The main theme, in a haunting D minor, always worked its charm upon the young man; soon he felt strangely nostalgic as he gazed outside of his dorm window, watching some stray wind-blown leaves pass him by and losing themselves again into the background. 
 
 

"The beauty of Summer Break" he muttered, slightly ironic, under his breath. He had three whole months to himself. Officially, summer had begun. 

But he was a stranger, in stranger land. 
 
 

The Old Country for Keith had not exactly been the warm home some of his friends thought it was, though he often missed those expeditions to the warm, white-walled cities near the beautiful blue sea. And even though he felt a strong desire to speak the tongue, most of his life in the Old country had been spent in Alban, where food was not considered a delicacy but instead more of a forcefully essential biological need. He could not find a satisfactory replacement for the 'Sokolátas' that his friend Mirra had prepared for him when he visited her home outside of The Old Country... Greezaria, on the Valkonic province... History said that from there had spawned most of civilization's heritage, and he had been willing to believe that, even though now it was only a shadow of its self, and there were no more temples, coliseums, or Philosophers. 
 
 

He stretched his legs and rubbed his sore ankles as he watched the line of cars rolling on their marry way to Spring Break. No, growing in Concordia had not been his image of a perfect childhood. His mother had been from the descendant of that dead -yet still vibrant- empire, and often played a distinctive guitar called 'Bozouki' (she always pronounced it 'Buzukia'). She had many customs, desires, whims and tastes that, in the cold custom of the Concordian way of life, were outlandish and not exactly in harmony with their emotionally repressed lifestyle. Thus Keith, whose second name was Anasthasios, felt always like a foreigner, more his mother's son than of his father. 
 
 

Others could not comprehend why he bothered to learn the language of his Mother's birth land. Why he preferred to dance and sing to the music composed by Theodocanis than to artificial instruments -though he often danced to them when he felt like it-... or even why in heaven's name he even bothered to learn the mythology of a long gone land. 
 
 

"That's for History Buffs, Beanie" Deanna, his annoying neighbor, would always tease him "How about we go and catch a movie, leave the ruins to the Acrophologists!" 

"That's Archeologists, Dede" 

"Whatever!" 
 
 

Still, Salmon H. hadn't been that bad when he moved. Sure, it had only been six months, but he rather liked the view -mountains, mountains, and more mountains-... that is, if you don't take into account that once in a while he ached to at least catch a glimpse of the sea. 

Why had he gone there in the first place? Probably because Kassandra had already been in Salmon Hat U. For a year and his inseparable cousin would certainly be a good help to learn his way around, a scheme that hadn't worked to its full potential, mainly because Kassandra Asthokatriotis was busy with her studies most of the time. 
 
 

I wonder if any of the guys are going somewhere.... 
 
 

With setting up his dorm room, fixing his VISA, and keeping up to his studies, Keith found out that he hadn't really put much attention into making acquaintances on campus. He thought that was strange, he wasn't exactly a party animal, but he never had any problems in reaching out to others.... 
 
 

Is work turning me into a hermit? This College business is... strange. 
 
 

He finished putting away the last of the books on his desk and contemplated the light blue edition of José Fabrecat's "Other Planes, Other Levels, Other Worlds: Structure of Spiritual life & the Critical Zone of Change to the New Era" and shook his head... no. As he shifted the pile of books he came upon "Life in the spiritual worlds" and "Incarnation, Discarnation and Reincarnation", but he put those away as well. For some reason he wasn't feeling like doing metaphysical research... what was wrong with him? He put aside "Fictions" by J.J. Borges, noticing that it didn't even spark his interest today. 
 
 

"What the hell is wrong?" he said aloud as he tried to fight down the oppressive Grey cloud hanging over him.  Strangely enough, he was starting to feel lonelier with every passing second, and every passing car that left through the doors of the University. 

"Atten-shun!" a female voice behind him boomed. 

Whirling around he came face to face with two bright eyes like amber framed by red glasses. Her mane was very long and unruly, curling in whirlwinds as if always in flight that made her look like some aerial elemental that had manifested upon this plane, a nice touch was the brown leather beret on top. Kassandra had midnight black fur that was glossy and very well kept, her muzzle was curled up in a warm smile as she entered her cousin's dormitory. 
 
 

She was wearing a brown leather jacket -as those worn by pilots-, a tan shirt and brown pants... even brown boots and a light tan scarf! Such was Kassandra's eccentricity, everyone in the University had learned to adapt to her mutating wardrobe, and even some of the female students were already imitating her wild randomness.  Not that she cared whether someone was paying attention or not, the only reason she would give for dressing like that was that "I felt like it". It always depended on her moods, and she expressed them rather artistically. 
 
 

"My, my, my, look at what the cat dragged in!" Keith chuckled "Hello Amelia Earcat" 

"Stop it, you teaser" she twirled, allowing her scarf to describe a wide curve "I'm only dressed like this because today Thanos gets his pilot's license. I want to be dressed for the occasion" Anasthasios -Keith's namesake- had been training to be a commercial pilot even before they had arrived at S. U., He was Kassandra's brother, his other cousin.

