AUTHOR’S NOTE: This poetic short story was written some time in 2018. Its subtle metaphors with a biblical undertone is evidence of my mindset at a time when I struggled to make sense of the content of my studies (Moorish Science) and the frequent nightly visions of possible future events. Enjoy.
Fate of the Faithful
On a seemingly quaint summer evening, at the edge of a rocky shore, stood atop a three-story cliff – a young man of twenty four. His eyes drained of essence, his form bruised and torn, his lips uttered not but the faintest sound of mourn. The rhythm of his heartbeat, like the waves beneath his feet, signaled a future undoubtedly short and bleak. As the shadow of his conscience followed him still, the air grew colder – darkness swallowed the hill. A sudden flash of lightning ripped the night asunder as a voice among the clouds crackled like thunder.
“Have you lost yourself child?” – It said with concern.
Unshaken by it all, the man replied as he turned.
“No, in actuality, I’ve found myself. The part of me you lost at sea cries out for help.”
Silence filled the air with a deafening tone. He stared at the moon as it glared at his soul.
“Do you not hear her scream? How desperate and anguished her plea?”
He leapt toward death, but death embraced him not. Such is the fate of the faithful lot.
Hakeem Bahadur Faruq Bey 