For readers that had grown accustomed to the interactive experience of publishing online, please see the below content regarding the rewrite of Chapter Three: Expectations.

Black and White, Chapter Three: Expectations

Work, worry, toil and trouble are indeed the lot of almost all men their whole life long. And yet if every desire were satisfied as soon as it arose how would men occupy their lives, how would they pass the time? Imagine this race transported to a Utopia where everything grows of its own accord and turkeys fly around ready-roasted, where lovers find one another without any delay and keep one another without any difficulty: in such a place some men would die of boredom or hang themselves, some would fight and kill one another, and thus they would create for themselves more suffering than nature inflicts on them as it is. Thus for a race such as this no stage, no form of existence is suitable other than the one it already possesses. - Arthur Schopenhauer

Chapter Three, Scene One

Music

Deviating from the original, Scene One opens with Jason waiting for the sunrise, reflecting on his relationship with his grandfather. After the sky begins to lighten, he runs, mildly excited about the day ahead. He has decided to take his mother’s advice and visit the nearby wilderness, yet still completes his pre-scheduled chores. Ever the megalomaniac, his exact structure is recited as his busy day begins.

The entire first part of this scene was written with this on repeat as I moved throughout the chapter, editing and rewriting. It is a beautiful, complex piece of music that evades words. Don’t skip over it! HA! Not to be snooty, but give it a chance. It is my opinion that if you have not sat back with a good pair of headphones and listened to the following pieces of music without distraction, you have not lived:

1 minute and 22 seconds and together they’ll capture emotion with sound:

Musical mastery from an unparalleled genius.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, 1st Movement

Sunrise in Northeastern Tennessee

Sunrise on Watauga Lake

As in the online version, Jason returns to his grandfather’s garage, commencing the cleaning of the guns after scouring the garage for gear, finding only an old fishing boat. I loved these songs for all the hours of editing.

Someday Never Comes by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash

Country Boy Can Survive by Hank Williams, Jr.

Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band

Mountain City, Tennessee

For those interested in more pictures of this beautiful place in Tennessee, click here…

Scene Two:

As in the original, in order to acquire supplies for his camping trip, Jason travels to the next town, Mountain City, visiting a usually well-stocked general store. The store does not have all the supplies on his list, however. Frustrated and impatient, Jason continues looking for rope which he must find in order to manufacture his shelter throughout his five day excursion (at 1400 feet) on Three Tops Mountain.

Song 2 by Blur

Black Thumbnail by Kings of Leon

Three Tops Mountain

As in the original, during his search, Jason accidentally stumbles upon The Brunette, this time sorting tackle boxes by color. I kept listening to this and have no idea why.

Treat Me Like Your Mother by The Dead Weather