found a crumpled piece of paper outside a laundromat... just a single pack of yellow birthday candles and a pack of dark blue socks paid in exact cash at 11:42 pm on a tuesday. no cake, no card. just light for a flame that lasts five minutes and something to keep warm. who was celbrating alone in the dark or was it a quiet ritual before leaving town forever. paper decays so fast but this little footprint remains.