Darkness Falling

He stood there, hands thrust deep into his coat pockets, facing the sea while watching seagulls ride the chilly November wind. He shivered in the wind. It was only 4 o’clock but the sun was already setting, casting golden streaks of light across the foot of the sky. He marveled at the beauty that lay in front of him; blue expanse punctuated by the white caps of the waves tinged in gold. In the face of such beauty, he felt the loneliness make the biting wind feel even colder.
He shrugged his shoulders, turned on his heel and walked away, footsteps crunching the gravel. He walked up the mound, past the deserted playground towards the ruins of the ancient Cathedral. The sea seemed to mock him, the faint squeals of the seagulls overwhelmed by the crashing waves reminding him of his tiny significance in the grand design of his life.
He had begun work at the largest firm in the country at the behest of his parents, who believed his presence in their business adversary can only profit their business empire. Somewhere along the way, he had met this pretty young thing that turned out to be the big man’s only girl; and, desperate for an heir, the big man fast tracked a whirlwind romance that came with a high speed corporate elevator rather than ladder. At his parents insistence the romance became a wedding, and before he could even wonder if he had found the woman of his dreams, he was heir apparent to the biggest firm in the country in return for the perpetuation of lineage.
The true side of the woman he married came out on his wedding night; by morning he had already found himself alone in his bed. She had an insatiable hunger that he could never in his mind imagine could exist. She had no use for him other than to feed that lust; and he had found it in the worst way possible with the scars on his back and bruises on his neck to prove it. On his wedding night he had failed miserably; and instead of being a worthy adversary, he had been cast aside, his spirit broken, his passion snuffed.

As he stood on the cliff, overlooking the sea awash in orange grey light, he realized he was trapped. He wanted to end his loneliness with lifelong companionship; and the angel that fell from the sky was the angel of death. While people end their nightmares simply by waking up, his was something that he cannot wake up from.

To his family, his being accepted in the biggest family empire made allies of an enemy to their own formidable empire; to his new inlaws, an heir; but he was caught in a trap, a small, meaningless pawn about to be traded as a queen. And he realized that reaching the end of the board had just become impossible if not difficult; and if he failed, his new family have enough influence to ensure that he will never ever be employed again.

He shivered slightly as he peered over the edge of the cliff, watching the brine explode into white spray as it smashed itself into blue rocks; swirling and exploding, dragging everything with destructive fury.

As darkness descended, he relived the longing in his heart; a high powered job, a huge house and a fleet of cars; a beautiful wife, a life to be shared, of hugs and kisses; of warm smiles and happy laughter.

He had it all, and he was alone.