He stood at the edge of the precipice. Thousands of feet below, he could no longer make out individual trees in the carpet of brown and green that filled the canyon floor. Updrafts of sweltering air caressed his bare skin, ready to enfold him in a lover's embrace. The pungent aroma of the desert filled his every breath. He inhaled deeply, smelling, tasting, relishing nature's banquet.
Looking over the edge, he let the rock fall from his hand. Fascinated, he watched it plummet, spinning, twisting, twirling to the ground below. He chuckled to himself as he wondered if larger, more massive objects did the same.
For years now, life had been empty. He had tried just about every drug out there. All left him nonplussed. Music, television, movies and even the internet held no appeal. For a brief time, he thought identity theft and corporate hacking might provide some interest, some intrigue that would fill the gaping void he felt. Yet even that left him wanting. Women bored him and men were even worse, so predictable, so literal.
Life had become utterly without purpose. He had experienced it all, and it all left him unfulfilled.
Or so he thought.
A smile spread across his face as he remembered back one year ago today. The idea had come to him in a moment of brilliance, of clarity, of comprehension so pure he knew without doubt that he had come across that answer he had been seeking.
And so the search began. For the past year he had been studying the geography of the Earth. He had traveled the world many times over, making sure he found the ideal place. It was almost ironic that he had ended up right back where he started, having come full circle to return to the Grand Canyon. His search had begun here, and here it had ended. It was perfect.
A chill ran over him, his skin prickling in response despite the heat of the summer evening. His heart raced with anticipation as he prepared to plumb the deepest of life's mysteries. With a 3,000 foot sheer wall of rock beneath him, he figured he had about 20 seconds.
He calmly walked back to the stereo he had brought with him. Beethoven's 9th was a clarion call in the wilderness. The sun kissed the horizon behind him, setting the sky on fire. With all his energy, with all his strength, with all the passion he had never felt for so many years, he threw himself into the void.
And for 20 wondrous, blissful seconds he contemplated death.