The Sunset

Story of a boy who thought he'd never get to see the sun again.

The Sunset
A short story by Juan E. Gracia

A sunset and a sunrise, the best of both worlds. Every time I see one it reminds me of a dream I once had. The dream it was of a boy that was with sitting on a boulder at a beach. Contemplating the sunset by himself just having a blast. The sun felt like the warmth of your mother’s hug at the end of a long day of school. Warm and bliss like a teenager’s first kiss… I remember that sunset as if it were yesterday. The sun orange much like a bigger ball of orange yarn. It feels as if you just saw your crush for the first time. That time when you blush and you can tell that your cheeks turn pink, your skin feels warm to the touch. Your palms are sweaty and you’re nervous.
He thought to himself that this was the prettiest seen he had ever seen. With the ocean horizon on his right and a forest filled with life on the left. He could hear the birds chirping, and see the branches waiving at him with the whistle of the wind on his back. His hair was getting in his face because of it so he adjusted his position, to get the best view of both and not have the wind messing with his hair. The sun right between the two he glanced over to the ocean for a second and noticed a boat. It was a sail boat. He looked closely at it and he could see someone manning it and him pointing at the sun as if they were setting sail towards it. In time it got far away where you could barely see it.
He was sitting on the shore on top of a larger rock. It was wet because of the waves that were crashing against it. He could feel the sand on his toes. Rough but comfortable he moved each one sinking his feet into the sand. His feet were covered in sand as a wave crashed on the rock his feet were now clean again. He could see shells on the shore and the birds picking at them. As he looked up again he noticed that the sun had lowered significantly. He got incredibly upset. Sad, mad and worry filled his soul! would the sun leave him alone? He felt something break that he thought couldn’t be repaired. He would miss the warmth, the comfort it gave him, the blissful touch that made him happy and unworried. He jumped off the rock and started to pace back and forth in the sand and the water thinking of just how he could get it to stay. His anger grew exponentially when he realized there was nothing he could do no matter how much he loved it. No matter how much he needed it.
At this point he was sobbing sitting no longer on top of the rock but sitting against it still looking at the sunset. He starts to feel a bit parched, and starts looking for a water bottle. After a minute of looking for it he gives up and just looks at the grainy sand while tears run down his face. As he looks up at the sun again he notices an older gentleman that was walking towards him. He knew he was old because of his gray hair and had this limp to his walk. It was rather unique in a way because he didn’t seem in pain he looked wise. His clothing was rather odd as well he was wearing a pair of holey white jeans barefoot you could see that his toes sunk in the sand with each step. His shirt was white as could be. He came up to him and asked him why he was crying as he handed him a bottle of water. The boy didn’t respond as the older man sat down next to him. After drinking half the bottle the boy told him that the sun was setting and it wouldn’t be there much longer if at all! Instead of talking he proceeded to hug him; it didn’t feel like your ordinary hug it was warm bliss and father like hug. When you feel comforted, warm and not empty.
That came from his hug. While he was hugging, him tears still ran down his face and he could see the sun going away and the boat was in the same place looking in the same direction. They both release and the older gentleman keeps walking towards the dark behind the boy. As he was walking away he tells him “it’ll come back.” As he smiles at the boy and continues to walk away he looks back at the horizon and in a brisk moment he turns around and was going to ask him when then he realized he was gone. He slowly turns back to the ocean and the sun is inches away from being gone. Then he noticed that the ship had turned around and was heading the other direction. It was heading towards him he wiped the tears away as he turns around and starts walking the other direction. As the night passes he realizes it is starting to look bright again a faint hint of blue in the horizon. He sees a ray of hope. Sunshine once again he sees that the sun is rising and he feels the warmth, that hug, he feels relief. If the sun sets it’ll rise again.