Chapter 2 - York
Our 'hero' set off from Goodricke College. His destination? The bus stop. Turning left immediately, he found himself inside the Physics and Electronics building. Clearly puzzled to be here, he stared about himself in a bemused fashion, until a helpful looking porter wandered up: "are you here for the Physics UCAS interviews?" "Um" was all David could reply. And so the helpful porter directed him into the Physics concourse, from whence he was taken on a tour of campus. Throughout the tour, our great and mighty wanderer stared about him in amazement and awe, but, of course, completely failed to pay attention and perhaps learn the location of buildings on campus. As the tour returned through Derwith, David paused, to look more closely at Heslington Church in the distance. And somehow the tour continued without him, leaving him once more alone and stranded with no idea of his location.
Being made of stronger stuff than most, he did not panic, but bethought to himself of his Global Positioning System. Reaching into his coat pocket, however, revealed a major tragedy. It was not there! Where he had left it, he had no idea, but that was really irrelevant as he knew he was in real trouble now.
Now, knowing that he was lost, he looked about him carefully, and noticed the strange emptiness of his surroundings. This fact allowed him to discern that he was in Derwith - he'd read yesterday that these blocks had been evacuated due to their need to be fumigated. But this knowledge was of little or no use to him, as the only thing he knew about Derwith, other than this, was that Kate lived there - and she clearly wasn't in.
So now what?
Clearly no-one else was going to appear here to assist him, so there was only one thing for it. Facing the church that had caused his current predicament, he reached once more into his coat pocket, this time finding what he sought there, and drew out a coin of strange design. Closer inspection reveals it to be a fifty 'pence' piece produced by the mint on the Isle of Wight. As such it had no value here on the mainland, but David liked the feel of it, it's nine sided roughness in his hand reminded him of home, and comforted him if he felt a little homesick. Tossing it in the air, he called "heads left, tails right'. It fell to the ground with a 'ting' and rolled on one of its many edges for what seemed and age before eventually spinning to a stop, with a design of what appeared to be a mouse uppermost. Picking it up and pocketing it, he mumbled to himself 'tails it is then - so I'll try going right. Fingers crossed.'
Turning left (perhaps this explains some of his inability to navigate?) he soon found himself on a foot-and-cycle path. 'This looks promising.' and so he followed it. Completely unfazed by the suits of those milling around in the area, and the office-like style of the buildings around him he re-shouldered his rucksack, and continued along the path.
Soon though, he came once more to a junction. How would he handle this one? Would he ever see home again? Left or right? Would he find somewhere to eat? All these questions flowed through his head, and whilst distracted by them, his feet took him left, up a slight incline. Well, at least that took care of the desicion. But not for long.....