"Hey, watch it, kid! That's the third time this year!"
"Well, ya little shit? You comin' up with that money of mine or will I have to shake it out of ya?"
"I'm sorry, Mister Carter, but this is the highest grade I can give you. Be glad that you were still able to pass."
"Sorry, dude, I promised Alice I'd come with her to her retreat. Maybe next summer?"
"Pfft! Me, go out with you? Forget it."
These memories, and much more, swam through Owen Carter's head like a deadly school of piranhas, wanting to feast on his despair and sadness.
To say the timid nineteen-year-old was dealt a bad hand in life would be considered a severe understatement. Either his parents had pissed off some unknown deity, he had crossed the path of a black cat whilst also walking underneath a ladder, or someone in the vast cosmos found it funny to pull this sort of thing on him. His life was horrid. Every day felt like a routine: wake up after a bad night's sleep, eat a rushed meal, try and pay attention in his classes, get frisked behind the business building by one of his many bullies, turn in work late, stay up all night trying to finish his other work on time, rinse and repeat.
At least he had the good grace (or perhaps stubbornness) to keep pushing forward. Many a braver man would have broken down in despair and turned to the drudgery of alcohol, drugs, smoking, or a mix of the three along with some other things to drown their sorrows in. After what he had gone through with his grandfather, it would have been wise of him to not follow in the old man's footsteps.
He could at least count on his car to be working properly. The Honda Civic that he drove, while a bit old, seemed to be working in top condition, a fact he was grateful for as he winded down the roads.
He heard the sound of raindrops beginning to patter on his windshield and roof, as if the clouds wanted to perform a little musical number on the vehicle. Owen sighed, turning on the radio to keep his mind awake as he focused on the road. Eventually, the news cast turned to his favorite sports team, who at the moment were in a terrible slump.
"...and yet again we see just how much these men aren't in it to win it, Todd."
"I'll have to agree, Terry. I mean, slip-up after slip-up, at some point you'll have to consider whether or not this team should just hang up their jerseys early this season. Now, back to the weather with–"
At this, Owen flipped off the switch to the radio, his mood becoming even more sullied. Even the mantra of "just keep going" only did so much to alleviate his stress.
Eventually, Owen's mind wandered to his mother. She and his father were the only people on the planet who he felt supported him, aside from his best friend, Calvin. His mind flashed back to an earlier memory, when he was nervous about a role in an elementary school play he was in. His mom had taken him outside and told him to look up at the clear night sky.
"What do you see, Owen?" She had said, placing him on her left knee.
"The stars," Owen, then a ten-year-old, replied in wonder. There were so many. How could space hold all of them?
"That's right," the tender voice of his mother replied. "Whenever you're scared, or lonely, or down on your luck, look at the stars. They'll be your comfort, even when I'm not there to share it with you. Okay, my little nebula?"
"Yes, Mom," Owen said with a giggle.
Back in the present, Owen stopped at a light. As his windshield wipers slicked water off the glass pane in front of him, he noticed the familiar lights of the Milky Way, winking above him like they were mischievous children waiting to get scolded.
He sighed, and said halfheartedly, "Wish you all could support me now. I just…need something, anything, just to get back on my feet…"
As he spoke, he noticed something in the sky. Peeking up, he could have sworn that one of the stars flashed a light blue. Not uncommon, no doubt, but he knew that one in particular wasn't blue. So, why–
HOOOOOOOOOONK!
A large truck that was sitting behind him blared his horn. Jolting, Owen peeled out of the intersection…right into the path of an oncoming cattle trailer.
"No livestock were harmed, right?" The farmer who had driven the semi said, wringing his hands.
"Well, when you've got a steel bunker, a car doesn't do much to it." One of the two officers that were questioning the man.
"Thank God. Those were some prime animals. I'd hate to lose 'em."
While the man went on his way, the two officers looked over at another pair, currently subduing the man that was driving the truck. Judging by his look and his protesting, he was more than likely to be booked for DUI and reckless endangerment.
"Christ…thank God he's taken care of." The other officer spoke with a mouth of disgust. "And from what it looked like, the kid didn't sustain too much damage. Even if he did, we'd have booked the other guy to pay for his hospital fees."
"Damn straight." The first officer said.
A third officer, who was investigating the car in the ditch, ran up to them. "The kid's gone." He said.
"What? Gone? But he was there just a few moments ago." The first officer said with alarm, as the three men sprinted over to check the damage. As they peeked through the driver's side window, a shocking sight awaited them.
The kid was gone, but he hadn't booked it. The seatbelt was still intact.
The second officer took off his glasses to inspect the astounding discovery. "Just where in the hell did he go?"
Owen heard the sound of someone laughing. Judging by the pitch, it sounded like a child giggling, as if it was a mischievous prankster.
"Hey…" He said, surprised at how clear his voice sounded. "Stop…"
The laughing only increased, only this time it sounded like there were more children. Great, as if it wasn't embarrassing enough.
His hands clenched in a surprise bout of frustration. As he did, he felt something other than dirt or wheat.
He felt…flower petals?!
Owen's eyes flickered open, and he eventually jolted up. Looking down at his surroundings, he saw a field of yellow and white flowers around him.
Patting himself down, he couldn't feel any injuries. No cuts, bruises, not even scratches. In fact, he felt…perfectly fine.
He also noticed that the laughing had stopped. Weird, he could have sworn he had heard it clearly. Looking around, he saw he was on some…planet.
Looking up, he saw the stars encased in a deep blue expanse of sky. Other planets dotted the atmosphere, and in the distance, a bright sun shone down.
A slew of questions rushed through Owen's mind, each more pressing than the last. He couldn't even grasp the circumstances he was in clearly, so he spoke out, hoping that someone would hear him:
"Where am I?!"
Of course now my mind decides to start cooking ideas.
Oh, well. At least I know that I'm capable of doing stuff like this in the future.
Anyways, hope y'all liked the introduction! I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes once I get back!
All OCs are made by me. Super Mario Galaxy is owned by Nintendo.