Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

My grandfather loved that clock. I guess they don't call it grandfather's clock for nothing, huh? It sat just behind me, ticking, counting each passing second of our lives. My grandfather, the man sitting just in front of me on his wheelchair, wearing a green polo shirt and black pants, loved hearing that sound. The ticking. The tocking. I dunno why he loved it so much. Perhaps because he knew that soon, his seconds on Corneria would end and he'd finally reach peace.

I love my grandfather Jones. I hate seeing him in such a state. Sitting there, catatonically looking past me, just to watch his clock. That clock probably had been passed down from generation to generation for decades. He just sits there, looking at the clock through his slightly blurred spectacles. His hands barely move, the old bones in his 87 year old body rattling with each movement he makes. He'd only move those bones for two things. Eat and put cigarettes in his mouth. I couldn't understand how such an old man with such poor health could still enjoy smoking so much. I dreaded to think what his lungs looked like.

"...Grandpa." I spoke up, looking to him, "...Would you like to have anything? Some soup, maybe?"

Grandpa did not respond. He kept looking at the clock, watching those pointers move, watching that pendulum swing. I pursed my lips and looked at my wrist watch. In five minutes, mom and sis should be back.

I stood up, walked past my grandfather and went upstairs, to my room. I opened my door to papers scattered all over my bed, my nine year old computer turned on and posters of bands, movies and games across my wall. I sat on my chair, in front of my computer. I was watching a video of some guy doing a let's play of this new military shooter game "Guns For Hire", being loud and overreacting each word he'd spit out, playing a game I couldn't even dream of running on this old machine. I dunno why I liked watching him so much. Maybe because of the energy he had, even if exaggerated.

I closed my eyes, inhaled, exhaled and closed my browser. I was done hearing loud yelling through my headset. I opened one of the saved documents on my computer. Its title read "The Enigma of The Blue Gardens", my own attempt at doing thriller after being inspired by books I last read years ago. Dragging it to my computer's trash bin, I disposed of it. A failed story I attempted to create, just like many others.

I heard the door be unlocked downstairs and swung open right after. Mom came in, already barking orders at my sister, "Here, take all these bags and put them on the counter. Put the beverages in the fridge, cans in the cupboards..."

"Mom, we just got home, chill for a second!" My sister responded.

"There ain't no time to chill, hun, I gotta get to work in ten. Now hurry up!"

Mom was a very systematic lady. The woman of the house. She'd yell orders at us and hurry us with everything we did, because to her, if we weren't doing something productive, we weren't being useful. She was harsh, but, her intentions were good. Poor mom...Dad was such a drag. He'd beat her in front of me and my sis when we were just kids. By the time we were a bit more grown-up, he left our house for good. Never heard a word of him since.

After he left, mom brought in our grandfather, Jones. Jones used to be a healthy old man who helped out a lot in the house. Things changed when he got liver disease and his heart issues spiked. He were never the same after liver surgery, a surgery we had to work hard to pay for. By fourteen, I was already working at Jim's local convenience store. Jim was a good man, even if a little clumsy. He lost his hand when he used to work at a fish factory, which drove him to start his own business.

My sister worked as a chef in a restaurant. She's four years older than me and was a very good cook. After Jones's liver surgery however, she lost her job due to layoffs. I don't know what she works with now, she never tells. Mom thinks she's up to no good, but considering how desperate we are for money, she doesn't worry about it too much, specially considering that my sister now brings in the most money to the house. All we hope for is that she doesn't bring us any trouble.

Me? I still work at Jim's, as a clerk. Jim's one of my best friends and always has my back whenever some abusive customer enters the store. His hand prosthesis looks so awesome. Well, not 'I wanna cut my hand off just to get one like his' awesome, but awesome. I'm rather nerdy for tech, which is why I hang out so often by his shop. Its located at one of the more advanced parts of Corneria City.

Oh, I love Corneria City. Big, blooming, colourful day and night. I live in the slums, unfortunately. Dark, gray and foggy here, crime everywhere, but our neighbors live close to each other like a brotherhood. From my window, I can see downtown. I love watching it from here. I love being there whenever I get the chance.

And tomorrow...that's where I'm going. Downtown Corneria City. Why? Well...Star Fox. Star Fox is coming back. My idols since I were a little kid. My grandfather used to tell me stories about how they saved Corneria over and over again from Lylat's worst space scum. True real life heroes, they are! They haven't been here for a decade now. I just can't wait to see them come back.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

A series of knocks on my door happened. I knew from the force of it that it were my mom. I got up and opened my door for her. She had a stern look on her face.

"So...you are going downtown tomorrow, aren't you?" She said, "Visiting that Star Fox team? What was it? Er...Q and...A panel they're making?"

"Yeah, the Star Fox QnA panel. I asked grandpa if he wanted to come, but he just shook his head."

"...Hmph." Mom didn't look pleased. She simply stuck her hand into her back pocket, counted some bills in her hand and handed it to me, "Here's some credits for the bus."

