Poseidon's Wrath

Part 1: Then

The death of a man

It was a scorching summer's day with temperatures that reached what seemed only possible in a desert. The clouds swept in and created darkness, offering protection from the powerful rays of the sun. A storm was brewing. I was home with my family: my wife and our son, whose name I had forgotten long before my own. Through the window of my home I could see people who struggled to walk home from an arduous day's work, sweating in the heat as they journeyed to their leisurely life of the small suburban town. On the outskirts of the town was nothing but farm land acreage, the area was rich in soil which attracted many farmers to work on the outskirts. The town was doing well, furthermore on its way to becoming a larger hub, perhaps one day even a city.

Later in the day, despite the overcast weather, the heat had risen to an even greater temperature to the point where droplets of sweat rolled down my face from merely being seated inside. There was little food in the house to cook with, so my wife scolded me to drive to the local grocery store and buy some cooking ingredients. The cruise in the car felt short and refreshing; being a newer model at the time it had an in-built air conditioner that allowed for a pleasant, chilled breeze. I arrived at the local grocery store but decided to remain within the car to enjoy the cool air a few minutes longer. I watched as the cars parked diminished in number. After a few minutes of this I took notice of the sky and how it had already darkened since I had arrived. I realised I had to leave my refuge from the heat. As I opened the door the heat slammed into me like a freight train. "The essentials," I reminded myself "they're waiting at home for me."

I completed my minor mission, and was ready for the return journey with a little more than intended. I looked outside, it was nearly night or perhaps the light had shrouded the noon to a deep darkness. I was reminded of the heat upon exit of the store, and thought of my son and how he would have had liked an icy treat to cool down after dinner, so I retrieved some from the other end of the grocer, it was time wasted but a trip I thought worthy for a smile on his innocent face.

I stepped into the blistering heat once again. It had gotten hotter, but night had descended upon the world, it made little sense to me but then again I was no meteorologist. Over-encumbered, I struggled to carry my load to my car. On the way through the car park, a rogue-like man, sheltered in a coat and business hat, appeared from a small, concealed alley that was hidden between two of the shop buildings, and he began to tail me. I was concerned as I noticed he pulled out something that looked like a small handle which flicked open to reveal a shimmering blade. He started to fiddle with it, opening and closing, opening and closing it. The clicking of the blade made me fell uneasy, so I quickened my pace. Before I was able to reach my car another man, bearing the same appearance, and a bandanna covering his face, appeared. This man was armed with a serrated hunting knife. He tested the blade by scratching his thumb across the sharpened part of the blade. I was being stalked, hunted down by the two. I felt trapped.

They worked like a wolf pack to take down their prey and, before I knew it, I was trapped between two cars with both men standing in the only way out. There was no escape and no-one else in sight for a yell of help to work. They demanded my wallet, but I was foolish enough to deny them and tried to flee from the attackers. I threw my bags at the one with the knife and took a chance running out the opening while he was distracted, but I was too slow. A sudden burst of pain struck my back and I felt short of breath. Another penetrating pain reached me via my stomach. Time slowed down... my last moments I thought. My head dropped to view the knife being withdrawn from the wound in my stomach. I lost all sense of balance and fell to the ground. I lay, coiled on the burning tar of the car park that was heated from a long day in the sun. They searched my pockets and ran, assumingly with my wallet and keys. On the floor and bleeding out I saw my blood stain the brown paper bags, leaving them an ugly maroon.