CHAPTER 2

Go West, Young Man

A Large Town, Southeastern Pennsylvania

The young man wanted change. His life had been through ups and downs, but never like this. There was just so much against him, and too little in his favor. He just felt like there was nothing he could do that could stem the tide of his downfall. He felt his very DNA was cursed with failure.

No matter what he tried to do get things headed in the right direction, everything just seemed to hold him back. He knew he was running out of time to accomplish his life's goals. If time did expire, he would be just another failure in the world. And if there was anything he did not want to be, it was a failure.

One night lying in bed, the young man was humming to himself, writing his own songs. He liked to alter established songs to tell his feelings. He knew he was a lone wolf and his imagination was his best friend. The truth hurt, but to him it was a good kind of pain; better than the pain of lies, something he knew about all too well. Lies were the world's currency and truth was a great evil in his world. He could sense that people talked about him behind his back and that it was not in a good way. Anyone who knew him either ignored him or hated him, with few exceptions; and those exceptions could not help him. He was too scared to ask outright, and no one could read the signals. All that he wanted was a chance to prove he belonged. And yet that was the one thing he knew he could not have.

The young man had fallen asleep after coming to a stop in the middle of a new piece of work. During his slumber the young man's mind delivered to him his greatest fear: being powerless and alone. His rage burned, but the chains of his past misdeeds and his unwillingness to compromise left him crippled as he was sent to his fate. However, he was surprised to feel a certain warmth touch his heart. A greatly needed comfort, but sense its source he could not. He searched all around, but there was no sign of anyone.

He stirred awake and tried to decipher what he had seen in his mind. But his instincts told him to take up his notebook, and there he discovered writing in it that was not his own. Bewildered, he stared down and read the following words:

Hey, kiddo,

I read your songs. There's a lot of pain in the lyrics. I can see your life has not been kind to you, and you feel like there's a lot missing in it.

But that's not all I see.

I see you think there's something more in this world for you. You don't just want be someone who is here one minute and gone the next. You want to be remembered. You want to change the world.

You want to be a hero.

I once felt like you feel now. I felt like I was destined for more than just the boring everyday "normal" stuff life tells you to do. And eventually, I wound up... well, let's just say I got to do something unforgettable.

It seems to me you need a new outlook on life. You need a new attitude. So you why not change your surroundings, as well as change your point of view? I know you've never left the Mid-Atlantic, much less been to California, but if you want to turn your life around head toward a place known as Angel Grove. I know you're scared and you don't understand, but hey, adversity proves who we really are. If no else believes in you, know that I believe in you. Have faith and be strong. Never give up.

T.K.

Angel Grove? He'd heard of that place when he was younger. There were some stories he had heard about there about fantastic events, but he'd dismissed those stories as hoaxes and urban legends. He had wished beyond wishing and hoped beyond hope that that sort of thing was real, but he knew it to be impossible. Still, it sounded intriguing.

Suddenly, the young man felt a chill go down his spine. But it wasn't just any chill; it seemed to strike his entire nervous system, like a sort of frozen tingle. When he turned around, he swore he saw the figure of a young woman who looked to be about his age. She had long black hair and was dressed head to toe in yellow, his favorite color. He could not see her face, unfortunately. But once he blinked, she was gone.

Was he seeing things? He was never a substance abuser. He did need glasses, but his vision wasn't that weak.

Was she an angel? He wasn't the religious type. Somewhat spiritual, yes, but not really religious. He wasn't sure of much of anything anymore. But this note and the mysterious woman had to be connected, that much he was certain of.

But there was so much more he didn't understand: How did this woman, angel or not, know what he was going through? And why did she know his deepest feelings, hopes and dreams? And this was the kicker, why did she present him with a possible solution? None of it made any sense.

At this point, though, life didn't make sense, period. At this point, anywhere was better than here, anything was better than this, and anyone was better than what he was now. Enough was enough and it was time for a change. He made up his mind. The mysterious…whatever she was… was right. It was Angel Grove or Bust. Now, how would he get there?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I actually (attempt to) write lyrical alterations to hit songs. I tend to extend the songs (usually double length or more), but keep the chorus (because that's what everyone remembers anyway.) I used to call these remixes Lyricides, but now I think it would be better to call them Lyrevivals. However, I can't actually post any in this story because of The Rules of the FFN. So I'll have to keep them to myself until the day I sell this script to Saban (for a starring role along with moderately high creative control, if you didn't read my profile), then I can help select the score/soundtrack.