As the taxi cruised over another bump, Henry awoke with a jolt of surprise. He looked around in a panic, not realizing where he was or how he got there. The cab driver laughed.
"Good morning, sunshine!" His speech was shrouded in a thick accent of indistinguishable origin. "I thought you would never wake up!" Henry laughed then looked out of the window. That's right, he was in Sunset Valley. "Where did you say you are coming from again?" Henry chucked at the man's speech.
"Bridgeport." he said. "I'm coming out here to live on my own for a little while."
That was the first time Henry actually admitted it to himself out loud. For weeks, he had been going on about living on his own- about how he would move out of his father's apartment and make something of himself. No more video games and pot for him- he yelled to his father- he was an adult who could provide for himself. Of course, his father scoffed at this. But Henry knew that he could do it. For whatever reason, he knew that he would be fine moving out to a new city with nothing but the change in his pocket. Hell, he might even meet a girl and decide to settle down in Sunset Valley! But no promises there.
Slowly, Henry could see houses rising from the ground as the cab dragged itself to the top of a hill. Driving by, Henry was in awe.
The house was marvelous. It reminded him of the summer home from his childhood. The rustic, peeling salmon panelling of the exterior grabbed Henry's heart and jumped head first into a pool of sharks, and the subtle hole in the ceiling of the front entrance left him with a lasting smile on his tender, little, rich face.
He could see himself diving, nude, into the backyard pool only to then climb out, still nude, to welcome his future attractive, blonde, female neighbors to the barbecue of a lifetime. The barbecue, of course, would be catered by the local diner. DJs would be hired, and baristas would be appointed to mix up Cosmos and Daiquiris for the party goers. Henry's imagination was going wild, and he could feel the drool slowly crawling its way down his chin.
It was only when the cab continued to pull forward that Henry was snapped out of his delusion and dumped into his own personal hell. There would be no nude barbecues. The would be no fit blondes. When Henry saw his new home, tears filled his eyes.
A single wall lined with a refrigerator, a kitchen counter, and stove stood before him in plain view. On the other side: a sleeping bag, a toilet, a shower, and a sink and mirror. Didn't exactly scream summer beach home. Henry sighed and dragged his feet over to the kitchen area. The fridge was full. The cabinets were full. Life was good. Even if he had no money, Henry could still eat his vegan meals and that was all that mattered.
Suddenly full of energy, Henry sprinted like an overzealous anime character to the edge of the cliff behind his property. He took in the salty summer air and smirked out to the sea. The world was his for the taking, and nothing was going to stop him in his quest to make it on his own, prove his father wrong, and still have time to be the world's greatest Pokemon master.
Introducing: Henry Gatewood, Founder.
Authors Note; I didn't even try to proof read that before posting it.
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