The sky was on fire, angry that the sun would never be released below the horizon.  The world had stopped turning and a perpetual evening sunset spread across the sky day after day after day, although no one could really know for sure. There was no chance for sleep. What once was a marvelous color display had turned into monotony and torture and the drooping eyes of the people showed the signs of immense stress.

“It’s as if nothing can ever be finished.”
“It’s as if nothing new can ever be started.”
“It’s as if we can never, ever get a break.”

These were the cries from the people as they found themselves wandering aimlessly on the streets and country roads. Meals would not finish cooking, conversations would not end, wounds would not heal, no one aged or died or were born. But also, other people would not stop laughing if they happened to be laughing the moment the sun got stuck. Their laughing muscles became so sore and painful and tight that their laughter began to sound like cries. They fell to the ground in pain and their mind wandered into the mush of non-thoughts, a sickening whir of a merry-go-round.

“I wish this moment would last forever.” were the words uttered by Abel. He and his brother were out on a boat, fishing in the bay. Out there, a peace had been reached between them that had gone missing for many ages. The sky was beautiful, the moment was perfect and he never wanted it to end and so, it was granted. There he remained, gazing at the sunset with his repentant brother, who, with the never-ending moment, had slowly gathered within him so much sorrow for his life’s misdeeds that he wished he could drown himself.

Abel’s peace was so long-held that it withered to dust and blew away. He thought night was in fact coming, because his eyes became dim over time from staring at the sunset. It was not until he heard his brother cry, “Please Abel, this happiness has become a prison. I wish for nothing more than pain right now, so that I might someday know happiness again.”

Abel turned his stiff neck and eyes toward his brother, whom he could barely see and finally, the moment passed.