That's So Wizard

Chapter 1 - A Wizard Did It

Everyone always told young Kevin O'Brien, several times over, that each and every person is unique and that life is special. That confused him. Day in and day out, all those around him had the same routine. Their lives seemed dull to him, and he was no escapee from this repetitive prison. He got up, ate breakfast, left for school, tried to pay attention, and eventually found his way to sleep, only to do it all again the next day.

It was shortly after sunset one evening when Kevin was on his way home from campus. There he studied various things such as writing, mathematics, and breasts-as any student may. No part of his mind could decide what he wanted to do with his life. How could he choose, when any option would continue himself down a path of endless monotony? That's what it felt like, anyway.

The only light came coldly from the nearly full moon above his head. Street lights hummed a faded orange, though many of them hardly functioned at all, and a few were darker than the hearts of the city officials who ignored them.

What might as well have been another source of light was his pale ginger complexion beneath hair the colour of discarded orange peels.

He whipped his hair back and forth as his paranoid gaze continuously searched for trouble, though the streets of Grande Prairie, Alberta were deserted. As any Albertan knows, when the first nip of winter comes, it's time for the lands to be only rivalled by the Arctic in terms of frigidness. Everyone was snug in their homes, but it didn't matter to Kevin anyhow. The temperature hardly slowed down his trot.

It was roughly at the half-way point of his walk when he nearly bumped into a group of three burly men. He had been lost completely in his own mind, so he apologized immediately.

"Ya better be careful," grunted the tallest and thickest man. The top of his head was as barren as the moon above them.

"Yeah. Hehe," uttered the second and snickered in a creepy manner. His hair was stringy and long, and he never seemed to be without a putrid yet excited grin drawn across his face. The type of body he had would best be compared to a water noodle.

The third said nothing at all. The tall mohawk on his head nearly made up for his short stature. His face was blank, and expressionless, and his eyes simply stared forwards like a house cat ready to pounce on any of the several items one has in their household that they would definitely not want to get pounced on.

"I really am sorry. Please, just let me go. I don't want any trouble," Kevin stuttered.

"No trouble, eh?" snorted the largest thug. "Then ya wouldn't mind handin' over that backpack ya got there."

The boy gasped as he squeezed the straps of his backpack, filled rather heavily with various school gubbins. It was likely not made with the most skillful hands before he purchased it, but even as they spoke it was covered in patches, and there was a picture on the back of a popular copyright-protected cartoon character.

"Please, no," he trailed off, darting his eyes back and forth for some way to escape the situation.

"Then we'll take it from ya," he said with a grin.

"Hehe. Yeah! Take it from you," added the man beside him. The third remained quiet still, though the fire behind his eyes was menacing as the rest.

Hands reached towards poor Kevin. He started to stumble backwards, and landed painfully on his rear end. Panic started to set in as he heavily breathed, and nearly screamed before something odd caught his eye.

The thugs must have noticed it as well, as their attention suddenly changed to the grass beside the sidewalk they stood on.

It was a door. Not any special kind of door, but a simple mahogany door. It wasn't at all a bad looking door either. Anyone would be proud to have one in their home, but this was nobody's home. It stood where they all swear it didn't before.