Forbidden Sunset
A short story
Forbidden Sunset
The pedestrians surged forward in the busy hustle of the New York morning. The street seemed like a symphony of motion with all the yellow taxis and cars, horns honking, creating the constant urban melody. Towering skyscrapers cast dark shadows across the sidewalk vendor’s carts. The air was infused with the delicious scent of street food and the usual odor of car exhaust.
The year was 2047. Gigantic electronic billboards cast news and information for busy onlookers. Every five minutes, new rules and regulations moved across the bottom of every screen, including tablets and phones: no loitering, no gathering in large groups, no chewing gum, etc. New rules could appear at any time, so everyone had to diligently check notifications on their devices.
The Canny family enjoyed some time together in the fresh air at the park. Bill and Sandy Canny watched as Joel and Jimmy ran around for a bit before walking home.
“It’s good to see the boys have fun, even if just for a short time,” Bill said.
“Yes, I agree. Sadly, it’s not like when we were kids,” Sandy smiled while watching Joel jump off the end of the slide.
“Let’s go boys. It’s getting late,” Bill waved the boys over.
