He smiled, realizing he could finally see the seagulls coming.

The price was the real shock. The local boutique wanted $450. This site was asking for $72, including polarized lenses and "midnight blue" frames. He hovered over the "Buy" button, certain he was either buying a box of air or glasses that would make him go blind. He clicked anyway.

Ten days later, a small padded envelope arrived. Arthur opened it to find a sleek, matte-black case. Inside were the sunglasses. He stepped out onto his balcony and slid them on.

That night, he typed the four words that had always felt like a trap: