The Man Who Sold The World

A short story revolving around a boys tale of love and loyalty. He places all hopes in the love of his life, promises shouldn't be made if they can't be kept.

Once upon a time when the world was young and beautiful, a boy who lived on the rough side of the city started a journey the likes of which he'd never imagined.


It started with a routine night out at the age of 19. In the bar with his sunglasses and denim jacket, he felt right at home and confident enough to strut around as though he owned the establishment. His hair was freshly shaved and he wore his favourite Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance, the one that made girls brush their lips on his ears. He loved this attention and found more pleasure in turning girls away then accepting them.

As the night went on, he walked around the bar and eventually made eye contact with a girl who was part of a hen party. Immediately attracted to her devil horns and fair skin he glanced at her before walking off....looking back once to find her still staring at him. He went over to where he was stationed before and continued with his two step and drinking. His thoughts replayed the beauty he had seen, white jeans and a pink sleeveless top. A nose stud, one of his major turn ons as well, he'd never seen this girl before. He looked to his right to find her walking up to him, she wanted to dance and she had chosen him. A night he would never forget, they danced and kissed but something strange happened that no one could have predicted. When it was time for the girl to find her friends and leave, for some reason the boy offered to hold her hand and stay with her until she'd found them. Why should he care, she was just a girl, another number in his phone, mission accomplished, right? Once with her friends, she hugged him, he held her tight, they'd only met for a couple of hours yet he already held her in his chest and shoulders, providing a protective and safe aura around them.

They didn't meet again for a while but in the day of texting they found plenty to discuss. She had gone London with friends then he was in London with friends and it felt like  they would keep missing out on each other. Eventually when they were both free she picked him up, they had planned to go to the movies but nothing decent was on...to the bar then as the boy loved his drinks and wasn't driving so had nothing to worry about. The next day he didn't hear from her.

When she did reply to him, the boy realised he would show her the light, show her love and happiness. He hadn't met someone as mistreated as much as her and it broke his heart. He knew he would do everything in his power to ensure she never felt like this again, he would treat her like a queen, make her feel special...and to never hurt her.

The boy knew he was falling for her and for once he knew what being cared about felt like. The boy who had never had dreams of being married but instead spending his days with his dog and whiskys was now a distant memory. How was this possible, they had known each other a couple of months but he was open with her and she became the first person he ever concretely trusted. He opened up about his past, about who he was. She was a new lease on life, a way of living and one that he saw as his duty to love and protect, no matter the cost.

A few years passed, the boy only dreamed of her. His thoughts and ambitions were all focused on the future they were building together. From random flowers to cooking her meals, he went above and beyond to constantly show her how remarkable she was and how much she meant to him. He knew she would be the mother of his children, he had quit drinking and smoking for her, his health was important to them and he didn't want to leave her side. His actions were defined by her love, before commiting to a thought or ideaology he'd ask himself what she would think, acting as an angel on his shoulder. He no longer got into fights, he was calm and caring, volunteering from time to time at the local homeless shelter, wanting the world to experience the love he felt.
It was his final year at university, not long till graduation....the date he would he would propose.

The two spoke of their plans for marriage, she was of a different class and therefore her parents and family were unhappy at the thought of her choosing someone from a lower class. The boy and girl had known this, yet they held each others hands and promised they wouldn't part. Together they would show that class doesn't matter when you find someone who loves and cares about you. The boy was ready, his finances were looking good and the two of them were making the right steps for a future together. All his hopes and dreams were placed on their future, he believed in her and loving her was the only way he'd know.

The day before his final exam, they had a minor arguement. On the day of his exam she had text him wishing him the best of luck. Buoyed by this he gave his all in the exam and felt confident he had his love backing him.  After the exam, it was revealed the text was actually meant for her friend and not him. Over the next few days, the girl explained that if she married him it would look bad on her mother to have her daughter marry someone from a lower class. The girl loved her mother and couldn't put her through that. The noble boy was ready to sacrifice their future for the mothers happiness, if it was that important to the girl he would support her by allowing her to marry within her own class. They agreed to be friends and although there was nothing physical or intimate they remained close and met regularly, always talking and filling each other in on their lives. The boy had lost his wife but kept his best friend, he still had someone to talk to and he knew that when his head hit the pillow someone in the word loved him. But still, he didn't feel whole and slowly as time went on, he was beginning to crack...he wanted to marry her and knew he couldn't let her go...

