"The Strong Man"
A war was coming, I knew it was close. I looked out of my window, my castle and saw the enemy. I lit a cigarette, I could feel my craving subside as I exhaled my smoke-filled breath. It’s a simple addiction, really. I’m a strong man I could break it anytime I wanted. The air was cold, dead and unforgiving I could barely breath. My lungs where overworking. I felt something rolling down my face, was it sweat? It couldn’t be, I’m not a paranoid man. I’ve always planned ahead but not this far. I’ve been planning this day for years. The war was inevitable, every action to stop it was merely delaying fate. And you cannot fight fate and expect to win. I heard the thunderous footsteps, my army had arrived. I walk to the window and see the ocean of lost souls, a hopeless battle against my enemy. A hundred men, young and old, only to delay my escape. Their sacrifice would be honored, and I would live with their deaths the rest of my life. I must not let them down.
Bursting out the door, I ran down the halls of my fortress. Passing by more of my men, still on their hopeless crusade. Their faces full of determination and bravery but were they hiding fear? Fear that they may never walk again? Fear that they may not be home for their families? I couldn’t tell, I had to escape this battle. I had to make it home. I raced past my protector, a gigantic man of seven feet. He was a man of few words. The few words he did say were full of wisdom, he was a man of truth. He was strong, the best of the best.
“He’s here, the war has started. You must stop him at any cost” I said.
He merely nodded, why? Did he think he could beat him? Is he not scared? Is he going to fight? I couldn’t ask him. No time for answers, no time for reasons. All I could do is ensure my personal victory. My only victory.
When I arrived at the elevator, I caught a glimpse of him, the Machine. A hulking beast with no soul who believes he does. He thinks he has a heart? How many lives did he take to get to me? What “hero” would do that? But I couldn’t argue, I would do the same. In a twisted way he and I are alike. I would make it to my home. I had to make it home.
As the elevator ascended, I heard the pain of my men, I heard the Machine making way his here. I had to hurry otherwise confrontation would be unavoidable. I felt it again, the things rolling down my face, why? I’m going to win, there was no way he could stop this victory.
I entered my room and started searching for my escape, the way I’d win. I heard his footsteps downstairs, an earthquake every step. I had to hurry, I had to escape. I searched my desk clumsily, my hands were shaking. I had found my escape, a free ticket home.
As I picked up the gun, I looked at it. All the little details on it were clear to me now, it told the story of its life and the end of mine. I put up to my head and said my goodbyes, I knew I was going to Hell but I didn’t care. I put my finger on the trigger.
I couldn’t do it, no matter how hard I tried the trigger remained still. I kept trying and trying and it didn’t work. Was this Death, keeping his grip on my soul? Or was it me? It couldn’t be me, I was a strong man, if I wanted to kill myself I would’ve done it.
The door was kicked down, the Machine had arrived. My bullet hit him, but did nothing to him. I had only done so to feel better about my own failure. He threw me against the wall and I got a clear look at him. He was tall, easily over 6 foot. His hair was blond, eyes were on fire with hatred towards me. He was beyond the limits of human strength, his entire body was manufactured to kill me. I looked him in the eyes, unfazed. I wasn’t scared of death right now, I welcomed it
“It’s over, Sinister” He growled in a deep voice.
“Is that so, ‘Hero’?” I questioned.
He responded by throwing me into my desk, it shattered on impact, a thousand cuts but I felt no pain. I remained unfazed.
“If you want to kill me, do it now. Just know you killed a hundred men just for one man! How are you a hero?” I said.
“What have I done?! All you’ve left is a trail of pain and suffering, hundreds of lives ruined because of YOUR greed!” The Machine shouted.
“All for a good cause!”
He grabbed me by my neck, I felt the lifeless steel masquerading as flesh. He is indeed a Machine
“It always happens this way doesn’t it, Machine? You can’t finish the job!” I said this and he responded with a simple glare.
“I’ll tell you the truth, hero. You live your life, you fight, and people love you. The world sees you as its champion. Then, you look back at life, after everything is done and you ask ‘Was it worth it?’ No, it was not. You keep fighting and fighting until you become the very thing you fought against. You realize everything you believed in was a lie, your leaders all corrupt individuals all out for power. Your country in disrepair. Then you do what you must to change the world for the better. That is the hero’s tale.”
He remained silent.
“I know this because I am a victim of this same fate. You’re already on your way there, how many people did you just kill?” I knew I had broken him, I knew it.
He then responded with this.
“I didn’t kill anyone.”
I was in disbelief. How could he reach me without killing even one man? It’s impossible!
He raised his fist at me, I knew his words would be a lie in a few moments. Something happened. I saw something in his eyes I’d never seen before. Was it sympathy? Remorse? Was it possibly a promise to someone? He dropped me with a loud thud.
“I’m leaving you a reminder. Something you’ll never forget. But I can’t kill you.” As he said this he threw something at me before he left. A picture?
I looked at it and it was my son, my 5 year old boy. I wept for the first time in 10 years. I had almost forgotten why I live, why I am who I am. I realized then why I couldn’t pull the trigger, I was too strong to leave my family.
I made my first step to redemption as a shadow seeped in. A dark figure rose in front of me. It was Death himself. I would not be bound by his shackles anymore.