Brian had flown from Paris over the Ligurian Sea to the West Coast of Italy. From there, he took a train to Pisa, where he spent a few hours. Immediately, Brian was swept away by the beauty of the mountainous terrain that encircled this little town, seemingly isolated from the rest of the world. Then he walked through the city center, noticing the people, goods for sale, architecture, and landscapes. The first thing Brian noticed was that people in Pisa were mostly tourists from all over the world. This place would not be good for studying people or culture, Brian reasoned, as the population consisted primarily of transients.

Brian casually toured the town, soaking in as much beauty as possible in such a short visit. He walked past a magnificent church, one that was brilliantly conceived and beautifully built. After passing that church, he stood before the Leaning Tower of Pisa. What a site that was. The whole tower leaned like it wanted to fall over, but remained standing—despite people climbing up to the top and standing on the edge to look down. Brian crossed the quad and walked into the entrance of this most unusual building. He saw a lot of people, some Indian, some German, some Chinese, and some British people. Once inside, he began climbing the marble stairs. The stairs followed the cylindrical shape of the building, winding all the way up to the top. But, since the building was tilted to one side, visitors had the eerie feeling of wanting to fall down the center of the building at certain points during the climb. Kids loved it but parents were afraid.

When reaching the top, Brian saw a great big bell, and he fashioned that it was a liberty bell to ring the sound of freedom to citizens. Although it was not a liberty bell, it was stately, sitting at the top of this tower. Then Brian turned his sights from inside to outside.

"Wow!" Brian declared, "What an awesome view."

Some Chinese people were at the top with him, but they did not understand what he said. The children were actively looking around the top of the tower while the parents were gazing out into the distance.

Brian loved the view. Standing on the top of the open tower, he was able to observe the town and surrounding landscape all the way around the top of the tower. The view truly was spectacular. The way the beautiful blue-and-orange sky met the majestic bronze mountains was breathtaking. And those mountains surrounded the entire town, creating a natural fortress comprising not ugly walls but enormous mountains. Brian absorbed the scene, thinking about what he should do next. He realized that Florence was the place to be to study culture, people, and history. After awhile, he descended down the staircase of that tilted building and exited across the grass quad. He got on the train and headed for Florence.

Along the way, he noticed the open countryside, populated not with people but with olive trees and mountains. He met some nice people on the train, and speaking Italian, he was able to find out some key information about his destination. While on the train, Brian met a young man and woman, probably in their early twenties. He noticed a healthy glow emanating from them, a wholesome happiness just being alive. They were open, honest, friendly, and willing to help. When the train arrived at the Florence station, Brian said goodbye to his friends, wishing them a good life. He exited the train.

"Florence is so much different than New York," was the first thought that went through Brian’s mind. The city looked as if time had stood still for 500 years—like a person had just stepped out of a time machine. He walked along the train station and noticed the hustle of people moving about the streets in this most interesting place. He stepped out onto the brick-paved streets and began moving with the crowd. Within minutes, he disappeared into the crowd like he was an integral part of the culture.

Brian would leave his apartment early in the morning, before anyone else even got up. He would tour the town, looking at the magnificent renaissance art, architecture, and landscapes. He quickly noticed how that city was filled with riches—treasures preserved from the destruction of wars and plunderers. Fabulous statues abound, along with marvelous paintings, mind-boggling architecture, and superb landscaping spanning acres with vistas spanning miles.

During the early part of the day, Brian would interact with the local people, engaging in light conversation. He observed how people lived, worked, and interacted among each other. Later in the day, Brian would climb to the top of an old fortress that undoubtedly was a lookout tower to protect this city of riches. Sitting on a stone wall, Brian would open his journal and warm up with some sketches of the countryside. Then he would sketch some passersby. Finally, he began writing notes in his journal. He recorded his observations about life in this old city, how the people were, and some of the things that he had done that day.

A pattern began to emerge in the notes he wrote while in Spain, France, and Italy. He noticed that, in most cases, the younger a person was the happier he or she was. And he noticed that the older a person was, the more grave, unfriendly, and unhappy he or she was, in most cases. That was a bit strange, as he did not know why this was the case.

Upon leaving Italy, Brian flew to England. He arrived in London after taking a long train ride across the countryside from the airport. Once in London, Brian put his belongings in a hotel room and took a stroll through the city. He quickly noticed that this city was far different than Florence, New York, or anywhere else Brian had ever been. It was rich in history, grandeur, and stateliness. This place called London was once the de facto center of the world, a major power center that still influences world trends. He knew he could learn a lot by studying the people and culture here.

Brian began to interact with English people. Although he spoke the same language, he was surprised to discover that he had a hard time understanding them because of their accent that Brian was not familiar with. Nevertheless, he met many good people who were willing to help him out and answer questions.

He visited pubs, colleges, libraries, stores, parks, and restaurants. He observed and talked with all kinds of people: English, Irish, Scottish, African, Indian, German, Italian, Spanish, and American people. He noticed their demeanor, level of happiness, general outlook on life, character, skills, and talents. Brian also noticed their environment: the buildings, gardens, paths, roads, fences, walls, countryside, weather, and institutions such as police, banking, and public market establishments.

