The Fallen City

|Chapter VIII: Sounds of Earth

The sounds of the wind in the trees, the lap of waves upon the lake...

The call of birds overhead and the honks of ducks on the water...

The chatter of families around, and the playing of children in the grass...

...And the roar of distant engines, the crunch of gravel underfoot. It all fell on deaf ears.

The two men sat in absolute silence, while Alban took in the park around him, remembering it from his childhood. Gale just sat there. His stance was open, inviting, yet he ignored it all. It all fell on ears that didn't want, nor care to hear them. The palette of colours was akin to a rainbow painted on the landscape, yet to him it was all grey. There was nothing of any interest anywhere in sight. It was Worthless.

It was Hopeless.

The only thing that filled him with gratitude was the air. It was crisp, it was fresh. So filled with life and promise, it flowed through him and around him. It tugged on him like the real world was trying to draw him in. Yet his mind was already there.

He didn't day dream, he took it all in. All of it. Yet still it meant nothing

Alban stretched beside him. Giving out a long yawn.

"Sorry, was a long day yesterday. R&D is trying to get an energetic research site up and running up north..." Alban trailed off, realising his Dad wasn't interested. "You're quiet, you ok Dad?" He asked as he still stretched. His father grunted. "Not enjoying yourself?"

"Why would I? It's meaningless." His voice was gravelly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. "All of it."

Alban tried to have a look of surprise on his face as he watched his father light his cigarette, giving it a few gentle puffs.

"What do you mean?" He asked, Gale took the cigarette in between his fingers. "The fresh air, the birds in the trees? The colour? Don't you appreciate any of it?" He asked, gesticulating to the world around them.

"It means nothing to me, absolutely nothing." He responded, his voice cold, distant, and uncaring. Alban caught sight of Corona approaching from up the path. "What made you think I would enjoy this?"

"Because you're always inside." Alban responded immediately, but he then realised he didn't think his answer through.

"Why do you think that is?" The young man was left wordless as Corona came up to them.

"How are we doing today?" She asked, earning a grunt from Gale, and a speechless look from Alban. The man shook his head and got up off the bench.

"This is a waste of time, I should have been at a major meeting today. A battle and a half to get him out here, and what's it all worth." Alban spoke as if his father wasn't even there. Gale raised an eyebrow as the conversation carried on seemingly, once again, unaware of its subject's presence. "This all might as well not exist to him."

"We got him outside, that's a step in the right direction." Corona argued, Alban just shook his head.

"He doesn't care about himself, why would he care about those who love him?" Alban insisted, he shook his head, he pretended to check the time quickly, hiding his face. "I need to go, businesses don't run themselves. I cant keep helping him, It's bad enough I see him so often when he doesn't give a shit."

Alban swiftly donned a set of sunglasses. Not even saying goodbye as he left.

Corona watched the man walk away. His feet kicked up stones, his fists buried deep in his pockets. She rubbed her arms, suddenly feeling watched, then she noticed Gale looking at her rather than him.