Prologue
Under the soft sunlight of the fading day, a lone figure moves among the marble monuments. A large red maple tree casts a broken shade over the gravel path. His footsteps crunch in the well-manicured walkway. He attempts to navigate the path to the right stone. His green Camp Walden baseball cap, t-shirt and shorts stand out at the graveyard.
He studies the ground below, cautiously, almost afraid to find what he searches for. Head bowed, he remains still, at one with the slow autumn afternoon. He reaches into his shorts pocket, produces a small, smooth stone and places it on the corner of the tombstone. There are other faded bouquets and stones nearby and a small well-folded but worn, Walden sweatshirt. He quietly chants a small prayer, takes a long, slow breath and walks out from under the canopy of shade trees.
