A soft breeze played with his hair as he stared longingly out at the swirling waters at the base of the cliff. The strong waves beat mercilessly against the broken, jagged rocks. The day was cool, comfortable, with a pale blue sky. The sun, ever present, smiled down on the land with a weak, watery glow. Wisps of cloud floated away, diminished after they had dropped their loads on an unsuspecting piece of land.

He looked at the rocks beneath his feet, admiring the sheen of the wet stone, enjoying the feeling of the polished rocks under his bare feet. It was peaceful as he listened to the seagulls chattering to one another. Nothing disturbed the serenity of the ocean shore. But, though the day bespoke of peace and harmony, inside he felt like a bustling city, crowded with noise and drowning in fumes. He couldn’t breathe, drawing in quick gasps of breath that were never enough for his starved lungs. Oh, how he longed to make it all stop. To forget would be pure bliss, a release from the pain.

“Just one step,” he told himself. “Just one more step and it will all go away.”

That one step was the hardest in his life. But, as his foot dropped off the cliff, he felt that it had been the easiest thing in his life. His body dropped and he felt it as in slow motion, slowly toppling over, head over heels. He twisted in the air so that he was staring at that pale blue sky.

As he fell, he thought of all of the things he was leaving behind, all of the people and memories. But, as he neared the crashing waves, the bustling city inside of him grew silent, the fumes dissipated. Finally, at the end, he had found his silence, his peace. He closed his eyes for the last time.