Imagine yourself in your neighborhood, walking down a street you had walked down many times before. The trees are the same old trees, the stores are the same old stores, and the houses are the same old houses.

But today, you will not be making your usual stop at Starbucks to get your favorite Venti extra hot latte. No today, you will be going into a new store.

You have passed the store in question numerous times before, but have never felt the need to explore it. As a matter of fact, whenever you looked more than 10 seconds at the store you felt a strange queasiness in the pit of your stomach that only lessened when you allowed your eyes to slide away.

But today you will ignore your feelings of revulsion, and you will visit the store. Not because you have an innate need to visit every store in your neighborhood, but for the simple reason that you need to rent a U-Haul. You have done your Internet searches, you have contacted multiple companies, you have compared prices and reputations. This store, this strangely repulsive store, has the best deal on U-Hauls at the closest location.

You are a mere two businesses away from your destination when the sky opens and rain begins to pour out of the heavens. You begin to run, but stop short when you realize that the only way to get to the store is to cross a veritable moat of mud, water, and what looks suspiciously like motor oil.

You take a step forward and cringe with disgust as your sandal-clad foot lands ankle deep in the slimy mess. But you are on a mission, so with a shrug you continue on. With a little luck, you might be able to get inside before every inch of you is soaking wet.

As you get closer you notice that the entrance is blocked by a man. He is covered in dirt from head to toe, and as he smiles at you, you notice that he is not only missing two front teeth, but he also has an open sore on his cheek the size of a quarter.

—-end of part 1—-