Gen1: Prologue

Do you ever have one of those days where anything that can go wrong, does? Maybe it's that huge event you've been planning for months- the party that's supposed to get you the promotion or the wedding of your dreams, and even after all of your hard work it seems to blow up in your face. Maybe it's not just one big event, but several small ones. You wake up late, burn your toast, miss your cab, and like a domino effect the rest of the day just comes crashing down before your eyes. Nothing you do comes out right, no matter how hard you try.

That's the story of my life, pretty much.

My name is Murphy Murphey.

This is me:

Not a bad lookin' guy, eh? Full head of gorgeous hair, beautiful eyes (for the ladies to get lost in), and adorable freckles for the cute factor. Not to mention pretty good fashion sense, for a man.

That is the face of a man who should be able to go places in life. There is someone who should succeed at what he wants, someone who should be able to reach for the stars and rip the moon right out of the sky.

Unfortunately for that guy, for me, Fate disagrees.

I probably sound like a walking cliche. The typical tragic past and happily ever after. I'd like to think I'm a bit more complex than that. Yeah, I might be a loser with a terrible streak of luck, but I'm also pretty amazing with music and if you put me in front of a stove I'll make your taste buds sing.

While I might occasionally trip and fall, I do brush myself off and keep a smile on my face. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I do the best I can with the cards I'm dealt.

Even if, sometimes, those cards aren't very good.

It's not all bad. When I was born, I didn't grow up in a broken home- so, points for me there. I had both my parents and no accidental, tragic deaths in the family. I wasn't one of a billion siblings, and I wasn't totally alone.

Life was nice. While it lasted, that is. Of course, if something can go wrong...

Before I can even remember, I was dropped off at the local Orphanage, never knowing the happy couple who couldn't bother to keep me. I only know of them, and their happiness, from the Social Worker who took me from their hands and watched them wave goodbye. It was probably for the best.

Yeah, I like to be optimistic. It helps.

As you can probably imagine, I spent most of my life at that Orphanage. I watched other kids move in and out, but not me. I guess I wasn't that lucky, but it was kind of nice. I had tons of friends, and we played a mean game of kicky ball on the bright sunny days.

Plus, I got to help out in the kitchen a lot, which is where I felt the first pulls of my Natural Cooking trait. If there's one place I do manage to get lucky, it's in the Kitchen!

Anyway, time passed, and quite a bit of it, and before I knew it I was a young adult ready to experience the world on my own.

I packed my bags, telling myself that it was the natural course of life for kids to grow up and leave home. It was hard. I didn't want to leave, but I didn't want to admit it, either.

I was almost out the door when the Social Worker from many years ago pulled me aside.

“Murphy, I have something for you.” Her voice, much like her face, had aged in the many years I spent under her roof.

“It's from your parents.” She continued, thrusting a crisp white envelope out at me.

I put my bags down and took the envelope from her, gently tearing it open as to not damage the contents.

Inside was a piece of paper, and several bills.

“What is this?” I asked, staring at my hands.

“A plot of land, and some money, to get you started.” She gave me a warm smile. “We're going to miss you, Murphy!”

And then she pulled me into a huge hug, her frail arms wrapped tight around me.

As quickly as I had come, it seemed, I was gone.