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Chapter One — A New Path Forms (CONTENT WARNINGS: Bad Language, Sexual Innuendos, Panic Attacks, Discussions of Mental Health, Blood)
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? An age old question that philosophers have debated for centuries, and one question we may never find the answer to. Aristotelianism believes that life has an objective meaning, and that meaning is to be a good person, whilst Hedonism believes that life has subjective meaning, and that meaning is to have pleasure.
It was also a question Percy Cooper thought of daily, his first rising thought as he would wake up. What is the meaning of my life? What can I do today to make my life have meaning? Percy found himself usually following the Aristotleianism and Modern Humanism way of life, doing the most he could to help others around him.
He looked after his mother the best he could, which he'd done since his father had been arrested and sent to prison, and had only stopped when she'd moved into a nursing home not long before he'd started university. He still made an effort to see her at least once a week, still having an innate urge to protect her, to be her protector, her 'little hero' as he'd been once before.
He guest lectured at local universities evey so often, mostly at his former university and the ones in the city. It helped pay bills at least, and he enjoyed sharing his knowledge and thoughts with others. However, it still didn't give him that feeling of fulfilment, that he found his meaning in life, not even travelling the world, 'soul-searching'.
No matter what he did, he still felt like an empty vessel.
Taking up the job at Greenridge Animal Welfare Services, had definitely been a step out of his comfort zone; he'd never been allowed to have a pet growing up, and most of what he knew about animals was from books he'd read. He had a range of tasks, from interacting with both the shelter pets, as well as members of the public, giving information about adopting and caring for animals. He also found that working with the animals calmed down the thrumming in his chest that he always had, so really it was a win-win situation.
Percy was on the late shift, flitting in between the holding room and reception. It was close to finishing time, and Percy was making sure the animals had enough food and drink for the night. One of his coworkers, Debra came into the holding room with a small pet carrier.
"A little bat," she grinned bemusedly, answering the question on his lips, and Percy moved to help her put the unconscious animal into a cage. Poor thing, Percy thought. Despite working here for a few years now, he never understood people who inflicted harm on others and animals. She pulled out her phone and showed him a picture. "Doesn't he look like a little British man?"
The bat in question looked very much a little British and it was slightly disconcerting. "You know what, he does." His scanned the rest of the picture. "...Oh my god, the bat is erect. I can't unsee it."
