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Chapter 1

Freddy Krueger was the reason I was sitting in the back of soh Medical Center

I replayed the evening’s events over and over, but if I had really thought about it—difficult with the burgeoning concussion—the point of no return had passed that

Man Dead a Week in Central Pittsburgh Apartment

I lingered at the newspaper stand with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette—paid for and tucked tightly under ged me to come closer and check out the lurid report

A breeze folded the corner of the paper, hiding half the colu it impossible to read at my current intellectual-who-shouldn’t-care-for-sensationalist-reporting-but-no-one-has-to-know-I’m-actually-riveted distance

Pushing up lanced to either side of the empty pavement Empty, save the vendor, but he was tucked behind his stand scratching at his Sudoku Quickly, I sidled closer to the rickety red rack I lifted the flap of paper and scanned the first paragraph:

A man has been found dead in his apartment Police say he appears to have been dead for close to a week The body was discovered after neighbors co from the deceased’s near-starved cat

“Ya gotta be kiddin’!” the vendor chi in his racks under the safety of overhead balconies I lurched away fro “near-starved,” hadn’t yet started chewing on his owner

“Ya know it’s goin’ to rain,” he said, stretching a finger toward the thick gray clouds in the distance As if to e the papers and whistling through the gutter grates

“Better be on my way, then” If I hurried, I’d hter around the city’s pro

Maybe I’d be lucky

Readjusting the strap of themy essentials—laptop, pens, notebook—I hurried toward caes of the Post-Gazette

So that I wouldn’t let happen with Scribe this seot promoted to features editor

When I got promoted to features editor If I wanted the apprenticeship at my father’s firm, I had to prove I could hold an editorial position—for two consecutive years

I sed the lu in e, concrete block of hideousness that housed the azine

Just a few pathways stretched between nned the student politics coluraduate studies had finally accepted ive me my promotion—