DUST BENEATH THE OCEAN

Mr. Drexel

The environment was cool and silent except for the crickets which celebrated for the people were gone already. The house was sad like a child abandoned in the middle of the night. The trees were sleeping and made few scratches as the wind blew. On the second floor of the house on the right wing, Mr. Drexel was sitting on the edge of his bed. He was conquered by the stygian blackness of his room that made his own body combined with the stark reality of nothingness as a single element. The room was elegant and magnificently large but because of the caliginous atmosphere, he felt himself inside a narrow box. The thing he felt ever since in his entire life. He was already immune to this for no matter how far he achieved even far beyond heaven of success, he never gained such complete happiness. He felt suffocated for he could not inhale the true essence of air outside his dark life. A dark past that must not be brought to light because it could ruin his life and reputation. His eyes darted on the round alarm clock made of gold that lay silently on the right side of the corner table with an off lamp that made the luminous hands said that it was already 3:04 A.M. He felt envious of the clock for it could show itself even in the dark without fear and with beaming light. Tired of sitting, he stood and walked silently on the dark floor. The soft ticking sound of the clock lingered in his ears. He did not feel the time; for him it was simply an illusion because he could not even think about his own existence. As he reached the window, he pulled the elegantly embroidered thick curtain almost kissing the floor and tucked it on the other side enough for him to behold the darkness outside. Few rays intruded in his private room but, still, his entire body was covered with dark shadow. His eyes ran toward the Green Island which appeared like a rising moon from his vantage point.

'Everything had started there.'

Then, the event that just ended a few hours ago reloaded in his active mind.

'Their faces are covered with genuine happiness while I’m confined here totally wrecked and afraid to be in the light. It should not be.'

Anger ran through his blood.

'I did everything to get the three powerful tools. They said that money, power, and influence are the most indispensable tools for success and worst for revenge. If you don’t have these, you will just live in the shadow of wretchedness. I have it all but why I’m still alone and not content. I continuously am aiming for more that made my life so pathetic.'

As his brain cried out aloud with a twinge of resentment, his eyes narrowed. His mind ran to the opportunity widely offered to him.

'The Tears of gods. I want to uncover it all by myself even if it would cost the soul of my partner in life. I will do my best until the end. I already started searching this for the opportunity is widely opened to me and no matter what may happen, I will bring it far beyond the end.'

He pursed his lips and an unfamiliar name to him of a mortal appeared abruptly in his clever mind.

'But I will investigate this Sassy that is vying to win against me. I often noticed that she intervened in my electromagnetic waves.'

Then an evil smile flashed in his face.

'If killing would be the only way to win, then it would be my pleasure to make it a habit.'

Gratified of his thought, he turned around and walked toward his bed. He did not notice the few rays of light which illuminated his desk. The dim light circled the base of the mirror which lighted upon the dark maroon lipstick. He crept on his bed and as his body touched the soft bed, it comforted his exhausted mind and body. He stared at the dark ceiling and wished to be out of the darkness someday. Then, after twenty minutes, his tired mind and eyes completely closed for a wonderful sleep. A good night to himself.