"Big day for your brother, isn't it?" 

Kassandra nodded and jumped on his bed -with boots and everything- "What were you mumbling about before I came in, oh dearly beloved cousin?" 

Keith forced a smile "Nothing, my equally beloved but strangely annoying and even more curious cousin" 
 
 

Kassandra turned around to lie facedown and propped herself up on her elbows, chin resting on her silky paws "You can't fool me, Keith... I've known you since you were two, I know there is a bee in your bonnet bugging you, oh my dearly beloved musically inclined and obviously preoccupied cousin." 

Keith dropped the smile - it had felt fake even before it had been born - and nodded "Alright, yes, something's wrong" 

His impish cousin perked her ears "what would that be? College too hard? People too nasty?" 

He sighed "No, it's not that... the people here seem ok - at least what I can see of them..." 

"You don't have any friends?" Kassandra exclaimed, her eyes adopting an amused expression. 

"Um..." he was clearly embarrassed "... everybody around here goes to fast for that" 

"Explain!" she started munching on a box of caramels Keith had put on the bed. 

"... It's like they don't have time to pause... do you know what I mean? It's like their tails are constantly on fire!  Always busy, busy, and busy! I can't understand why they haven't busted an ulcer yet... what is the fun in doing everything at light speed if you don't have time to enjoy it?" 

Kassandra smiled benevolently and reached out to fuzzle her cousin's headfur. "Little one, you don't understand how the College world works--" 

"I don't understand how YOUR world works, period!" he said, displaying a sudden burst of foul humor as he turned around to rest once again on the windowsill. The afternoon sunrays enveloped him in a game of shadows. 

"Keith... here everyone strives to do everything faster and better. That's the way the world is, how everything is done... go too slow, and nobody hires you." 

Keith's piercing eyes - how much soul they had! - Fixed on hers for a moment "you should be ashamed of that comment, Kassandra Alexandra Asthokatriotis Helenos!" his voice was not angry, but tinged with some sense of sadness "You, who grew up among the masterpieces of our ancestors! You who know the History of who our people were, and HOW did they become that!" he leaned his sleek frame against the window "We come from a race of philosophers, of artists, of mucisians, we KNOW that the best in this world took time to build." He pointed at the collection of Johan Sebasset Bach CDs he had on his night table "What would it have been like if HE - and you know that he's practically the Zeus of music- had just wanted to finish his Mass in B minor as soon as possible? One of the most colossal works in history took over twenty years of his life, Kassandra! And Baskoven's "Ode to Joy" took him all his life right from his childhood to old age! You people are all wrong!" 

Kassandra sighed but did not stop smiling as she sat next to her cousin in the dimming light of the sun "Keith... you are an artist... why are you here?" 

A shadow passed between Keith and Kassandra. Whatever thoughts assaulted him in the privacy of his mind were secret to her. As faint as the summer breeze, she heard him whisper "I don't know. Maybe to taste what freedom feels like" 

Kassandra smiled a little as she saw Keith's wood Alto Recorder resting on his desk "do you still play it?" 

"With some skill, yes.... College has kept me away from her for too long" he picked up the instrument and started assembling its three sections together. 

Just as he took the beautiful woodcraft to his lips, Kassandra interrupted him. 

"Do you know Scout?" 

Keith was puzzled by the sudden turn of the conversation "um.... I have seen him around, not really spoken to him, we're not exactly on the same classes. Plus, I'm a freshman, he's been here three years." He tilted his head with a mischievous glint from his eyes " a friend of yours, my equally beloved but strangely annoying, curious and gear-shifting cousin?" he started, picking up the game again. 

She grinned "I wish, oh my dearly beloved musically inclined and obviously preoccupied -and very, very curious-cousin!" she crossed her legs Indian-style "Are you interested in a vacation in a wild land?" 

The young cat's ears twitched... every time Kassandra had used the term 'wild', it usually involved something where he by some strange force ended up as the laughingstock of the world -such were her crazy ideas that had a tendency to backfire. 

"... I might be... my equally beloved but strangely annoying, curious, gear-shifting and frighteningly scheming cousin. What idea has crawled into that monster brain of yours that demands my immediate punishment?" He tried not to grin too much. 

"Imagine this... a tropical land! Flowers! Lakes! Trees! No civilization for miles! A friendly resort, and going 'au natural!'" 

Keith brought his paws up "whoa, stop there you crazy Greecian, you are turning into one of those cheap announcers on the tube" he blinked "did you just say 'going au natural?" 

She nodded enthusiastically. 

"I -hope- this idea of yours isn't like the other one about the beach were you supposedly could go 'au natural'?" 

She would have blushed if her fur color had not been midnight black "How would I know it was just Thanos pulling my leg?" 

"Precisely... well, tell me about this new wonderfully frightening spark of genius" 

"Well..." Alexandra began, she adopted her storytelling pose, which usually consisted in interwoven fingers where her chin rested "... The other day I was sitting at my booth at the cafeteria, and guess who walked in?" 

