Ramblings - Perpetual reliving of one's own impending demise

Wondering how one's journey would end is an inherent part of human nature. Some might ponder the question more than others, few could pretend to have experienced it.

They find themselves in the unsettling position to have to perpetually relive through a future which has not yet happened. As a self-described rational person, they would usually mock and dismiss any forewarning as one of the idiosyncrasies of their own mind; if not, for the all too vivid nature and frequency of their occurrences.

The sombre event seems to take place in a coastal town bordering the Ionian Sea during a hot summer's day in a not so distant future.

The morning started with their daily promenade from the old town to the mount overlooking the city. Distracted by the their own thoughts, they failed to notice the same ominous footsteps following them down the alleys.

A sharp noise is heard.

Disorientated, they scan their surrounding. Disturbed by the commotion, a flock of doves flies away from the center of the unusually empty piazza. An immobile silhouette stands in the shadows. Obstructed by the fountain, they are unable to distinguish any discernible features from the threat. As the noise of the cascading water tapers off, they are now hearing a strangely familiar tune. The swift transition from the shadow to the light reveals a nemesis thought unequivocally vanquished, their past.

Not fully aware that a single shot had just perforated their left lung, they look down at their suit taking on an strong reddish tint. The surge of adrenaline and initial painlessness prompt them to abandon their initial position and rush toward the nearby pier.

Their escape is unfortunately short lived. Their collapsed lung now filling itself with blood and increasingly excruciating pain renders breathing quite an arduous task.

Moving being no longer an option, they fall down to the ground senseless. Extreme fatigue sets in as their body abdicates. As they drift between states of consciousness following the rhythm of the nearby waves, they discover the strange mixture of maritime and sanguine scent and feel the stark contrast between the roughness of the ground they are now lying on and the gentleness of the sun heating their soon to be cold corpse.

In a last moment of awareness, fully present, with tears streaming down their face and a peaceful smile, they utter a few words. But alas, all alone, barely pronounced their last murmurs are scattered to the four winds.

As they depart toward nothingness, the fortuitous ringing of the cathedral bells appears to signal a solemn farewell by the town they called even for a fleeting moment home.

How foolish they were! Thinking they had any right to a quiet existence and could transgress the sole rule that kept them alive. TO NOT LOOK BACK AND TO KEEP RUNNING!