He stood by the shore, watching the calm ocean as it gently lapped against the beach. The sun was especially vicious that day, and he was already drenched in sweat. His doctor had warned him about the dangers of dehydration, especially at this age, but that was the furthest thought in his mind right now.
What have I done?
He was horrified, not just because of the consequences of his actions, but because of the actions themselves. He knew no one would understand what he did or why he did it. He also knew his actions were indefensible to most of the general public.
I have messed with forces I don't - cannot - understand
The island of Teracora lay far out in the Pacific Ocean, away from all forms of civilisation. The closest island was Tahiti, more than a day away by boat. The isolation and tranquility offered by the location were the prime reason for his choosing it as the base of his operation.
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And now that isolation has doomed me
He knew what he had to do. There was really only one solution. He had spent the better half of that morning trying to think of another way but nothing had come to mind.
I wonder if the geniuses of years past wondered of the consequences of their action. Did Einstein before the atom bomb? Did Nobel before the dynamite?
But he knew. At the end of the day whatever he was saying was just to soothe himself. He sighed and stood up, looking back at the huge mansion which dominated the skyline of Teracota. There were no other human residents on the island, he was the only one crazy enough to come here. The mansion had been his pride, his joy and he had truly enjoyed living in it. The secrets spread throughout that only he knew made the mansion that much more intimate to him. Over the years he had begun to think of it almost as a friend, especially after the passing of dear old Margie, his wife.
No, no no. Cannot think like that. Cannot, cannot, cannot....
He shook his head and stood up again. No, now was not the time for reminiscence, now was the time for action. He would have a lot of time for reminiscence later.
As he walked back towards the mansion, he wondered whether he was making the right choice, even though he knew that there wasn't really another one.