The Michael Swayne Story V: King of his Castle

This morning at 8 am, I hopped on my bike and began the ten-mile ride to my high school. I was riding down the road my Aunt and Uncle live on, and the creek's water was up over the bridge, so I got my pants legs wet. Not exactly the most pleasant feeling when it freezing outside. The rest of the ride to the school was okay. I noticed that the air is different than that of where I live. And not just the air you breathe; but the air of the place, the mood. Breathing was heavier, and it was so dusty. What was suffocating me was the other kind of air. It's like the town died. There were very few houses with people living in them. Windows and doors were broken. Siding was off of most houses. Grass three-feet high, despite it still being winter. I thought maybe I had crossed into some portal and was transported to some other Latham, Ohio.

Unfortunately, I hadn't. It's just the simple fact that very little is left of the town. Since my graduation, there have been thousands of people in the area to lose their jobs. The vast majority of residents are in the poverty levels. It is rough there now. It's quite possible that these changes were happening even when I was going to school there, but I never experienced it.

*You see, we lived in the Peebles School District during my 2nd-5th Grade years of school. Then we lived in Latham School District for 6th-9th. When we moved back to Peebles, I stayed on at Latham in the open enrollment program while my brother and sister went to school in Peebles.*

So, the economic and environmental changes that happened with my classmates didn't affect my family. I never had to deal with the same things they did.

And maybe that's why it felt like I was walking into a foreign place today. The halls that I spent seven years walking through did not bring back memories. And the staff there has changed so much that there aren't many people that know me. Now, I am just a name on the walls. I am in the 2005 graduating class picture, and my name is on a plaque that is seen as you walk in. Other than that and the yearbook, there is nothing that says I even attended the school.

After I paid for Brittney's yearbook, I left. I didn't want to get in trouble for visiting teachers I knew. I did what I came to do, and now it is time I left. The chance that I'll go back is low, but maybe that's how it's supposed to be.

*Side note: This year's ten-year reunion class only had 14 people show up. I can imagine that even less will go to my class's in two years.

Anyway...

It was only about 9 am then, so I figured I'd go and surprise Heather and visit her at her house. I shouldn't have. My brother warned me of the gigantic hill that leads to her road. I thought that it couldn't be too big. But it was much, much bigger. I managed it though. Because I walked up half of it. It is the steepest hill I have had the honor of climbing. And it was a gravel road, so it wasn't enjoyable at all.

And then, I wasn't able to even find her road at all. I had to get directions from someone at their house. And their directions were horrible. It was like they had never even heard of the road. I gave up looking for her house when I ended up going down the other side of the hill. There was NO way I would climb back up to find it. I do know one thing. If I do ever get the notion to visit Heather again, I am going to go up the other side of the hill. It at least was paved, though it was more curvy.

After I got back home, I checked the mail. My copy of Oblivion arrived. I put it in and played while eating lunch. I am playing as a Breton Bard. I have finished a couple side quests, but I have even left the Capital yet. While I am typing this, my brother is playing Grand Theft Auto IV. When he plays, I act as his navigator. I have the map unfolded and I keep track of where he goes.

Tomorrow I am washing clothes and playing video games. I don't have much else to do.

And if Che is reading this, I apologize for missing your live stream tonight on Twitch.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until tomorrow...

Later!

Michael