It was now Christmas and the boy asked the girl if she wanted to go out to a few bars, she rejected the chance to meet him so he went to a party. He recevied a call at this party from the girl demanding he abandon his friends to meet her. The boy was shocked and so refuted...they didn't speak for a few days. The boy, now missing her, text to ask how she was and if she wanted to spend New Years together. What she replied with destroyed him. The girl had started seeing someone else and would be with them on New Years. She had no time for the boy, phone calls were shortened so she could call her new partner, the girl only wanting to talk about how funny and amazing her new partner is. The boy finally admitted to her that he was breaking and confessed he didn't want to live without her...he still dreamt of them being together, just like in The Notebook, they had watched it together of course and like most couples they felt the love story matched their own. She finally agreed to meet him...he went to the barbers for his fresh shaved cut, bought some flowers, a card and her favourite chocolates. He knew this was the time to prove he's the one for her. Waiting by the phone for her to confirm when she would be leaving her house the clock kept ticking. The day was getting late now, he messaged her to ask what was taking her so long...she was with her new partner at the time and couldn't talk, she had no intention of speaking to the boy yet alone seeing him again. Heart broken, alone, rejected, betrayed. His dream shattered, his hope annihilated. All the years of faithful service and loyalty destroyed. He had always had abandonment issues, now the only person that ever truly loved him had cut him out of her life as well, there was nothing left to see of him. He spiralled out of control, there was no reason to live...his calls and texts were rejected and ignored by the girl. He was told by the girl he loved to stop messaging and that she loved her partner now, it didn't get any better for the boy as she admitted she didn't remember what the boys love felt like.

After two suicide attempts, councelling and medications the boy who was constantly drunk and broken called his old flame on a Saturday morning. After multiple calls he eventually got through to her...only to find it was the day of her engagement ceremony, the call lasted less than two minutes the following words lasting with him for all eternity, "F**k off Nate! Just f**k off!! I don't want anything to do with you! I dont care about you Nate, I don't even think about you! Just f**k off, don't contact me ever again!!"

It's been 5 years, 6 months and 13 days. No one loved him during that time. He lives alone and visits the nearby lake to dream of the thought of someone caring about him, to find someone he can make smile or that'd share their time with him. No one wants his love and no one needs him. The woman has long forgotten about him but he still thinks about her everyday, happy memories and bad. Either way it doesn't matter, his loss is eternal, no light shines down on him and despite attempts to live for himself, fate has decided he fight a losing battle. He sits drinking his whisky and smoking himself to an early grave, the love he once had in the gods and vision for the future is volatile. He has no purpose or duty. Yet embers still burn, the man remains charitable by helping others when he can, be it carrying a pushchair down a flight of stairs or buying a hot drink for a homeless person in the city streets. Everyone has abandoned the man but he will not abandon them. A phantom of his former self, death would be his escape from the torment.


The world is cruel and harsh, a man who lived on the rough side of the city ended a journey the likes of which he'd never imagined.

Author's Note

Have briefly spellchecked, however please do note and comment on any errors you come across as I will amend where possible.

Many Thanks,
Mal

Reviews

[Evil Duncan]

I liked this. It was simple in concept and well executed. I like that you kept to 'boy' and 'girl' for most of the piece, I think it invites the reader to put themselves in either role. The whole piece was specific enough to feel real, but also vague enough that I felt it echoed some of my own relationships; and as such when it ended up with the boy rejected and heartbroken, feeling a terrible sense of unrequited love it really grabbed me by the heart.

[Krizito]

Terrific narrative. I like your style.
Love is a double-edged sword, sometimes it strikes you. I just the embers never stop burning; once the light is quenched, jits lights out.

[SquinklaPsyOps]

Fabulous, emotive, original story with that special sense of delight and style. This is truly my favorite kind of writing. It tickles, it elates, it imagines itself into reality.