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an excerpt

My name is Experience. This does not mean I have any more experience in any situation than the average person. This is a common misconception I feel compelled to clarify from the outset. Experience is defined as “the direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge.” I have some experience, but I in no way would define myself as experienced. In fact, I would much rather be called Ex, but unfortunately I need to explain my entire name to avoid people referring to me as X, which might be an intriguing name for a 20th century superhero, but not at all fitting for me.

But, this really is trivial, because this story is not about me. It’s about all of us. We’re a ragtag family of misfits who somehow got lost and found each other. I was the first one, I suppose, but it really doesn’t count until I met Japheth. To say we started off on the right foot would be a complete bold-faced lie.

When Ex suggested writing down our story, I laughed. I don’t understand what the point of recording things. It just gets destroyed eventually anyway. Sure, maybe it lasts for a hundred or a thousand years, but eventually, no matter how carefully you preserve it, someone wants to take it away. Remember the Louvre? All it takes is one crazy person bent on destruction. One night and thousands of years of human memory destroyed.

Let’s start at the middle, and if the beginning has any opinion on this, it can rear its ugly head later on.