Today was a bad day. For a normal person a bad day would be a depressing one. Maybe they got fired? Maybe they were in an aggravating fight with a significant other? Kurt couldn't count himself normal anymore. Hell! He couldn't even say if he was truly human anymore either. Some people are overcome by lust, self indulgence, a vice that shames them and depresses them. Today Kurt lived a nightmare all his own.

Decrepit and maddened visages roamed the town. They were looking for something as if they were sensing something coming that he could not. Kurt stepped along the sidewalk acting like he couldn't see them. He'd learned that only some particularly astute spirits were actually aware he could see them. He knew none of their names and feared them. Kurt sighed out of frustration. He was to meet a lady named Emelina Ward and her friends today. He had always loved to enjoy a good book even when they put him to sleep, which was not seldom. Emelina ran a bookstore in the midst of town which often had series of his favorite books as soon as they were released. It was on a visit to purchase a book that she discovered him.

Kurt's initial thought was, 'Oh crap she's got to be with the government!'. Scary to think there was a giant organization that once rose for true justice and the people but now was seemingly thrown about on the whims of men in power who thought they could do better than hundreds of millions of people. Kurt was not about to surrender himself to the whims of someone who couldn't possibly know what he was going through nor had in best interests at heart. Of course that seemed true until he spoke with her a little more to confirm his suspicions. There were others out there. It was time to make friends. Time to find a real haven.

Kurt paused on the sidewalk to look at the door to the Water of Life. He'd never drunken any alcohol nor did he intend to, so it was a little uncomfortable to enter a building where people made light of that. He shrugged it off and pushed the door open. There was a jingle as an object placed on the door handle to alert the staff shook.

"Good morning, can I get you anything?" The bartender seemed to state more than ask. 
Kurt shook his head, "Nah, I'm good. Thanks though. I'm here to see someone." He peered around at the inhabitants seated throughout the room, spotted Emelina and took a seat close to her. He started to speak quietly. "So, Emelina, how are you today? How many are we expecting?"