Again. It had happened again. Howard shook himself awake and blinked his eyes quickly, trying to dispel a wave of exhaustion. He was sitting in his office going over some tax returns but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't focus. Howard looked at his watch. 4:28 PM. He still had over and hour and a half until he could leave. Knowing he had to do something to stay alert, Howard got up and put on his coat. Maybe some cold air and coffee would help.
Outside the city was immersed in fog. The sky was gray, the buildings were gray, the cars were gray, everything was absorbed by the mist. Howard pulled his coat tighter and contemplated how the weather seemed to reflect his life: uniform, dull, and uninteresting.
Howard decided to take the path through the park on the way to Connie's Coffee. He was in no hurry to get back. As he was navigating through the dense fog he made out two shadowy figures sitting under a tree. They slowly emerged out of the fog and he was greeted with an odd sight. An old man was sitting on a blanket spread out in front of a blue camping tent. Beside him was a young boy with duct tape covering his mouth. It struck Howard how similar the scene was to the oracles of ancient Greece. Howard lengthened his stride, eager to escape the unsettling situation. But as he passed the old man shouted "Your great good fortune, true, it was your ruin!"
