In a Golden Eternity

an excerpt

The sun was setting. Still setting. The Golden Hour, they called it. More like the Golden Eternity.

He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there, but it had definitely been longer than a singular hour.

The heat had been almost stifling at first, but it was starting to wane, even if the light hadn’t. He’d – perhaps foolishly – looked directly at the light and tried to blink away the spots that formed in his vision. He closed his eyes and tried to chase the spots, but they always moved just out of his direct vision.

Opening his eyes again, he gazed at the light, though not directly this time. His fingers shook as they tried valiantly to keep hold of the dwindling cigarette. He hadn’t taken a drag in some time, and the paper was burning down, closer and closer to the filter. The tobacco scent was cloying, but familiar. His father had smoked, and his father before him, so it was a natural progression for him to take it up as well. What else could he do to feel closer to the patriarchs of the family, if not go out for a smoke break once in a while?

In the time since their respective deaths, he cut back on the cigarettes. They didn’t serve their purpose anymore, which gave him more opportunity to reflect on his own. What was his purpose? He thought he knew, but in this perpetual pre-twilight it’s hard to remember.