The Divide

Milton is driving a stolen convertible down the highway with the radio on full volume at 4 AM, after a series of choices which had led him to wish for an escape.

Although growing up he was a star student and athlete, the last few months had proven to be inexplicably hard on his mental, emotional and physical well-being. No amount of partying, alcohol, drugs or sex seemed to provide him with any sentiment, not even a false one, of satisfaction. The pleasures that this false, hypocritical world had to offer, had officially come to an end. After the death of his best friend happened, the death of the old Milton began. No more of the person that people would be excited to talk to early in the mornings, or late at night. The only time he was awake during the day was while he was pondering all the choices he had made, he would make and contemplate the existence of a God.

Being torn between an unlikely love rectangle also, Milton chose to make all the wrong choices. While madly in love with Aria and reminiscing over the loss of Mack, he made the choice of breaking Lynn's heart. All amazingly different, all perfectly imperfect girls, all three, polar opposites. South, West and East. Milton was North- the overwhelmingly low temperature surrounded and defined his existence. The Sun rose from the East and set in the West. Meanwhile, the South Pole is endlessly unknown, and forever undiscovered- and is meant to stay that way, for if we knew the truth about the South Pole, we would all cease to exist.

Aria's face haunts Milton in his visions as he drives down the highway. She was the one person that knew him better than anyone. Even before Mack came into the picture, Aria knew all of Milton's good and bad deeds. She wasn't the kind of person you could hide from. Her deep hazel eyes could warm the hearts of Earth Giants and stop armies in their tracks, in their quest for blood-thirsty murder. That's who she was. The girl that could calm thunderstorms with her words, and the raging hurricanes in Milton's mind with her lips. And although he had the chance at her so many times, poor clueless Milton unwillingly pushed her away for Mack.

Mack was the one that Milton had fought so hard for, for so long. She seemed completely unachievable, another one of his ambitious dreams that was unlikely to come true. And to be fair, Milton did not believe he had won her over, until they were both laying naked, gasping on the floor by his fireplace, sharing a cigarette.

What a fool.

For he had never achieved her. Not truly, anyways. The momentary satisfaction he provided for her was not enough, as she decided to go behind his back and break his trust, letting herself be won over by anyone and everyone. Not only that, but Milton himself had to break ties with her. The day he picked up the scissors and cut the red thread tying their hearts together, was the day Milton died.

Until Lynn came. Lynn was quiet, sweet, delicate. Mack's polar opposite. Lynn was East for she represented the sunrise, while Mack was West. Sunsets are beautiful, but temporary and quick, after which comes darkness and cold. Someone once said that darkness does not exist. Darkness is but the absence of light. Lynn was the presence of light.

A Siren.

Which is why Milton's eyes were filling with involuntary tears as he pressed the gas of the hijacked car.

Pierce was left in a vegetative state on a bed, begging for death to come and rescue him from the pain he was feeling. To break the chains still holding him captive to the Earth. And that he did. Pierce's death left Milton feeling cold, as if East disappeared altogether.

"What future?" Milton asked his mom. "Pierce doesn't even have the chance at a future, meanwhile everyone else but me knows exactly what their future is going to be."

"You let them make their own plans. You let God make yours."

She was right.

Milton swerves off the edge of the highway and smiles as the sun begins to rise from the East.