Editor's Note: Gaardian reporter Backflip got to spend a few days with a family in the Town of Solan. This is that story.

Part 1: Absent Father Figure

Henry hefts his large bag onto his left shoulder and gives a nod to the younger man that has entered the small, cramped, musty space that is their office. "Atticus," says Henry to the younger man, "it's been a quiet week. Call me if you need me."

"Aye," responds Atticus, as he settles into the chair and pours a cup of coffee for himself. "Enjoy your week, Henry."

"Aye," responds Henry as he exits the office. Henry and Atticus split duties at the Graveyard, each working one week on, one week off, to give them a break from the evils of undeath. Getting into his truck, Henry drives back to the Town of Solan, where he lives with his wife Mildred and his son, Kyle. The mention of his son causes his face to tense slightly.

"My father and his father and his father's father," he begins, talking to us and, in some way, to Kyle, "watched the Graveyard and kept the Banshee at bay for generations. It was something we did, something we were proud of." There's a weight to his words, only measured by the pause that fills the cab of the truck, before Henry continues. "That all stopped a few years ago when Kyle told us he wanted to pursue 'creating content', whatever the hell that means."

Henry spits out the window of his truck, a clear representation of the disgust and anger he feels for his son's choice. In a world where the blue collared jobs are becoming less and less appealing to the younger generation, people like Henry and others in Solan find that their once thriving businesses have begun to see decline. Solan, while not nearly as impoverish as others, have seen their tourism drop by nearly 25% over the last 3 years. The Mayor has tried to reinvigorate the small town and made it more appealing to tourists, but little has worked.

"Most wanna go to Masquerade Island Seven Wonders," says Henry, sat on his porch swing and drinking from his bottle. "At some point, life got on a train and we old folks missed it." Watching the Solan sunset, Henry doesn't pay much attention as his son gets into a sports car with a few youth and take off.

A few moments later, the phone inside rings. Henry quickly gets up and goes back inside, to pick it up. The conversation is brief before he hangs it up. "Was Atticus," he says while looking down at the phone. "The Graveyard calls." As he leaves, Henry gives his wife a hug and kiss on the cheek, before leaving.

"Love you, too," she says softly to the closing door.

Part 2: Just A Small Town Boy With 2 Million Followers

"Make sure you hit that Like button and let's get Rollin'!" Kyle says into his phone as his internet persona, SolanRollin. A complete departure from his father, the hard-working and devoted to his job Henry, Kyle spends his days glued to his phone and computer, growing his brand across multiple social media platforms, like Aardtube and Chitter.

"I watched my dad and my grandpa live and die for that job," Kyle says, taking a break from recording to talk to us. "Everything else fell to the wayside, was ignored, to make sure the dead stayed that way." He chews his bottom lip before continuing. "At some point, I realized that was going to be and I hated every second of it. So, I just dove into this." This being his phone, which is where he has begun to build his fortune.

"Not many creators have a following like me, but this is where the world's headed," he says confidentally. "I'm not trying to get eaten by a zombie or whatever the hell else goes on there."

Kyle's told us the relationship between his father and himself had quickly dissolved once Kyle made it clear he had no intentions of becoming the next gravedigger.

"It was like flipping a light switch," he recalls, staring at his computer screen while editing his next video. "I quit being his son that day, that moment." He pauses for a moment, then added, "He quit being my father years ago, he just never noticed."

This isn't unusual within the world of Aardwolf, where many of the older generations have begun to see the newest generation shift away from the blue-collar work they were used to. With the surge of social media taking over, it's very easy to see why this generation prefers to engage in He quit being my father years ago, he just never noticed.that avenue for a career, rather than risk themselves with back-breaking labor.

"At some point, things will mend. I mean, they have to," says Kyle, while getting dressed for another video. "He can't hold this grudge for this long. He ain't got many years left."

Grabbing his car keys, Kyle heads out the door, only stopping to give his mother a quick peck on the cheek. "I won't be home tonight," he says to her, before stepping outside.

"Ok, just be careful, love you!" she says, but most of her words are heard only by the door.

Part 3: Stuck In The Middle With... Who?

Mildred tidies up her house while softly humming to herself, dusting the upholstery and sweeping the floors. She wears a bright smile but her eyes do nothing to hide the sadness she feels. She's found herself unfortunately in the middle of a nasty back and forth between her husband, Henry, and her son, Kyle. Both Henry and Kyle are at odds with one another due to Kyle's decision to not follow his father's footsteps at becoming a gravedigger, instead opting to become a content creator - one that has amassed a large following.

"They're both adults," Mildred says when asked about Henry's and Kyle's dispute and subsequent silence towards one another. "I gave up trying to get them to hash it out. They're both stubborn," she adds with a soft smile, but it's clear that this has taken its toll on Mildred.

The house is filled to the brim with memories of a family that once enjoyed each other's company; portraits and paintings of the three, at various locations all over the world. "We used to go on vacations and not be so tied down," she recollects, pointing at various photos of their time at the Carnivale and the Amusement Park. "Nowadays, we don't have time to travel, so I just use my imagination."

Between Henry being gone for weeks at a time tending the graveyard and Kyle spending most of his days overseas, filming content and generally 'living his life', Mildred has found herself alone with her thoughts and her extensive book collection. A spare room was converted into a library of sorts for her, where hundreds of books line the shelves.

"This has become my favorite room in the house," she says, her tone like a child in a candy store. "I've managed to build a nice collection. Whenever I have time, I just come in here and grab a book. I'll just relax on the sofa and read until..." her voice trails off here, before leading us out and to her garden.

"I do enjoy my simple life," she says, showing off her beautiful garden. "When I need fresh air, just get away from that..." she nods to the house, "I come out here and relax." It's out here that her eyes aren't sad, where her demeanor completely changes.

The neighbors come around to chat with her, gossiping about whatever drama they've heard, or discussing the shows they're currently in the middle of watching. Plans are made to play Bridge later, which Mildred offers to host ("Something I always do, to help breath life into the place," she tells us) and they all agree. The conversation hardly lasts an hour, but it's the happiest she's been since we've spoken to her.

It's here that we excuse ourselves and thank Mildred for speaking to us, and letting us into her home, for this story. She waves at us from the stoop, saying goodbye and if we're ever in town, to stop by again, before retreating back to her garden. Before she goes, we let her know we'll be in touch in about a month.

As we left the town, the Mayor approached us with a litany of questions and suggestions of other places to see in the Town of Solan. For us, and many others, it felt like a desperate man trying to unpause his city, to bring back growth, to help people not forget about this small town. For some, it feels like it's too little, too late.

One month later, we reached back out to Mildred, who had let us know she had begun divorce proceedings, telling us that it all came to a head when Henry's "one week away turned to two, to three" and she felt like she had become the third wheel in her own marriage. "I understand his job is very important, but so am I," she told us. "Or, I should be."

Henry declined to give any comment to us.

Kyle, aka SolanRollin, refused to comment as well, directing us to his latest Aardtube video where he went into detail about it.