Cole Opening Paragraphs

Just two more hours, he thought. Just two more.
Cole was so consumed by anxiety and eagerness that he couldn't concentrate on his carving. Trying to focus, he repeated the words, using them like a mantra to calm himself and his overactive brain. He had a job to finish before he was free to do anything, and the more time his brain spent on other things, the longer it would take to complete his task.
It was unlike Cole to be so unstable in his thoughts. Usually he was persistent in his duties. As a young boy he learned the hard way that a man's worth was decided by his actions. Since then he has had an insatiable quench to prove himself in all things that he did. Doing odd jobs to earn a night's keep, he discovered within himself a knack for carpentry, and preforming such tasks with grace and skill gave him a sense of great satisfaction. Not only did he excel in creating wonderful woodcarvings, but the carving gave him a feeling of peace and mental acuity that he did not find anywhere else. Today though, he could not find the peace he so desperately sought after. Instead, Cole could think of nothing but what he saw in the marketplace this morning, and the consequences that could come from it.
This morning, while walking through the marketplace on his way to work, he saw an average man buying food. Normally, Cole would have never given it a second thought. Such an ordinary scene wouldn't have even registered in his mind, except that the man looked familiar. For a glimpse, Cole could see the man's face, and it sparked something in his memory. He didn't know what at first, but digging deeper, he realized exactly where he had seen that face before.


* This is the first couple of paragraphs from a new story I'm writing (I know I jump around a lot) Places in need of work, questions, and random comments accepted and encouraged!

Thanks,