It was with a great deal of reluctance that he moved away from the small seaside town.
Prendlington was a pretty little town known for its magnificent ocean views seen from the high cliffs along its coastline. It was for this reason and the fact that he and his intended bride were nothing short of made for each other that he found it hard to leave. Nevertheless, following their engagement, he left and took up residence in the distant city, close to the university. This rental accommodation, would allow him to study for a degree in Mine Engineering, with an emphasis on deep mine blasting and explosives. However, apart from having to leave his beloved town and community, in doing so, as stated, he left behind his childhood sweetheart. She was a young woman employed in the town council’s planning department who devoted much of her time outside of working hours to carrying out research for the Prendlington Historical Society. Like her fiancé, her family had lived in the town for several generations.
Their plan was that with his qualifications behind him, he would return to his home community, where they would marry and settle down in the town that they both grew up in. He felt confident that he could find well paid employment at the nearby mining company.
However, as so often happens in the ever-changing affairs of mortals, none of this was destined to come about. It was later considered that the news that she had broken their engagement and taken up with the eldest son of the town’s mayor that pushed him, along with the town, over the edge.
It was in the early hours of the morning, after the warning had been broadcast, that a complete evacuation of the town’s citizens took place. Shortly after, and following a series of blasts, the entire town shook momentarily, then fell into the sea.
This event only served to reinforce the notion that some people simply take things much too seriously.