Rage
April 5th, 2019
The day had barely begun but I had gone straight back to bed and slept until long after the sun had set again. I would have kept sleeping if it hadn’t been for the thunderstorm outside. It seemed to crack the air as if the very heavens might split apart. It came like the prelude to a great song, impetuous rumbling permeating the air every bit as much as the sudden rain. At first, it was a crack, violent to the ears, but after came a rolling sound that dissipated into the surrounding woods. Then, I realized it wasn’t all thunder and rain. I had been around long enough to know what gunfire sounded like. From the loudness, I estimated the shooting was less than a few blocks away. More worryingly, the rapidity of the shots suggested automatic weapons. Either the local farmer was killing crows with a light machine gun in the middle of the night or I was in serious trouble. Silence returned for a moment as everything around me seemed to hold its breath. Then, shouting followed by more gunfire. Different gunfire. Sheriff Ramos and her people. I quickly put on my clothes and went outside. It was raining heavily which allowed me to move mostly unseen. The people of Kite’s End all came out of their houses to see what was going on. They were foolishly brave to get their own guns out and investigate. The gunfire had scared off every animal in the area so I had to take a look for myself.
A blast so loud it popped my ears threw me off balance. For a moment I found myself reliving the attacks in The Hague. Gunfire and explosions all around. I pulled myself back together and saw a dozen heavily armed men making their way towards me. They wore private military uniforms with distinctive black berets. These were pros and I was an easy target. The buildings around me were in flames and lit up the night sky. Suddenly, I heard gunfire behind me as well. Ramos and her men lay down covering fire for me to get to safety.
“Who are these people?!” I shouted trying to overrule the noise.
“You tell me!” Ramos shouted back at me. “We could really use you right now!”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Don’t you dare play dumb with me! Get out there and do something!”
It seemed my identity was no longer a secret. The town I had grown to love was in flames. The people lay dying on the streets and all I did was hide behind a dumpster. I didn’t know what to do though. I’d always played more of a supportive role. The trees and plants of Kite’s End weren’t going to help. There were just too few. I could turn the fires against them, but that would exhaust me. Who knew what more I’d have to face. I stared down at the concrete trying to think of a way out. I hated concrete. It had absolutely zero beauty. I watched the rain seeping through the cracks and gathering in puddles and it gave me an idea. I looked up into the clouds above the shooters and imagined them grow colder and colder to the point of freezing. I watched as massive icicles fell out of the sky and pierced the shooters. It only took two of them to die for the rest to run.
“Thanks,” sheriff Ramos puffed as she reloaded her weapon. I remained quiet. I was thinking of how fast things could change, how dynamic life was. I wasn’t ready to be found again. I didn’t want to leave yet, but the decision wasn’t up to me it seemed.