The sun was high and scorching on that particular Sunday afternoon, but Finian Relish, clad in dark green overalls and chinos, stomped down Old Mucury Road, his mood as heavy as his combat boots. He’d just had a spat with his sister, Odessa, and felt the familiar sting of injustice.

His father had sent him to Big Mac's, a chore usually reserved for Odessa. But she, with practiced ease, had faked menstrual pain, leaving Finian to begrudgingly take her place. He kicked a loose pebble, wishing he was anywhere but here, boiling in his absurdly warm attire.

Then, he saw it. Teetering precariously on the edge of a large grate, a dirt-chipped coin winked in the sunlight. His right sole slipped into a grate hole as he reached for it, almost toppling him over. He should have seen it as an omen. But Finian, in his current state, barely knew what an omen was.