On an abandoned beach on the Southern California Coast near midnight, Everett Durant reaches into the pockets of his jeans as he approaches the water’s edge. He unburdens himself of all personal belongings as he prepares to commit suicide by drowning but fails. During his unsuccessful drowning, Everett experiences the appurtenance of a Guardian Angel, of sorts. When he wakes, he sees only the impression of a sand angel remaining where he washed ashore.
He soon learns that a young girl either jumped or fell from the cliffs above and suffered and died not so long ago. This realization encourages the washed-up emo-songwriter to honor her memory in a constructive way, and that sets the saga in motion. Everett deeply connects with those living in society’s underbelly as he gives them a voice through a collection of post-beat poetry.
Soon, a quick fifteen minutes of fame lead him into the path of Beatrice Rutherford, otherwise known as “the heiress.” With the prompting of the heiress, Everett moves deeper into the disorienting seas of cultural conformity, mass socialization, and geopolitical control, while championing the role of an inspired individualism. He could never have imagined that this incredible postmodern journey would begin with a dark night of the soul on an abandoned beach.
It was a short trip from the rooftop heliport landing pad to the uppermost interior floor of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The elevator doors opened to reveal the posh interior of LA Prime, an ultraclassy, uberromantic steakhouse serving prime beef steaks, fresh seafood, and an award-winning selection of French and Californian wines, all accolades that meant a lot in this particular town.
The well-dressed elevator doorman bowed ceremoniously, first to Miss Beatrice, and then to Everett Durant, offering to stow his and then her luggage, then directing them to the guest washrooms in the manner of a butler in a silent movie.
Everett smiled as he handed over his travel suitcase with all his worldly belongings to this reticent stranger, albeit one dressed in a fancy black tuxedo.
Upon Everett and Miss Beatrice’s return to the dining room, a stylish hostess came forward to usher the late-night travelers to a reserved table, set elegantly for two, right in front of an imposing span of plate glass windows overlooking the greater LA metropolis, if not the whole wide world.
