The Immurement

by David James Bryan

Inside this box I have placed your heart. Very slowly, the box will begin to collapse in on itself until your heart is crushed and the box is destroyed. The mechanism cannot be stopped by force and when it is finished its work you will die.One morning, Albért's landlady hands him a mysterious letter and with it, a sinister box.A man who works hard and avoids trouble, Albért has always tried to do what others expect of him, including that of his landlady, his employer and his family. But even though he has never done anything wrong and tried his best to fit into society, he has never been rewarded for his loyalty nor achieved satisfaction from his endeavours. Worse still, he is unhappy, and yet does not know how to regain the happiness he once had as a child.That is, until he receives the letter and the box. Initially dismissing it as a joke, his landlady is more wary and suggests that perhaps he might like to see one final sunset before he dies, simply to witness something beautiful. An unwarranted visit shortly afterwards by his brother, who confirms the veracity of the letter, prompts Albért to begin asking questions about his life and, in desperation of his time running out, to hurriedly re-evaluate what he wants to do with however long he has left. At a loss as to what else to do, Albért follows his landlady’s advice to go to the coast to see a last sunset.Having no resources, he sets out walking on his journey, passing by his workplace and, from thereon, meeting by accident or chance, a number of characters who all spend time discussing their own lives with him and their problems. Through listening to what ails the people he meets and how they interact with him, Albért learns what it is in his own life that he really values and through that, what will make him happy. Initially he challenges those that tell him he is wrong to expect to live a long life, and that it can end at any moment, but he gradually comes to the realisation that time is precious and should not be wasted.The characters Albért meets range from the slightly peculiar to the bizarre, and the situations in which he discovers them, from the weird to the fantastical. Along the way he learns the simplicity of finding and keeping to listen to our hearts in the pursuit of beauty, whilst being honest with ourselves and those who we meet as we live our lives. By following this advice Albért finds peace and harmony with who he is and, as a result, a contented joy.Follow Albért on his journey as he seeks his final sunset.

233 pages, Hardcover

Published October 28, 2023