The car sped through the heavy noon traffic. Dangerously swerving left and right, it left behind a trail of honking horns and a line of angry drivers.

It didn’t matter to the man behind the wheel though. It never really did to begin with. Being rich, he was entitled to not care about other people’s opinions. Whatever mistakes he committed there was an endless line of his father’s lawyers ready to speak up for him and save him from the law.

But that did not mean that he was, in any way, a spoilt brat.

He was a very well respected intelligent businessman in the town. So it was just that he was a little bit arrogant. He was considerate of others- most of the time.

But today he especially didn’t care about what happed around him because he had his own little crisis to worry about.

Marriage…

He was being forced into a marriage…

By his own father…

What an unthinkable, unacceptable thing for a father to do?

‘’You have to do this for the future of this company.’’ His father had said; as if he wasn’t already working his off day and night for the future of the company.

According to his father it was just a small sacrifice for the sake of the business.

But according to him it was just being plain stupid.

There were other healthier more reasonable ways to build up a business without resorting to be tied to a loveless relationship with a person you barely know, for the rest of your life. It was a complete life ruiner.

He had voiced his arguments ever since this marriage talk came up, so the relationship between his father and him was a bit rickety. His mother agreed with him somewhat but in front of his father there was little she could do to help.

That morning arguments between father and son flared up again.

 And argue they did.

He had tried to show his father the stupidity of the idea until he felt like one of his veins would burst with all the shouting. But unfortunately his father still refused to see his point of view.

That’s when he realized that he had to only two options left.

Stay there, get married and be miserable for the rest of his life or get the hell out now and be free.

He chose the latter.

And that’s how Eric Mun found himself speeding down the highway without any specific destination in mind.

He was running away…

                                                               ~~~~~~

It was when the road finally turned from tar to gravel that he decided to stop.

He had left the bustling city behind and was now surrounded by huge trees. The harsh noon sunlight was replaced by a more pleasant warm glow. The area was isolated but it was peaceful and serene. And for a moment Eric felt the calmness seep into him, soothing his frayed nerves.

But that brief moment of tranquility was shattered to pieces when the reality caught up with him. He could feel the anger bubbling up inside, slowly consuming his whole body until he felt like he would burst if he stayed still any longer.

He got out of the car and banged the door shut.

A string of colourful curses made past his lips and echoed through the trees. It wasn’t enough to vent out his anger and frustration though and he beat the hood of the car repeatedly.

He wasn’t even able to say good bye to his mother… or his friends… or his loved ones…

‘’ARRRGGHHH…’’ Giving a loud roar of anger he stabbed the tire with his foot with all his might.

It was not one of the brightest ideas he had had, Eric realized when white hot pain started shooting up his leg. Whimpering he bent down to nurse his now aching foot. 

                                                                 ~~~~~~

When the pain in his leg finally subsided Eric straightened up, looking around himself.

Through the trees he could make out the crashing waves of the ocean in the distance. And when he listened intently enough he was able to hear the distinct sound of the waves and the cawing of the seagulls. Moving away from the vehicle he ventured down the gravel covered track.

After a couple of minutes of walking, the line of trees cleared, revealing the vast blue ocean spreading out into the horizon. Not far away from where he was standing, the sea shore curved off into a small lagoon where there were more than a hundred of boats and small ships anchored.

He was in the boatyard situated in the furthermost corner of the city.  

And it was deserted.

Despite the weather being bright and sunny and perfect for sailing there was not even a single person around.

Some would’ve thought that people would like to have some fun in their lives every now and then. But it seemed like earning money and rushing around the city like headless chicken were more appealing than having a nice holiday.

He moved forward, taking in the various types of boats and small ships docked in the area. Most of them were old and in bad condition. Probably unused for years they had started deteriorating and made the place look more like a boat junk yard rather than a dock.

In a fleeting moment an idea popped into his head.

If he had to escape, then why not in a boat?