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January 8, 2008

Tuesday

You've been away for a very long time.

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David: The Unpleasant Truth

It’d been fifteen years since I’d set foot on campus. Finally coming back to complete my doctorate filled me with excitement and dread. What if I couldn’t think like that anymore? What if my brain had calcified over those years in industry, rendering me incapable of learning anything new? What if my research project failed?

Warily, I set one foot in front of the other and entered the quad. Children were throwing Frisbees and lying in the sun, staving off skin cancer by sheer force of youth. I didn’t belong here.

Damn those fools at the Institute for being right.

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Ted: Dusty Noon

On State Road 441, a few miles south of Enterprise, Lee looked for the overgrown red-clay road.

He hadn't been home in more than twenty years, so wasn't rightly sure of the landmarks. He almost walked past his turn; it was much smaller than he thought it should have been.

"Who dat?" called his mother from under the dubious shade of the rusted tin roof.

"It's me, Momma. Lee."

"You see de wurl like you wanted?"

"Yes'm."

"Wha chu tink about it?"

"Beats this place all to hell."

"Better git back to it. den."

"Yes'm" he said, and turned around.

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