen that last name in years…He had truly put all of that behind him.
This time even as hard as he tried to keep memories from flooding over his thoughts, he couldn't stop his mind from drowning.
Reading in the library. Talking at the lunch table. Fighting on the lawn. Crying in the bathroom…
"Sir? Would you like to refuse this one?" His butler inquired, an eyebrow raised on his face.
Tobey shook his head instantly in an attempt to snap out of the insanity his mind had just put him through.
"No. Hand deliver this one yourself."
The pen bled across the bottom of the page as Tobey forcefully signed his name at the bottom of the third page.
The third page: Tim Botsford.
