The water lay quietly with a sheer gossamer blanket of silver light bathing its surface. The gentle kiss of the ripples against the sides of the little wooden boat was all that he could hear beyond his breathing. The chill pulled at his denim sleeves, a reminder that all he wore beneath the jacket was a thin white t-shirt, as unprepared as one could be without being naked on this misty November night.

His dreadlocks had miniscule drops of dew that seemed to be little pearlescent jewels catching the light from behind. He could smell the crisp air mixed with brackish water, the subtle undertone of the soap he scrubbed his skin with 2 hours earlier and the fear that leaked from his pores. As he sat looking back at the house, he tried to reconcile his feelings with the once warm and safe structure that he called home. The lights were still on, he could see the flickering lights from the fire he lit earlier that evening as he waited for her to come home.

He had never trusted anyone the way he trusted her. She was his soulmate, his anchor, his love, his life, the woman he wanted to carry his child. Life with her was easy. He loved cooking for her just as much as she loved his cooking, the Caribbean flavors never losing their intensity on her lips. She loved him exactly as he had been when they met, he was free with her and she with him. His island home seemed a million miles away at this moment…like he would never ever see it or hear the song-like chatter of his family again.

He couldn’t be sure if was dew or perspiration sliding down from his hairline and sitting above his eyebrows. He saw movement behind the house, one shadow then two that came together then became separate again. He grasped the oars tightly and gently pushed the water backwards, the quiet would betray his movements if he wasn’t careful. The rocky tree line jutting out in the lake was his only hope right now…once he rounded it he could hide between that and the huge bolder known as The Devil’s Throne. The cars had approached without lights, but the crunching sounds of the gravel had caught his attention as he picked up the wood from the back porch, he had no time to leave a note.

Finally, he rounded the rocks and steered the boat into the narrow chasm. His breath was coming fast and cloudy as it hit the cold air and his body began to shake. Tiny sounds escaped his throat and he cried as his life melted around him. He couldn’t ask her to live like this and he couldn’t go back. Now, he had to sit still until the night dealt its slow hours till morning. Then, he would disappear once again.

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