Gerry didn't have a very exciting existence. He had a nice little cottage off a small inlet near the marina. From the end of his white plastic pier, he enjoyed watching the sun set and the ducks take flight. Gerry had a small beaten down row boat but he couldn't remember the last time he had taken it out on the lake. His boat reflected the condition of his cottage. The tan paint was peeling and the windows were coated with dirt. By most people's standards, his place was a dump. But to Gerry, it was home.

  Yep. Life was pretty simple for old Gerry until the day he read the notice stapled to his front door. The bold black letters at the top read 'City Board of Health' and under that ,with letters that consumed a fourth of the page, was the word 'CONDEMNED'. It went on to say 'This building is unfit for human habitation, or is dangerous for occupancy. It is hereby closed and its use is prohibited.'

  Gerry stared at the paper for more than a few minutes re-reading the simple message as if it were some sort of riddle. In a daze, he walked around to the deck and sat down. Don't they have to give notice? How bad has the place gotten? When did they inspect my house?!? Now, his head was spinning. Gerry closed his eyes and tried to let his mind rest.  He decided to go back and take another look at the notice. Maybe he had just read it wrong.

    As Gerry rounded the corner, he felt dizzy. His vision allowed him to absorb something different this time. He now saw the dozen or so notices that pasted his door like some sort of municipal wallpaper. Some of them were neon green. A few others were hunter orange. On top of them all, as if it were the king of all notices, was the simple black and white CONDEMNED sign.

  Gerry leaned against the wooden porch rail for support and closed his eyes tightly. His thoughts revved up once again. This was the first moment that Gerry began to realize that he was dead.

Thanks for reading part 1