Charles Anderson in New Zealand: He awakes alone in the black at 12.03am. He does not look at the clock but he knows the time. He cannot see their faces but he knows who they are. The silhouettes surround him in silence. He is not afraid. He closes his eyes and remembers their story. It is his too.
He remembers the taste of salt, the smell of gasoline, the constant slap of water against his skin. He remembers what absolute loneliness feels like.
He will say he was ready to die. He will say his entire life led up to the moment when he decided not to.
There were nine, including him. They had set out together on a boat called the Easy Rider. The only difference in their story is that he is alive and they are not.
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