Only a year ago, the air in Village Park smelled of hot dogs and burgers. Families filled the picnic tables and teenagers ran around wreaking havoc. Children spent the day swimming in the creek that ran through the middle. The rocky sea floor was always filled with pieces of shattered glass where if you stepped just right you'd leave a streak of blood in the water and an infected cut on your toe. The children never cared, but most parents made their kids wear some type of water shoes. The kids would throw a fit before giving in.
The train roared by above the park at the same time everyday. Twice. The commotion gave away what time it was without having to rustle through your picnic bag in search of your phone.
But this morning is different.
Every Saturday I like to clear my mind from the week's chaos with a morning walk through the park. I wake up at 7 a.m. dressed in a pair of sweatpants — no matter the weather — and a T-shirt with a logo of my high school mascot.
Mom and Dad sleep in on Saturdays. So I've become skilled in the art of sneaking out of the side doorway of the house, making sure the screen door doesn't slam shut against the oak wood sideboards.
The pathway to the park is only a fence-jump away. I like walking up to the train tracks where the train no longer runs. You’d think it'd only take a couple minutes to reach the tracks above the park, but the closer you get, the further it seems to be. After all these years, it still feels that way.
Summer ended with a blazing heatwave leaving the earth thirsting for a shot of rain. It rained all night, and the creek is already overflowing. Weather Control Operations (WCO) has been neglected ever since Dimension 12's newest discoveries in medicine, and now previously solved problems are rising along with the water levels.