Several days later, Norton emerged once again from his new home, to a world just as bleak as it had been before. Winds were blowing, kicking up dust and loose papers, but there were no signs of life—past, present, or future. Dejected, he went back home.

* * *

Every day was the same. Go out, check the mail, watch cable T.V., and talk to his new girlfriend, “Ginger,” who was really just his microwave with a hat on top. Life was just dandy.