Ashtin's Great Escape (and Other Disasters)

Previously

…Amber winked. “Or maybe you can be a cereal architect. You certainly have a talent for creating… abstract installations.” Ashtin just slumped further into the rug, the image of the triumphant pirate captain, his ship laden with treasure, a distant, unattainable dream. His great escape had been a catastrophic failure, a sugary testament to his inability to navigate the treacherous world of independence. He was still the little kid, forever on the outside looking in. He closed his eyes, a single thought echoing in his small, determined mind: he would try again. He had to.