[center][h2] Chapter One: The Invasion[/h2][/center] The town of Erie is memorable for its lake, the long freezing winters brought on [i]by[/i] the lake, and little else. It's decorated with strange statues of frogs, and advertises a signature food called "Greek Sauce" that's about as Greek as a taco (Coincidentally, taco meat is the first ingredient of Greek Sauce). Aside from the few strange differences that separate it from any other highway exit town, Erie isn't a bad place to be. It's a quaint town where kids still have paper routes, teens can still be found at arcades, and everybody roots for the same football team. It's the kind of place adults describe as "Wholesome" and youths describe as "Boring". Admittedly, there was a bit of truth to this. There was surprisingly little to do in the quiet town this time of year for those uninterested in hayrides and cider. It was September, and there was a damp chill already in the air -- It was too cold for the fireworks and barbecues of small town summers, and too hot for sledding, snowball fights, and other wintertime comforts the town had from late November to early March. The only thing to do in the fall in Erie had remained the same since it was populated by men with buckles on their hats: Prepare for Winter. Fortunately, it was still autumn, and Erie's autumns were far more pleasant than the winters. Rows of tall, deciduous trees paved the sidewalks and covered the streets like the ceilings of cathedrals, filling the parks with red, orange, and gold leaves that filtered the last bits of the year's warm sunlight. The remnants of the long summer were slowly disappearing, and every day there seemed to be fewer and fewer plastic pools and trampolines decorating lawns, and more and more gourds and bundles of dried flowers decorating doors. Although the sleepy town was far from buzzing with excitement, it still wasn't half bad to look at. Most of the teenagers in Erie had long-since settled for indoor activities by now -- Barnes and Noble had more business this time of year than any -- Cafes, coffee shops, libraries and bookstores were packed, and even concert houses and arcades were buzzing with life from the influx of those trying to stay out of the cold. From the bars in Downtown Erie to the hooded figures from Cedar Hills with pockets filled with dimebags, different ways people found to stay out of the cold were coming out of the woodwork. [hr] One such figure from Cedar Hills stood alone at the end of an Orange Julius line. His pockets weren't filled with drugs for sale, they were full of dollar bills, quarters, and bent cigarettes. In fact, he wasn't even wearing a hoodie -- He wore a denim jacket, short-sleeved flannel shirt, and a white thermal undershirt. He was also one of the few residents of Cedar Hills who hadn't bought into the recent trend of XXL clothing, as he wore dark blue jeans and black Chuck Taylor's; both his size. He was trying, and failing, to juggle looking around for a friend of his, finding enough money to pay for the beverage he was about to order, and communicating with the friend on a chunky-looking dark green cell phone. [color=green]"Yeah, I'm at the Julius place. No. No, not the Caesar, the orange one. Yeah. Not the pizza."[/color] He looked around, squinting. [color=green]"I'm by the tomato sign place. I think it's pizza? No, it has orange letters. No, I can't make it out, chucklenuts, it's way too far."[/color] He exhaled for a moment, and then paused. He squinted once more, matching the logo he saw nearby to a store his friend might've recognized. [color=green]"By the Foot Locker. You know where that is? Baller. See you in a few."[/color] He pulled out a five dollar bill and placed it on the counter, absentmindedly fiddling through his pockets for spare change. [color=green]"Can I get a Tripleberry Smoo-"[/color] "Would you like a banana protein-boost?" [color=green]"Uh. Okay."[/color] "That'll be four dollars and ninety-seven cents." The cashier said, placing the crumpled bill into her register. Clay took his three cents and his receipt, and paced over to the left, taking his smoothie. [color=green]"Have a nice day."[/color] He said blankly, walking away from the store. To his left, a cheery-looking teen in a yellow shirt was speed-walking towards him, grin and clipboard in hand. He already knew what he'd want. His t-shirt read "The Sharing" in bold black letters, as if he were some sort of walking political comic. "Hey there sir! Sorry to interrupt your smoothie time, but I had a few quick questions for ya!" [color=green]"No thank you."[/color] Clay said, closing his eyes. His temper management was getting much better with his recent talks with Kimmy, but he still had a long way to go. "Alright sir, have a nice day!" The young boy said, turning 180 degrees and walking away. It helped that The Sharing was always respectful about people saying no. "Hey, Clay!" A familiar voice called out. Clay turned around, sipping his smoothie. [color=green]"Some Jesus Freak just wanted to ask me about stuff or something."[/color]