Outlook lookout

Travis stared dolefully at the shimmering lights that lined the shrouded horizon. Somewhere in the city below dwelt the family he had once been part of, the job he no longer had and a host of impatient debt collectors

The frigid air cut through his threadbare attire, chilling him. He drained the hip flask and threw it against the adjacent wall. Glass shattered on impact.

Travis anxiously scanned his surrounds for discarded beer-cans but there were none to be found. His nerves tightened while his scabby hands fidgeted absently.

Flashbacks of nightclubs and euphoric parties he had frequented, during his apprenticeship, skipped in and out of his troubled mind. He watched his gradual decline, leading towards the inevitable alienation.

The images dissipated. Travis turned and studied the lights again. Bottle stores paged him. He checked his pockets for change then started his way back down Mount Victoria. Misty rain fell.