Last Shop Standing

Another old thumbnail. Still trying to think of a way to show Jeremy's gradual descent into madness. I've been told I should stick to personal experiences - but as I mentioned earlier, I went batshit insane very suddenly and that just wouldn't make sense in a proper narrative - it's gotta be gradual. I think part of the problem is that I feel like I need to show him interacting with other characters because it's just not interesting to focus solely on him...or is it?

Anyway, I'll get to the point and tell you why I posted this particular thumbnail. When I try to think of meaningful personal experiences from my high school days, what I actually remember most is the music I listened to and the countless hours spent in stale-smelling record shops poring over shelves searching for hidden treasures. And I always felt such joy upon discovering a CD I'd been seeking out for months or even years. When I think of this now it seems so absurd...was my life so empty that I was more attached to music than people? Would this feel mundane if I included it in the story or would it feel honest?

(I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention the digital age and the sad demise of hunting for records in shops - I do still buy CDs and I still have an attachment to music in a physical form, but most of my shopping is done online because the stores simply never have what I'm looking for - in fact, most of the time they never did.)

Now that I think of it, a search for an elusive CD could be accompanied by Jeremy's search for the truth, for the missing puzzle piece, the secret to living that he believes everyone else already knows...