A muggy shadow hung in the air as the build up of pollution increased. The constant whir and click of ancient machinery could be heard, before huge billows of smoke erupted from concrete chimneys. There was no sunlight. Years of mass production had seemed to suck all the happiness out of the town, leaving a hollow shell inhabited by withered phantoms who knew no purpose.

There was one glimmer of hope, even if it trembled with fear on most days…
The gate creaked as it was forced open with hands that had seen the same thing for so long that they worked without the knowledge of their owner. Their knuckles were cut and scarred and the skin on their palms was as rough as but they didn’t care. It was the only condition they knew.

Taupe irises were greeted with familiar nods, the seemingly endless pupils dilating further with each one. The look that came with the nods never changed; desperate, pleading, hoping that today would be the day, the new beginning, the fresh start. They were always in vain, but now? Whispers that floated in the wind told secrets that with a little help, today someone may succeed.