Alex stared across the bustling city from his small, cramped apartment. The sound of traffic blaring down the street could be heard even at this hour, and the sky was tinged ever-so-slightly with a sickly, orange hue from the lights below. He sighed, standing up from the battered computer desk and walking towards the window. As he looked outside, a faint sense of dread overtook him. Everything was terrible, and nothing he did seemed to have an impact, but still, he tried. His passion for the environment could not be quelled by the overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

Alex had been working with a small non-profit that was dedicated to protecting the environment. The members were all very passionate, but the majority of them were aging, and the group was struggling to gain new members. Alex, as the newest member of the group, was often given the short end of the stick when it came to tasks, so he spent a lot of time passing out flyers, and standing idly in the street with a sign about the harmful effects of environmental destruction.

As Alex stood on the corner with an "Eco-Save" sign in hand, a group of construction workers passed by, and one of them pointed and shouted over to him. "Hey! Save the world with that sign, eh? Maybe you could save a few trees by putting it down! What are you, twelve? What a geek." Alex felt his face flush from embarrassment. He knew the worker was right…what was he really doing here? Nobody ever changed their mind when they walked by and saw him, and if anything, he just served as a laughing stock, a symbol of his own, futile, attempt to make a difference. He muttered a small defense and looked down at his feet, trying to hide his flushed face from the rest of the passers-by.

As Alex stood there, trying to hide his flushed face, he heard footsteps approaching from behind. He didn’t have to look up to know who it was — he’d seen her countless times before. She passed by here every morning on the way to work, and they’d made small-talk several times. Her name was {{user}}.