"Scout" 

She pouted "how did you know?" 

"Because of the way you smuggled him into the conversation, go on, 'Lexa, I'm all ears" 

"Well..." she continued "... and he came in with two other guys... you know who I'm talking about, one of them was his paramour... I think the other one was-... well, never mind who he was, they started talking about this wonderful-" 

"Alexandra!" the young cat blinked, looking at her "my god...did you eavesdrop on their conversation?" 

"Me? Eavesdrop? Perish the thought! I was... listening to my surroundings and the conversation was part of it!" 

"Amazing how you can pick out just one voice over the roar of a crowd, ain't it?"  "Amazing thing, the hearing apparatus" she conceded 

"It's an interesting topic to bring up in a conversation" 

"As in 'by the way, did you know you can hear out one voice out of a million with your ear? Keen, isn't it?' " 

"Probably spices up parties" 

"Should write a book about it" 

"I reckon you should" 

"yup" 

"you probably have a manuscript of it already on revision" 

"Mostly scribbles here and there" 

Keith rolled his eyes "Ok, OK for heaven's sakes... what were they talking about?" 

The young girl grinned "Well, Scout Mcintyger was talking about this great time they had while at this resort.  Keith, it's lovely, it really sounds like just the thing to lighten you up-" 

"Kass, the story please?" 

"Oh yes... right, well there was sort of a voting down and the idea came up that they should give the place a visit this Summer and....and...." she looked anxious "I think that this leaflet should tell you all about it!" she took something out from her pocket, a crumpled pamphlet, and tossed it over to Keith. 

"Cousin, where did you get this?" He picket it up by its corners carefully, you never knew what you'd find in Kassandra's pockets. 

"Looked it up as soon as they left, turns out there's a travel company that has them way back in the add line" 

Keith finally managed to untangle the wrinkled mess that was the paper, and was rewarded with something that looked rather similar to a silhouette and some water background, but he couldn't be sure, the photography apparently had come out defective and could only be hinted. "You're as tight fisted as always, aren't you? Let me guess... they gave this to you for free because it was a print error." He chuckled and found out he could read the sidebar. 

Have you ever sunned your fur on a tropical beach? Slept in the arms of a rainforest tree... 

Keith read it for a few minutes, Kassandra could barely contain her impatience. 

More minutes passed, and she could feel his deep eyes following the outline of the couple half-suggested there through the horrible ink leakage that had caused the discard of the leaflet. Why was he taking so long? Was all she could ask herself as she waited in silence for results. 

Why am I taking so long? He heard himself ask over and over again inside. He knew this could only amount to trouble... heck, the suggestive nature of the resort hinted it was nothing better than a brothel. 

Nonsense, another part of him whispered, rebellious against his opposition. 

The sun had gone further down the sky and was now a flaming globe of swirling gold when he put the leaflet down. 

Maybe he was going against all common sense, maybe he was getting into something he would regret later. 

This is not you speaking, this is your father speaking for god's sake, Cat!. 

But then again... 

Carpe Diem. 

Why was he so afraid? 

I am afraid to live. 

That could not be. He had lived all his life, he was pretty sure of it... that's not something you stop doing and then pick up again. 

Really? When Have you ever picked up your bearings and walked out of the door, not knowing where you're going, not knowing when you'll come back? 

Never. 

His fingers traced the creased surface as all memory of his cousin's impatience vanished from him. All his life he had lived in a shelter, after... after that incident, he made sure that he would never have to live again. 

That's what I did, didn't I? 

Yes, he did. 

I have known this all along. Can I live with this? 

No, he could not. He knew, deep inside, that if he did not take this one chance to embrace the unexpected, the unplanned, he would never again dare to come out of the shell of a safely programmed existence. He would stop living life and would start living a lie, a dream. 

He had to do this. 

The sky was a golden sheet behind the crimson-colored trees when Keith finally looked up at Kassandra. With a slow, deliberate breath, he looked at the relative who probably knew his heart better than he did himself. 

You knew it didn't you? 

She answered with an expectant smile. Yes, she knew... she knew it all along ever since that evening years ago, when Keith stopped being Keith to everyone and shelled up to everyone. 

Everyone except her, that is. 

He did not know if the walls he had built could be torn down again, he wasn't even sure that there was anything left to be salvaged. 

But still.... 

Carpe Diem. 

"Well" he sighed, "When do we leave?" 

From his window, he could swear he heard a tiny chuckle coming from the room, but he was not sure because Kassandra chose to giggle at that very moment. 

Preparations were done, tickets were bought and suitcases were packed. 

And so it was that four days later, as Keith and Kassandra climbed up the stairway to board the plane, Keith heard another slight chuckle, like a tiny bell ringing, somewhere around him, but he could not find its  ource. 

All his worries melted away as he closed his eyes upon liftoff. Though there remained the memory of that Argentinean, silvery voice giggling merrily. 

                                     ~ End of Introduction ~