Mountains surround the town. No matter to which horizon you gaze, there is always a giant lump of the earth obstructing your view of the world. The air is thinner up here and it seems as though so is the patience of the town's inhabitants. There is no such thing as a dull moment in Boone. Everyone has an agenda, whether they're conscious of it or not is an entirely different story. Harry thought moving to a small town would give him a chance to escape, a chance to blend into the background of the town and be just a face in a crowd. However, living in a town where everybody knows everybody makes for quite the vulnerable position. Two days after moving to town from the bustle of the city, Harry finds himself stuck in a small bakery. Not physically stuck, mind you, but once he sits down at the counter to peruse the local paper he finds himself unable to get up again. The help wanted section of the paper he had originally intended to scour for his next odd job lay in front of him. Yet he couldn't make himself actually read it. He was too busy watching the boy behind the counter bustle around making drinks for customers as they poured into the shop in an early morning rush. Harry had entered the shop within moments of its opening unintentionally. He had this idealistic plan for his morning that involved sleeping until around 10, he would rise from his bed like a phoenix from the ash of his old life and begin to build his new life with the glow of the stars emanating from his very being. That did not happen. At 5:27 AM Harry was ripped from a fitful sleep by the sounds of what he could only imagine was someone mercilessly kicking some deranged animal. Harry stumbled out from underneath his covers and pulled the nearest jacket he could find around his shoulders. He prayed he wouldn't wander up on something he wasn't emotionally prepared to process before 7 AM. As he stomped through the dew-wet grass, Harry shivered. He wasn't looking to be a hero, but he certainly couldn't sleep any longer if there was an animal in pain nearby- thus his continued search for the source of the rattling cries. Pulling to a halt, Harry found himself face to face with the largest cow he'd ever seen in his life. He ferociously rubbed his eyes trying to figure out if he was dreaming even going as far as to pinch the skin of his wrist. But sure enough, from atop the cow's back was a rooster looking mighty pleased with himself and seeming to sense Harry's desire for sleep let out the wretched noise once again. Harry huffed and stormed back to the in-law suite he was renting and tried to return to slumber but to no avail. That was how Harry found himself approaching the door of the coffee shop the moment the cashier flipped the sign and folding his body over a hot cup of coffee.
Finally, the steady flow of townspeople into the diner slowed to a drip and the cashier drops his shoulders and lets out a steady breath before beginning to tidy up. Harry is cur