Part one.

Have you ever noticed someone for the first time only by their absence. When I was a child I took the train to school. So by necessity I took the same route at the same time every day. Four o’clock has a rhythm, you know. You start off with a wave of your peers with bawdy jokes and general rambunctiousness. It gets quieter as time goes on. When you are eventually walking alone, in-between prosaic adolescent concerns, you notice your community. I remember one day when I noticed that I didn't see the grey-faced old man who I habitually acknowledged the existence of with a vague nod while he was walking his dog. Then I never saw him again. I never knew his name but I remember being certain that he was dead. He was my first brush with the reaper.

Next part here.