346 words at least so far.

May stop and think about the next bit; this is a short story, so I need to be fairly tight and get to the important bits now that I've set up the world and narrator with my first four paragraphs. Which means I need to figure out how narrator winds up running into other characters, and that's something that hasn't been revealed to me as of yet.

I do love having . . . entertaining critics. I shared my first four paragraphs with oneironaut and annwyd. . .
( Conversation ensued, and I was amused. )

And so I retain it for posterity, or something.

Incidentally, teinedreugan, I've had "Happiness Is" floating in and out of my head since our conversation earlier. Charlie Brown continues a good man.