Hello all, back with a new one. This is a departure from the heavier-hitting stories I've written of late. The concept for it has been floating in my head for a while; it is a lighter, fantasy-romance set in the real world but with a mythical/mystery twist to it (think the TV show Lost mixed with Hans Christian Anderson's tales). So, if that's not your thing, feel free to pass and read the multitude of other fabulous stories on this site.
This is the first part of a multi-part series that, as always, will be published in short order. Enjoy! JJJ
*
Adam was standing at his office window, looking out over the city. He'd never given the term 'concrete jungle' much thought until then. But, as his eyes travelled over the numerous skyscrapers puncturing the iron-grey sky, he thought the term was an appropriate one. There was no colour in the city, only different shades of grey. It was solid; harsh and unforgiving like the concrete it was made from. And, like a jungle, the ruthless survived and the weak perished.
Such was the life of Adam Hawk. Son to a successful real estate developer, he'd inherited his father's business and taken it quite literally to new heights. Standing at the top floor of one of the city's tallest skyscrapers, Adam Hawk felt as though he owned the world. He chuckled to himself. He did indeed own quite a bit of it.
The laughter died on his lips as his eyes fell to the streets, packed with people running to and from jobs like ants in a disturbed nest. The roads were black arteries that ran between the buildings, clogged with cars sounding their horns.
His attention was taken from the window by the sound of his office door opening. "Come to tell me how much you'll miss me?" he asked, turning to see Jeff Otman, his father's number two and now his, enter the room. Adam was by no means a small man. Six feet with broad shoulders, there weren't many he found physically imposing. But Jeff was easily six-four and built like a bear. Couple that with a ruthless mind for business, bald head, thick beard, and gravelly voice, Jeff's presence was enough to intimidate most people he came across.
Jeff strolled to Adam's extremely expensive collection of whiskies, selected a glass, and poured himself a good measure. He snorted. "How did you know it was me?"
"Because you're the only person who would enter my office without knocking," Adam replied, declining a drink from Jeff with a shake of his head. He sat behind his desk and braced himself for the inevitable.
Jeff took a sip and let out a long sigh. He eyed Adam for a moment and then took the seat opposite him, the chair groaning in protest. "You don't have to go, you know. We could send a team down there and they'd have reports drawn up in no time. You could enjoy the sunshine up here while they're stuck in the ass-end of nowhere down there."
Adam smiled and shook his head. "I'm going, Jeff. You're more than capable enough of handling things around here. Besides, I haven't taken time off since I took over the business when Dad passed."
Jeff chuckled. "You think living in a lighthouse for a few months is a holiday? Adam, you're thirty; you want a holiday? Fly somewhere filled with young women eager to fight for a rich bachelor's attention. You've got places all over the world, throw a dart at a globe and head there."
Adam sighed. "It's not that. I... I suppose I just need to get away from the world for a bit, away from people." He stood up and returned to the window. "Did Dad ever speak about the future of the company? He never got the chance to talk to me about it before he passed."
"Isn't it obvious?" Jeff asked, standing up and stepping beside Adam at the window. He tilted his glass to the city. "To buy more, build more, make more."
"Doesn't that seem a bit hollow to you? Look at the city, Jeff. I can't see a single tree. Where did all the colour go?" Adam shook his head. "I don't know. I suppose I wondered if Dad ever had plans for something else in the company's future."
Jeff frowned and his voice hardened fractionally. "You want to see a tree, there's plenty outside the city. We are
developers
; we buy land, build on it, sell it. Nothing more, nothing less. Let the world worry about itself because it sure as hell doesn't worry about you. Your dad started this company to make money, and make money we have." He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Maybe you getting away to clear your head isn't such a bad idea. You'll certainly have enough time, but if you go, just remember why you're there, eh?"
Adam nodded. "Of course, I was the one who started this whole project, remember?"
Adam's parents had died in a car accident on the way to an award evening, leaving him the sole heir to their company and fortune at twenty-five. He'd been working at the company since turning eighteen and was being groomed to take over, but the jump in responsibility was still incredibly stressful. Luckily, Jeff had been there to help him through it.
