Episode I: smoke rings drift into the midnight sky...

Taylor walked down the side walk as the sun began its daily descent His brothers a few feet behind. He turned his eyes down towards the distant sunset. The last few sunbeams reaching out across the ocean, streaking the crystalline water a reddish hue. He never turned to see if they were behind them, they had always been there. He always had faith that they would be there now, at this point in his life. But now when the time had dawned and he was left with out a breath, with out a word, he began to wonder just how much support they would give...if any. He cleared his throat and turned into the office building. He could hear Zac mumbling to himself "what group of men call themselves 'The Mud Sisters'?" Taylor rolled his eyes, only to himself, though, "Typical Zac." The three brothers walked towards the receptionist's desk.

"They're expecting you, follow me." she said in a dismal tone, motioning them to follow her down the hall. They entered a medium size conference room, recognizing a few people, they sat down near the end of a wooden table. The man at the head of the table had his chair turned towards the bay window that over looked the pier. Zac looked towards Isaac, and onwards to Taylor's blank countenance. Over the past few months, that blank stare was a familiar expression. At first It had worried both Zac and Isaac, but then everything about Taylor had begun to worry them. The man turned abruptly towards them, his hands clasped togther and a smirk spread across his face.

"I'll help you." The man said, placing his hands on top of the wooden surface. "We start tomorrow."

"Wow." Zac stated, for lack of better words.

Taylor stood up and walked out the door.

"Is he always going to do that?" The man asked from his chair.

"You'll have to excuse him, Mr. Jenkins, he's afraid he has 'lost it'." Isaac spoke, standing behind his chair.

"Well...that is...very excusable, then. I know that I have felt lost many times, as well, then something insanely beautiful has happened to me, and I found my self. Maybe he's about to do the same, one can never predict these awesome moments. Oh, and please call me Stephan...Mr. Jenkins makes me feel old and...hospitalized." he laughed. And with that, Isaac and Zac left.

— Jane knocked on his door, doubting an answer, but yet she willed there to be one. A swell of air rippled her appearance as it cascaded through the streets of San Francisco. Jane knocked on the door, now consistently as pain grasped her fists, but she continued. An emptiness began to dwell inside of her, she had yet to have known before. Jane turned away from the dark doorway, and walked down the street. The city by the bay, now not so full of shine as the sun began its decline. The city lights began to flicker on, and yet her soul cried out from its poverty, something she knew she could not fix. No. Not yet. And in its midst, the sliver lights and the dirty street corners, Jane sat down on the curb. Damn him. She pulled out a cigarette, and lit it up, wishing there was more to life than what she was, or represented. Jane looked as the few people out, rambled down the street in front of her, and one by one disappearing into doors and out of eye sight. She wished that life was simple, and the meaning instilled in what she thought was life, was out in the opened. Never being questioned or being sought after. Much like a caterpillar – it must eat to grow fat, spin a cocoon, and then turn into a butterfly. If only everything could turn out to have beautiful endings, as caterpillars.

----- Jane heard the jingle of keys, unlocking the door, as she sat motionless on his couch.

"Jane?" Stephan called out into the empty air. She did not respond. Jane had nothing but hate flowing through her empty veins, and nothing could transform their bitter endings. She silently prayed that she wasn't making a mistake. Jane could truly never hate him, he was her brother. "Fuck off Stephan" oh, so she thought she didn't have enough nerve to respond. Jane was brazen by her words, knowing that he could kick her ass if he wanted too, but yet she held conviction.

"I'm sorry Jane. Really."

"Yes, well. I'm sorry too." Jane said as she stood, abruptly from the couch and headed to the door. But he was too fast, as he grabbed her arm.

"Listen to me."

"I'm tired of listening to one more pitiful excuse, another exhausted reason." Jane screamed at him, trying to free herself from his raw grasp. He let go, pushing her off, away from him. "I had to meet with a band that thier label wanted me to produce with." he spoke bluntly, his deep green eyes bearing down on to her own. Jane was an exact replica, so she had been told. But she did not want to be like him. One who only thinks about himself...one who would brush off and forget about his little sister.

"Who is it" she asked.

"Hanson" he looked away, a light smile playing on his thin lips.

Her mouth slightly agape, Jane replied, "Isn't that a demotion for you?....are you going to take it?"

"They want some new karma, some raw ideas...I'm gonna take it."

"That's it. You have losted it. Stephan Douglas Jenkins...you are not my brother." Jane said as she walked out of the door."

"Bye Janey, I love you too!" he yelled after her.

--- It was close to dawn, and life was still beating in the heart of San Fransisco. People took refuge in the all night cafes and shoppes. Sipping their wines and imported coffees, reading about the stock market earnings and other pointless what-nots.

Taylor shifted his weight in his chair, as he turned the page of the newspaper. A waitress came by and refilled his empty cup of coffee.

"Son, isn't it past curfew for you?" she asked in her very maternal type voice that only females can generate.

"I don't have a curfew." he glanced up at her direction.

"Well, you have been here for quite some time, and I was just beginning to worry that some one might be looking for you."

"I only wished that some one was." he smiled in her direction, looking back down at his paper. She walked off, mumbling sad nothings to no one imparticular, and making mental plans to call her daughter who was away at college.

------ Stephan looked up through the sound proof glass that connected the recording room with the sound booth and watched as a brotherly spat began to erupt.

"Tay, you aren't concentrating." Zac spoke as he crossed his arms.

Taylor sat down in a near-by chair, and stared at the carpet, taking his verbal beating at will. He knew that things had changed, he couldn't help natural processes. Just like he couldn't help it when the moon changed its phases every month, or that he had lost his passion. Passion for everything.

"Tay, we are only tryin to help, but you gotta let us know what's gonnin' on."Ike spoke gentely. Trying to only talk comfort to ears that would never hear such words of care. Ears that had grown deaf to the living, and even to his own voice.

Then came a moment of silence, where it would have been appropriate for Taylor to speak, but his voice did not break the spell. After a few minutes of watching Taylor breathing, Isaac and Zac left the room, and disregard the whole scene as nothing more than one of many mood swings of Taylor's.

"Taylor...please join me breifly in the other room. " Stephan said getting up and leaving. Taylor looked around, his eyes dull and listless, stood up and followed Stephan into the next room. Upon entering, Stephan's back faced Taylor, as it had the first day Taylor had seen Stephan.

"Taylor, shut the door." Stephan commanded. Taylor did as told.

"Come over here, and stand beside me." stephan spoke up, projecting a seemingly distant tone. Taylor walked, nervousely, over and stood next to Stephan infront of a window over looking a pier.

"You seem to fancy windows that over look the pier." Taylor whispered.

"Yes...It gives me energy."

"Taylor...tell me what you feel." Stephan asked, as he turned and looked over in Taylor's direction.

"I feel indifferent."

"Why so?"

"I feel as though there is nothing here for me...nothing in this world that could make me feel alive...like I use to feel."

"Did music make you feel that way?"

"Sometimes...most of the time." Taylor sighed.

"But it fails you now...true?

"or I have failed it...I do not know which holds true."

Stephan turned, again, facing the ocean. "I like the nature of the ocean....I like how the waves, they rise and fall, and then are resurrected once agian....That is often how human nature is...we rise, and then we fall to what seems to be our demise...yet, we some how surivie...again and again."