It had been two months. It would have been expected that Jack could find a job in that first one, but that didn't seem to be the case. Without many credentials other than his family owned business in a small town, no local mechanic would hire him. The savings he had with him when he left are dwindling under the expensive rent that is expected every month. With the way things were, he'd be lucky if he could manage another two months. He'd be forced to vacate and head back home if that were the case, something that would not be in his best interests, considering his reasons for leaving.

Worse than that, the city hasn't been as glorious as it was made out to be. In most small towns, the big city is supposed to be where people go to make their fortune. It was a place of opportunity, somewhere that anyone could become someone. However, that was far from the case. Even with his savings, Jack could only afford one of the lower class residents, a small apartment in the neighborhood lovingly referred to as the “shit stain” of the city by the locals. The more common phrasing for it was just called the “Blight.” It was the blight of this city, a stain on its reputation, so the name stuck. This was where the druggies resided. It was a place that most did not want to be walking around at night. If you were, you were probably up to no good. It didn't help matters that the police just didn't seem to patrol this area at all.

That was the neighborhood Jack returned to after a long day of trying to find a job. The decrepit old building, run down from old age and neglect, stood looming over the street. His apartment had a lovely view of the dank alley behind it.

While nothing ever really seemed right with this place, something did strike Jack as off as he finished the ascent to his floor. The door to his apartment was wide open.