To those who cannot look away, and to those who intend to stay:

Surely it must be a premonition. Carl always had a way of being subtle about his private life, but this he could no longer take. It took exactly 4 minutes and 17 seconds to pack up his whole life; to realize he had nothing but a tambourine. That trusty tambourine adorned with purple ribbons and one small rip in the canvas. He headed out of his home for good, and there was a special jingle to his walk (thanks to the tambourine, of course.) Carl was ready.

"I think I see it, Vince."

Laura and Vince are the kind of people who drink wheat grass for breakfast and eat sushi on Tuesdays. None of that will matter today. Today was special; it must have carried a bit of Fortuna's buzzing luck, because Laura was sure she saw it. Still falling and heavy, her eyelids desperately pleaded for sleep. It was in that fraction of second when her eyelids dragged back up did she spot the tambourine.

...