Futility

He truly was just a man. Pampered he was. Ungrateful he was not. He was pampered, served, not to mention rich, but thankful for everything that was graciously bestowed upon him by God. Especially his son.
The extent of which Daniel was willing to push to nurture and protect his boy could never be overstated. He hated to raise such an innocent soul in a dull city like New York, but he loved the parks - a new one every Saturday - that was the deal.
That particular day Andy chose a newer park that the two had spotted while shopping. So recent in fact, it was yet to be named. But undeniably, that didn't stem the crowds.
"Are we close?" Andy inquired, patiently. He never whined, a plus for Daniel in everyday life.
"Here we are!" Daniel announced proudly, pulling in fleetly.
Sand and gravel puffed up at the tires of his sparkling Sedan. The car slowed to a stop and both advanced to the playground.
As they drew closer to the teeming park, a strange sheen caught Dan's eye. All others, along with Andy, seemed insusceptible to the distraction - reassuring yet unsettling. The source was a red slide, a simple tube structure. The sharp fragments of light refracting endlessly with their new found color was nothing short of exquisite. Pulling his gaze away was a task that Daniel found surprisingly difficult. In the end, it was seemingly just a plastic slide for children.
Daniel felt strangely tense until he lowered himself onto a wooden park bench which overlooked the entirety of the park. Andy chose to start with the red slide. The path was clear until something - someone - came into view. The dirty old homeless man lept for Andy, but not before Daniel jumped to his feet and intercepted his path, swiftly punching him out.
Andy, clearly rattled, tried to stay calm as the police dragged the mentally unstable man to a car where another officer waited to cuff him.
Just before they reached their destination, the deranged man lunged for the officer's gun and shot himself. He ended it all.
Daniel attempted to leave but Andy wanted to play despite the traumatic events that had just occurred.
With that, Daniel sat back down on the bench, unsure, as Andy joined the surprisingly long line for the slide. One by one, kids went in the top and slid out the bottom. Next, Andy disappeared into the tube... and didn't come out.
Panicked, Daniel began to get up but waited in case the boy just locked a position where he wouldn't go all the way through. The next child dropped to her bottom and pushed herself down. Out she flew continuing on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Now consumed in pure terror, Daniel sprinted towards the playscape, dropping to his knees to allow his gaze to infiltrate the slide as a whole. Empty.
Confusion, shock, anger. All at once. He was overwhelmed with fear of his inability to understand. He was gone. His boy was gone.

Over the years, the man's life crumbled. First, he was fired, which sent him tumbling into debt and despair. His wife left him because he didn't spend any time with her. This was due to his daily visits to the park. Just waiting on the bench, willing his son to come out of that slide.
After being evicted because of his inability to pay rent, Daniel lived in that park.
His old, tattered clothes hung desperately from his tired, stooped frame. His beard had grown along with his curly, matted hair. He watched the days go by as the park grew older and older. The shine it once had was gone and all that was left was a dreary, colorless hell of broken memories.
Then one day he had an idea. He was going to go down that slide himself. So he did, he went down the slide and when he came out everything looked new. The sun was shining and the park was full of children and their parents.
Baffled, Daniel, or what was left of him, stumbled backwards towards the rubber beams representing the perimeter of the playground just in front of the tree line. He was back. He was back in that day. He saw himself on that bench - and he saw Andy running for the slide.
Without thinking, he ran at the boy, arms outstretched to prevent him from making that mistake. Just before he could reach Andy, he felt something hit his head and he was knocked out.
He awoke to being dragged by two men towards a police car. A man was standing motionless, handcuffs dangling from his fists.
Years, just waiting. He was right there. And he lost his chance. Once again without thinking, Daniel grabbed the officer's gun, slid it out of the holster, cocked it and pulled the trigger.

       He ended it all.