"Credits? Mom, I'm going to bike there. I've already spent a lot of money on this QnA panel. I don't want to waste more money."

"Biking there? What if you get hit by a car? What if you get robbed? Downtown is very far away, young man. Just take the public transportation."

"Mom..." I sighed, holding the credits in my hand, "...You're being paranoid. Please, just..." I handed them back to her, "Keep these. We need it."

"We need it? Boy, we needed that money you spent on this...whatever it's called panel."

"Mom..." A looming sense of dread hit my chest. Ever since I told her about going to this QnA panel she's been acting so cold to me. She really wasn't happy that I spent my weekly savings on something so...'trivial', according to her. She had that mom look and mom attitude of making you feel bad for doing something she didn't like, "...I'll make that money back. I promise you. Please, keep these credits to yourself. They're yours. And we need it. I won't spend like an idiot again after this."

She tilted her head, her ears tilting to the side as well, looking into my eyes with those sleep deprived ones of her own, "...Will you, Chase?"

"Yes, mom...I just...I love them. I really do. I want to see them again."

"Chase. Star Fox has abandoned us for ten years. Corneria is in the dumps now because of them. Those are the heroes you're gonna see." She took a step back, sighing, "...Remember that when you get there. Now, if you excuse me. I need to get ready for work." With that, mom walked away. Not even a 'bye'. Not even a 'I love you'.

I shut my door, closed my eyes and took a deep sigh. I sat on my bed, looking down to the floor. Mom really knew how to make her son feel ashamed of himself. A good thing. I spent way too much on...maybe too little.

Star Fox, a team of mercenaries, heroes of Lylat. They left Corneria in the dark ever since they last visited us. Some speculated they had perished, but, official reports said they were still alive, just...going somewhere else. Not bothering to come back. We first speculated they were busy with something, but, they weren't. The past decade had been the most peaceful one for them in a long time. And not once during it, they came back to visit us.

But, they're coming tomorrow. I'm happy that they are. I dunno about everyone else. I'm sure they want to redeem themselves.

Knock knock knock knock

Casual knocks on my door this time. It was my sister, for sure. I stood up and opened the door for her.

"Hey, bro." She greeted me, extending me a hand. I shook it. It felt cold, probably because of all the beverages she had to push in the fridge, "What's up?"

"Not much...just, sitting here. Failed another story again. Third one this month."

"Aw...you get it sometime, yeah?" She patted my shoulder.

I love my sister. Her name is Tara. She's such a good-hearted girl. Warm soul, kind and helpful personality. At least, well, it's what we know on the surface. I still have no clue what her job is now. I dunno what she does behind our backs. I trust her, but...I can't help but doubt her sometimes. She never came back hurt or emotionally shaken since her new job, so I assume the least she's doing is slinging dope. Whatever it is, it brings in good money, even if probably unclean.

"I'll get it right someday. I really want to put out a book."

"Have it be a best-seller and we won't have to live in this shitty neighborhood anymore, huh?" She chuckled, "Just kidding, Chase. Just put out something you're comfortable with."

"That's the thing. Nothing I do makes me comfortable. It may be at first, but then my liking for it goes down and down and...down." I crossed my arms, looking off to the side, "...It's annoying, you know?"

"Yeah...I don't know much about writing, but...I have faith in you, little bro. You'll put out something one day. You'll like it and other people will too. Keep trying, okay?" She put a hand on my shoulder, "...You can do it."

"Thanks, Tara." I smiled to her, bringing a hand onto her arm and rubbing on it just gently, "...I'm so glad to have you as my sister."

"Heh," she chuckled, rubbing my shoulder, "and I couldn't be gladder to have a creative brother like you, Chase. I'll see you around, okay?" With that, she took her hand off my shoulder and walked away. Before she disappeared into her bedroom, she turned for a moment, "Oh and please...try to not spend too much again next time. Please?"

I shut my door once more and this time, went to my chair. I placed my elbow on my desk, tapping my finger against my furred cheek. Come on, Chase, think of another story to write. Something awesome. Something that will make your mind open itself and spew its contents out onto the paper. Well, the virtual paper in my computer that is.

I looked at my posters. All the games there. Old games, some new games I didn't even own and only liked because I watched them online.

Distant Cries, FearZ, Gorezone, Surface Tension...

Surface Tension.

A game about a scientist trapped in a physics research facility that develops portals, which accidentally opens a portal to another dimension of Corneria where a nuclear war gave life to radioactive mutants to enter the facility and our dimension. This scientist must survive and escape using a combination of quick thinking portal puzzles and combat.

Hm...interesting.

I turned myself to my computer and opened Jarvosoft Papers, my main writing program. And there, I spent my evening. Writing and writing about interdimensional explorers and how they came to be.

I wrote until my desk digital clock hit midnight. There, I paused, saved my document and drove myself to sleep. And now for tomorrow...

Star Fox.