He would spend several hours a day interacting with townspeople. He also visited famous landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. He took the subway, rode the train, walked the streets, and drove around London. He and his friends he met there would sometimes sit on a public bench or at an outdoor table and just observe the people. He watched how they conducted themselves and their lives. All of this was a tremendously valuable learning experience for young Brian.

After observing and interacting with people during the day, Brian would go off into the countryside where he could be alone to think about and digest all the new information he absorbed. Usually he would walk along the Thames River in an open pasture populated only with some cows, ducks, and a few other wild game. He would find a log or large rock to sit on and then open his journal and let the contents of his mind pour out on the pages. Sometimes this was just in the form of sketches; but most often it was in the form of notes, comments, and thoughts about what he observed.

There were some neat sketches and observations he recorded in his journal. For example, Brian sketched some of the walls that ran through the city, drawing the iron spikes that stuck out on the top of the walls and the barbed wire coiled over the edge of the walls—all to keep out "barbarians". In fact, history was written all over the city of London. Brian noted that some existing buildings were built as far back as the thirteenth century, an era when barbarians would overrun town centers. So, townspeople had to build massive walls and fortresses to keep out the savages. Some of these structures were preserved artifacts revealing that brute savagery existed only five centuries ago. Alongside the sketches of these walls, bastions, iron spikes, and castle fortresses, Brian added some notes. One of his journal entries read:

____________________

After completing his studies in England, Brian flew to Canada. He wanted to stay in Toronto for a few days to organize his notes. Then he would spend some time at Niagara Falls before going to Hawaii to meet Alex and Adrienne.

Brian was looking through his notes, trying to make some sense of it all. He had a suspicion that there was some sort of overall pattern or theme to what he observed during the last four months. But exactly what it was eluded him. He was at a loss, even though he was diligently combing through his notes for the answer.

The blue sky was being overtaken by darkness, a clear, benevolent darkness marked by glittering stars. His hotel room grew dark and Brian had to get up to turn on another light. He walked over to the window and looked out. He saw the city transforming from masses of buildings to masses of lights. He thought a bit more about his studies in Europe and then looked at his watch. The time was 9:00 pm. It was time for him to eat, and since he was getting nowhere with his studies, he decided to go into the town and get some dinner.

He rode the elevator down to the lobby, and walked outside. The weather was cool, the sky black, and the atmosphere calm. He walked a few blocks to a restaurant and entered. The place was fairly busy, but he got a booth and ordered dinner. After he finished, he asked the waitress where he could find a good place to go on a Friday night. She recommended a local nightclub near Brian’s hotel. On his way back to the hotel, he stopped in the nightclub.

Music was booming, lights were flashing, and smoke was pouring from the floor. At first sight it all looked like chaos. Brian entered cautiously. A man at the door looked over Brian and told him the cost was $10.00 to enter. Brian paid the big man and vanished into the darkness, smoke, and music.

Everyone there was well dressed. The women were sexy; the men were handsome. The place was an upscale club apparently filled with high-quality people. Brian stood near the edge of the dance floor observing the people, dance floor, dancers, large windows, and tall ceiling. He saw some incredibly attractive waitresses come and go by him. Then he turned around and headed toward the bar.

"Give me a cranberry juice, please," said Brian to the bartender.

"That’ll be $2.50," replied the bartender.

"Here," said Brian as he handed him a five dollar bill.

Brian sat down at the bar for a few minutes with a drink in his hand and his studies on his mind. He was looking at a TV screen on the wall over the bar, but his mind was reviewing all that he observed in Europe. "There’s got to be a common denominator somewhere in all of this," Brian thought to himself.

"Hmm, I noticed that no matter where I was the general trend was that younger people seemed more optimistic, more alive, happier. The older people seemed drained or at least lacking in the vitality of young people. It seems as if the older a person gets, the less alive he or she becomes. But why? Why is this so universal? What is happening here that I don’t see or know?"

He felt like an answer was about to pop into his consciousness when he heard something next to him.

"Hi," came a voice on the side of him. Brian’s concentration was broken by this soft sound. He turned to his left and saw a sexy young college girl standing next to him. He liked what he saw and immediately smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Hi," replied Brian.

"It’s crowded in here and I want to get to the bar for a drink. Do you mind if I sneak in here next to you?" said the young black-haired girl.

Brian observed her. His big green eyes looked at her blue eyes and saw a healthy glow. Her eyes radiated an unmistakable sign of life, a real living soul that had not given up. Her hair was shiny black, somewhat long. She was about 5’ 3" tall, weighing about 115 pounds. Her figure was magnificent, with large breasts for such a small girl, along with a well-maintained waistline. She was wearing black pants, a red shirt, and a black leather jacket.

"What are you drinking?" asked Brian.

"Bubbly champagne," she replied.

Brian turned around and saw the bartender standing in front of him. "Let the lady have a glass of champagne, please," said Brian. The bartender nodded and walked away.

"I hope he gives you the good stuff," Brian said to her. She smiled.

A few moments later the bartender placed a glass of champagne on the bar, and Brian slid some money toward the bartender. Brian took the glass and handed it to the sexy girl.

