Out on the Water

Out on the Water
By: Jordan Messinger

He had long since passed the point of exhaustion and now every muscle in his body ached. Sweat poured down his brow as the sweltering mid-afternoon sun beat upon the little boat. There were but a handful of clouds in the sky and were it not for a few birds chirping in the background, one may well have been able to hear the sound of the catfish as it glided through the water beneath the boat.

While James could barely lift the oars to propel the boat more than a few inches at a time, the thought of stopping never crossed his mind. He knew that he could not permanently escape, but the thought of being found deadened by exhaustion while drifting down stream was mysteriously pleasing to him.

A single tear slowly made its way down his cheek as the oars finally slipped from his fingers. Despite the unbearable pain, an overwhelming feeling of joy overtook him as his body went limp. It was the perfect day and the absolutely perfect way to spend it. These days were few and far between now, but James had learned long ago to make the most of them when they did come. Each time the opportunity arose, he would exert himself to the point of physical exhaustion to force all thoughts of who he had become to dissipate.

This was his newfound ecstasy.

Never at home in the city of over eight million, James was constantly consumed by the strange loneliness that one can only feel in the midst of so many strangers. Despite such loneliness and the longing for companionship, the thought of risking his last solace with the introduction of an outsider was unthinkable.

James watched helplessly as the boat drifted peacefully onto the embankment. He took a deep breath of the fresh spring air and conjured up enough energy to compel a smile. It never ceased to amaze him that these were the days he treasured most and yet these were the same days that he wished were no longer necessary.