Prologue: The Awakening

Kelly's Diner sat on the outskirts of the city, a rest stop or a last chance to get a meal before heading off into destinations unknown. It was a relic from the past, erected during the 1950's and had managed to survive the radical changes as the city grew in the distance.

It had changed hands many times but never its style and that's maybe why the woman liked coming here every so often. She pulled into a parking spot in front of the diner and stepped out into the crisp morning air.

The waitress was sitting on the edge of the counter taking a sip from her coffee when the woman entered. The waitress straightened up from the stool and placed her coffee down.

"Good morning," the waitress said. 

The woman nodded and said, "Indeed it is." The woman was athletic, somewhere between her late twenties and early thirties, wearing torn jeans and a tank top. Her posture was straight but  not arrogant. She stood at the door and glanced around and decided to take a seat near the back.

"Do you want coffee?" the waitress asked.

"Yes please," the woman said. She stopped and turned to face the waitress. "Has there been a gentleman here? About 6'1. Sandy blonde hair?"


The waitress shook her head no. She hadn't seen anyone fitting that description at all during her shift. 

"Good. Finally, I'm early for a change," she said with a smile as she slid into the back booth. 

The waitress walked to the table and automatically took out a pad and her pen, as well as a menu. She placed it down in front of the woman.

"What'll it be this fine morning?" the waitress asked.

"I really don't know what I am in the mood for this morning," the woman said. Then after a momentary scan of the menu she added. "I'll have Kelly's Special."

The waitress jotted it down on the pad and took the menu.

The woman was in the middle of her breakfast when the man finally arrived. She could see his car pull in right beside hers and he got out. She could see him standing there scanning inside the diner and a smile spread across his face like a morning dew.

"Morning Maggie," Max said as he entered the diner. "I see you couldn't wait."

"Well, you took forever getting here," she replied. "I was going to waste away into nothingness shortly."

Max let out a chuckle as he slid into the booth. They reached over the table and stole a quick kiss from each other. Like a young couple much in love.

"The last shift was quite the change," Maggie said. "It took me a little while to find you and the gang."

"I'm glad you did," he replied. "I don't think I could take another week of washing dishes."

Max had been a dishwasher at a restaurant; he had managed to find work after waking up under a picnic table in a park surrounded by children a few months ago. He hadn't known who he was and where he was; and he had this feeling in the back of his mind that there was something going on. 

He had wandered about, a man with no history, no past, roaming to familiar landscapes but remembering nothing of value. He had known that he had some skills but he hadn't known what to do.

Max had found a part-time job and had been getting by on that when he had received a phone call; he had answered the phone and the voice had told him to "Awake". 

It had been Maggie and she had triggered his memories.

"And we have a lot of stories to tell."