"Thank you very much," she said and began to walk away.

"Hey, I didn’t even get your name," yelled Brian to the young girl disappearing into the crowd.

"You will. You’ll get a lot more, too," said the girl as she vanished into the darkness of the nightclub.

Brian watched her fade into the mass of people and then turned back around to the TV. He thought about her and then thought about his European experiences. His mind went back and forth between the people he met in Paris, Florence, London, and this girl. There was no mistaking that this girl was alive and happy. She was a free spirit that was unhindered by the invisible chains that bound the adults Brian met.

"That’s it!" Brian’s mind began racing. "There is some dynamic in the world that reaches every adult, only to enslave them with some kind of tacit agreement that if they submit, they will be safe. But this unseen force has not yet corralled the youth; they are still free and happy. I’ve got to figure out what this unseen force is, what this omnipresent dynamic is that no adult escapes. First, I need to meet with Alex and Adrienne to discuss their findings. I want to verify that this condition occurs elsewhere in the world," Brian thought to himself.

Brian sipped his cranberry drink and continued to ponder when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to his left and saw the black-haired girl standing next to him, smiling. She handed him a piece of paper. On the paper were her name, phone number, and college she was attending. Brian laughed and said, "I’m leaving tomorrow to go to Hawaii."

She continued smiling, "That’s okay. We still have tonight."

Brian felt a surge of energy flow throughout his body. "You’re right," he said.

The two talked at the bar for awhile and then left the nightclub. They went up to Brian’s hotel room. Upon entering, the young girl noticed all the journals and papers strewn across the bed.

"You can see that I was doing a little research. Let me clean up the mess," Brian said to break the ice. He gathered his books and papers and put them into a bag. Then Brian got on the phone and asked room service to bring up a bottle of champagne.

The two sat on the edge of the bed sipping champagne and asking each other questions. They came from different backgrounds and had different upbringings, but they shared the same philosophy of life. It was as if their similar intellectual orientation had brought them together that evening.

The girl moved closer to Brian. Then she put her hand on his leg as she talked. Brian looked down; he saw a delicate hand on his thigh. He knew what that meant. He turned to her and they kissed briefly.

Brian slipped his arm around her back and put his hand on her waist. She kissed him again, briefly, on the cheek, then on the lips, then on the cheek. With his free hand, Brian reached for her hair, feeling the silky smoothness of it. Then Brian slid his hand over her breast. She moaned. His hand slid down her stomach to her leg. She was feeling pleasurable sensations. Brian leaned over and kissed her, this time a little longer.

While kissing him, she tugged on his shirt, moaning slightly. She wanted it off. Brian removed it. She began kissing Brian’s chest and then stomach. Sexual feelings were swirling through Brian’s body. He looked down and saw the black-haired girl tenderly kissing his muscular upper body. Then he felt her hand slide over his pants, softly rubbing his crotch. Brian groaned with pleasure.

"Do you want me tonight?" asked the black-haired girl.

Brian did not say anything; he just nodded. She winked at him and said, "Tonight is your lucky night, baby. You’re gonna get all of me."

Brian was overcome with pleasure, barely able to speak. He whispered, "Come up here."

She did, and he pulled off her shirt. She was proud of her voluptuous, physically fit body. Brian got an eyeful of sexual beauty. He went for her breasts, but she stopped him.

"Not until you take off your pants," she asserted.

Brian unbuttoned his pants and slid them down to his knees. He then reached over to her and slid her pants down to her ankles. The two rolled on the bed, kissing and feeling each other’s sexy body. Brian moved her bra down and began sucking on her huge tits. She moaned with pleasure. Then she reached for his cock, pulling it out of his underwear. The two were deeply pleasuring each other with their hands and mouth.

Brian took off all his clothes while she removed hers. Then he carefully slid his cock deep into her pussy. They fucked intensely, pleasurably, frantically trying different positions until they found one that felt supremely erotic. After about twenty minutes of fucking, Brian yelled, "I’m gonna cum!"

"Give it to me, baby," begged the sexy girl.

Brian got off her and kneeled upright on the bed. His long, stiff cock pulsated with pleasure. She got on her hands and knees and began sucking his cock ferociously, moving her head up and down his shaft. Brian was in a state of sexual ecstasy, gasping for breath as she massaged his cock with her mouth.

"Cum for me," she whispered while sucking his cock, "Let me taste you."

She moved her mouth up and down Brian’s cock faster and faster until he could not hold out any longer.

"Here it comes," gasped Brian as he pulled his cock out of her mouth.

Brian tilted her head back with one hand while pumping his swollen cock with the other. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and stuck her tongue out near the tip of his cock. At the height of his sexual pleasure, he shot warm cum all over the sexy girl’s face, getting semen in her hair, mouth, and dripping down her cheek. When he was done, she licked his tip, shaft, and balls. She felt extremely aroused having the juice and scent of this sexy young man all over her face.

He collapsed onto the bed, pulling her next to him. They both relaxed in sexual fulfillment. She stroked his body lightly, admiring him as they lye together in sexual bliss.