"I'm in need of a hat," John remarked as he stepped out into the cold December morning. "And this rain, why must it constantly rain?"

Samantha had forgotten to turn off the radiator. "What did you say?" she yelled from within the house. "Nothing," John replied under his breath. "Nothing at all."

The rain, which had come and gone throughout the fall, was now a regular guest amongst the homes in this sleepy Houston suburb. With November came towering piles of leaves, sullen trees and yellowed grass; and with the new winter came a moist blast of frosty air, suffocating in its breadth. Trying to make sense of the monotone haze, John looked up at a bird sitting atop a power line.

"Do you think he is lost?" John asked. "What is with you?" Samantha replied. "Seems like your mind is always somewhere else these days. Come on, we have a class to get to."