He slowly got up, brushing the dust off his shirt and frowned. Parker was apparently at a park in this current time, named Shields National Park, if he remembered correctly. He could also remember a vague image of some idiot pushing him off a cliff and then seeing some sort of thing? 

A beast with so much arms he couldn't count. Also, the thing had said something about Europe? No, it was Elysium, something about that. Parker couldn't remember and he didn't really care. Of course it was weird that he survived a fall that high but all that mattered was that he was alive. Life had failed to kill him and he was satisfied. He didn't seem to have a hair touched on his body other than the sandy brown stains on his dirtied clothes.

He glanced at the rocky ledge and groaned despondently, this was gonna be harder than expected. He slowly mounted his, surprisingly not at all sore, foot onto the rocks and began climbing like an expert rock climber, slowly lifting his feet from one ledge to a crack. He felt a bit strange, and empty as he climbed higher and higher, his face growing stonier than usual, chest feeling tight but at the same time, empty. 

Parker felt a strong pang of anger in his chest when he saw a high rocky ledge that he would have to pull himself onto. He was just generally pissed at the place because he was thirsty and felt dead inside, he had almost just died after all. The canyon was dry and rocky and the day was slowly getting darker, and Parker did not want to stay to dusk. There had been some pretty scary rumours about the animals that came out after dark.

He had almost no doubt that his mother had gone home, she was an alcoholic and despite having wanted to be a good mother, she simply didn't care anymore, a bit crazy and definitely mentally injured, she was babbly and dressed in vulgar fashions, not that Parker cared of his clothing, he liked to wear a simple black t-shirt and some old jeans that had greyed a bit over the years. But he was worried for his mother and angry at her for not properly raising him, he had fled to his uncles' many times because of her violence.

"Mom?"

Parker was a bit desperate and clung on to the tiny strand of hope in his heart that he would hear a reply from his mother, but to his disappointment, nothing. Only a few feet before the top, he sighed depressively, knowing that his mother had probably went to another one of those bars and got herself drunk while snorting cocaine or some other shit.

It was in these kind of times that he most wished his mom had never remarried and got introduced to cigarettes and drugs by his asshole stepfather, who was addicted as well. Now she was addicted and would do almost anything just to get a cigar or two. She already had schizophrenia and was not mentally stable and now this. 

Sighing heavily, Parker heaved himself up onto the top. Brushing his shirt off once more, he strolled casually to a park ranger.

"Hello, did you see a woman here earlier?" He said casually in a bit of a monotone.

The park ranger, who was probably having a bad day, either that or she was naturally cranky replied snottily, "I've seen more than hundreds of women here today, please be a little more specific." She snorted, as if she were superior to Parker and he turned red, obviously annoyed and angry. 

"Brunette with yellow highlights, glasses, green eyes, dressed in brown and red jeans and a yellow blouse with pink tie-dye, and a wild look in her eyes, now have you seen someone like that?" He was the one snapping now.

The park ranger flipped her hair and was just about to reply, probably sarcastically, but he cut her off, "And give me some useful information?"

She rolled her eyes expectantly and snapped, "If that crazy woman who pushed that boy off the cliff is who you're looking for, she was just taken by the police, for whatever that strange shit was, and apparently she was smoking weed when there's literally a sign that says 'no smoking', what a crazy bitch, what do you even want from her?"

Parker knew he shouldn't reply and felt very angry towards his mother and he had that stony feeling again, this time stronger. 

"That's none of your business." He growled almost, expressing great annoyance and the park ranger just held up her hands in an 'I give up' motion. She honestly didn't want to know anyway.

Parker pushed her away rudely and strolled along the so-called beautiful scenery, it was really just a glorified desert with some trees and bushes with the occasional kangaroo rat. 

Sighing heavily, in sadness and anger, he walked quicker. It was almost dark and the park closed at dusk, he would have to board that smelly bus to go back home, though he didn't even consider it home anymore. Where his family was, where his home was not, it was a little phrase he used to spite his stepfather. 

After exiting the park, Parker grew tired, he waited at the bus-stop for 30 minutes or so and grew impatient, where did it go anyway? He walked around in circles, all his worry and doubt bottled up inside his chest, he was depressed and felt like he was standing in Nova Scotia, Minnesota, even though he lived in the dry and hot Arizona. It was honestly hopeless to him and he was so tired of all the trouble he was going through.

He had no idea why he felt so obliged to board the bus and as he seated himself onto the convenient, but overly dirty bench and after an hour of tucking his worries into bed he lolled into a worrisome sleep.

Ugh

Parker saw the beast again, the many handed devil that looked so scary and demonic, he would have screamed but he felt too empty inside. It paced in circles, as if trying to formulate a plan.

It seemed that the creature did not know that Parker was dreaming about him and Parker had a hunch this dream was very much real. 

First he punished me for sleeping on the job and  now that the Gates of Elysium have been destroyed he's gonna execute me? He was the one who smote it anyway. This is so damn unfair.

The creature was now ranting, it felt unfair to Parker too, that it would be executed, but what he was really focused on was that he had said those gates of Europe, or was it Elysium? It felt suddenly unsettling to him that he survived the fall and questioned that maybe those gates had something to do with it. 

Of course it was also unknown to Parker that the creature knew Parker was watching, and had simply tried to convey all information to him. Nobody, no matter how weird would talk to themselves like that, even in dreams. 

After what seemed like maybe hours of the handy demon ranting about the fall of Elysium and some sort of big food fight in Olympisce and protests and democratic policy and blah blah, he was jolted awake by the loud sound of a bus.

It had finally arrived!

Relieved and impatient, Parker stood up from the bench, tired and fatigued despite his sleep. He could not see a bus anywhere so he strolled onto the street, hoping for a glimpse of green and blue.

And that's when he got hit by a bus.