It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way- Charles Dickens
At least that's how his book would have began, had Dickens not stolen his opening nearly two centuries earlier. Instead, this unremarkable opening. Baden Brone, looking up, sleepless, bloodshot eyes, set above the salty channels of drying tears, brow lines deepening with worry, lips an ashen rose, having just released another broken "what", in the direction of an unresponsive deity.
Baden's head slumped with a dull thud as it fell to his chest. His shoulders hunched forward with the weight of a brain heavy with broken promises, fading love, and a receding future. His 35 years since the age of three had been cursed with unwanted and unforeseen exits, the cold removal of love, and the sneaking suspicion that he was in a weird penance for some greater sin. His parents hadn't helped his chances, as much as they hedged their bets on the side of unavoidable tragedy. His full name was Abadon Brone, pronounced Aba- Don, which translated meant, 'The Angel of Death' and 'sadness' in their original form. The entirety of his name, however, could have been distilled neatly to one word, Pain.
And so this latest chapter, by a series of increasing distance and denial, had finally come to its featureless conclusion. It had not so much hang precariously in the balance, in so much that is was increasingly choked, until the light simply disappeared and the promises, pacts, and expectations faded like retiring ghosts. Brone had, as was his calling card, belly flopped blindly off the springboard of bachelor life, into the ominous indigo of monogamous bliss once again, and oh how he flopped.
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Lilt
General FictionWe all want a great ending, from our movies, to our books, our sports seasons, and races. We crave closure, even better if it's a happy one. Being human however, we realize that not every book or season ends well. It is at times like these, that we...