"When do you leave?" Jeff asked.
"Tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what the signal's going to be like down there, but I'll send mail from the village when I can."
Jeff patted his shoulder. "Get your head straight before you come back, our business is no place for a distracted mind. And remember why you're going; that land could be worth millions if we develop it in the right way. I've put the feelers out and the local government are excited about the possibility of it being put to use. I suspect their excitement likely has something to do with the amount of money it'll generate for them."
"What about the villagers?"
Jeff barked laughter. "What do you think? They're all up in arms and will probably get a few of the environmental folk involved, but it's nothing that money can't fix. If there's one thing I've learned in all my years, it's that
every
government and agency will bow before money. We just need to line the right pockets."
Jeff finished his whisky and put the glass back on the side. "I'll keep things ticking over back here. When you give me the go-ahead, I'll file the paperwork and talk to the right people to get things started." He left the office and Adam returned to gazing at the city, wondering at what point money became more important to people than morals.
*
Atlantis Point was a spit of land jutting out to sea at the far northern reaches of the country. It was five miles long, a mile wide, and tapered down to a point at its far end. The coastline was a mixture of rocky ledges, beaches, and coves. A single narrow trail ran through its middle from the nearest village; a place called Marelia. It had fields, some woods, and unparalleled views of the open ocean. It was because of these unparalleled views that Atlantis Point first captured Adam's attention.
He'd happened across it by accident when researching new projects. The local government had put the land up for sale to private contractors in the hope that they could make money from it short term and long term. Just from the photos, Adam had been entranced. The place had a strange beauty to it he couldn't quite identify. Something about it called to him in a way that no other project had before.
Initially, Jeff hadn't been impressed. The place was nearly impossible to get to, not to mention getting machinery and building supplies there if they decided to develop it. Moreover, because of the shifting tides and sea levels, Atlantis Point and Marelia were cut off from the mainland for three months of the year, during which they were only accessible by boat. Those alone should have been enough to put a stopper in any plans to purchase it, but Adam had been insistent. He envisioned luxury hotels and accommodations during the summer months where millionaires and billionaires could relax away from the world in a place of entrancing beauty. It would cost them a lot, but the payoff would be enormous.
Eventually, Jeff relented and their planning began. The more the project progressed, the more enthused he became. He too saw the potential for making a large windfall of cash, especially with the local government onside. The opposite could be said of Adam. When the tainted view provided by money was stripped away, he started to see the place for its beauty as it was, not how much it could generate for him. He decided that someone would need to visit it to write up a report before purchasing it, and that someone would be him.
Unfortunately, the summer months were coming to a close and Atlantis Point would be cut off from the mainland for three months. With every extra day they didn't put an offer in, there was the risk of a rival company seizing the land, particularly considering its very modest price. The last thing Jeff or Adam wanted was to get into a bidding war.
So, it was for those reasons Adam had taken two flights, a train journey, and a taxi ride, and was finally standing on a jetty looking out over a choppy ocean at Atlantis Point. He wouldn't be staying at the village; he doubted that someone who wanted to build luxury houses, hotels, and apartments on their doorstep would get a warm welcome. So, he was staying at the old lighthouse at the far end of the island. He would take over the responsibility of lighting it at night while creating a report with ideas of what they could build and where. Of course, there were countless surveys, tests, and legal processes to complete, but he wanted to get an initial feel for the place before committing man-hours and resources.
It was a cold day and the clouds lay thickly upon the world. Adam had left the realms of modern society long ago. The nearest city was a half day's travel. Buildings had given way to rolling moors of grass interspersed with woodlands of towering trees. The further he'd travelled, the fewer cars and people he'd seen. It was like travelling backwards through time, to a place where the days were measured by the rise and fall of the sun rather than the ticking hands of a clock.
"You must be that Hawk fella," a thickly accented man said from behind him, making Adam jump. A short, stocky man strolled across the jetty and held out his hand. "Name's Remilind, but most just call me Remi."
"Adam," he said, taking the man's firm handshake. "My company must have contacted you about taking me over to Atlantis Point?"
"Aye, though you must be crazy to trap yourself over there with that bunch for three months."
