Teaser #2 - Thirteen Days of Bliss for Vincent Williams

I open my eyes, and whisper quietly to myself, “Thirteen days.”

It has been thirteen days since I have killed anybody.

Normally I would look around, and notice that everything is as it was – no change, no difference. Same place, same time, same hellish existence.

Not today. Instead, I stare up at the ceiling, and reflect; I reflect on what has brought me to this point in my life. All the violent and destructive things I’ve done, and how each day I have to wake up and deal with the inner torment and the consequences of those actions. I’m still Vincent Williams, and I’m still alive… much to my chagrin.

My outbursts are becoming more and more frequent. It’s a rarity these days if a month goes by without me taking a life. The shame it brings me is unspeakable, but I continuously tell myself that it’s for the greater good.

It wasn’t but a few months ago that Daniel looked up at me, with fear and anxiety written on his face, but also a fire and defiance in his eyes and no doubt his heart too. It didn’t stop the inevitable, me taking his life and sparing him a lifetime of torture and a fate worse than death, but seeing his body lifeless on the chair after I snapped his neck… well, it stayed with me for the longest time. I didn’t get a decent night’s sleep for weeks afterwards – it was the closest thing to insomnia that I had ever experienced. I had gone 45 days without killing anybody, and yet when faced with young Daniel, I knew in my heart that I would have to.

Of course, I buried the emotions deep down, far enough so that my employer wouldn’t notice. He views compassion as a sign of weakness, and despite me being one of his most valued agents, I know I’m just as disposable as the rest. I have heard of what happens to those who outlive their usefulness, and it results in a one-way ticket to meet the grim reaper.

Then there was the sad, heartbreaking story of Dean Moxley. Former rebellion leader, captured by myself and brought to ruler of this country to pay for his “crimes”. I tried so hard to get Dean to understand that if he didn’t let me do what I could for him that there was no going back. Moxley was a strong, confident and smart man, at least that what I heard from the reports anyways. When I took him to The Dictator, for lack of a better term, I knew he had sealed his own fate. His spirit and mind crushed, he became just another minion. Hid descent into madness was swift, I was left amazed with how different a man he became trapped in that cell. Madness indeed took him, and hasn’t let go of its fierce grip since. In some ways, I wish that Dean Moxley had let me kill him – no doubt it would’ve been far better than living the life he does now – but then again, could the same be said for me?

Just thinking about Moxley reminds me that he’s been sent elsewhere on behalf of our employer, along with a couple of other new recruits. I don’t think they’ve been heard of for some time, not that I’m surprised. If the other two recruits were as mentally scarred and broken as Moxley, it wouldn’t surprise me if they’d made a runner for it. It’d surprise me even less if nobody heard from the three again, but stranger things have happened.

I go through my usual routine – getting out bed, having a wash, updating my notepad, putting on my suit and preparing for what the day has to throw at me. I’ve almost become numb to it all now, it all feels like Groundhog Day, repeating the same horrible atrocities day-in and day-out. If I wasn’t such a damn coward, I would’ve taken the easy way out a long time ago – but my resolve isn’t strong enough.

Just as I gear up to put on my façade as this loyal employee, there is a sudden and sharp knock on my front door. It doesn’t register for a moment, heck I don’t even look up from tying my shoe-laces, telling myself I’m merely hearing things. Nobody has once knocked on my front door all the time I’ve been here, not even my employer. My instincts tell me to take the safety off my handgun and prepare for some kind of attack. The underground rebels perhaps, coming to avenge the death of young Daniel? Maybe it’s Dean Moxley, seeking sweet retribution? Or could it be the man I answer to sending a strike force to take me out, with me finally outliving my usefulness?

There is a second knock on the door, this one more forceful than the last. I take a deep breath, draw my gun and dash to the door, hoping I have the element of surprise on my side; perhaps they believed I wasn’t home, and let their guard down?

I turn the knob, openening the door so hard that it swings against the wall with an almighty crash, and I’m greeted by... nothing?

No, not nothing. It’s a blinding light, one so bright that I shield my eyes. It’s a light unlike I’d ever seen before, far stronger than any flash grenade. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume it was a light from the heavens itself, here to deliver me from this wretched world. I peek open an eye and my sight begins to adjust.

In front of me there is… not a person… but…

Writing?

“THIS IS NOT AN EXIT”

I don’t understand.

What… what is this?

…

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Catch the conclusion of the "Justice Saga" on 1st February 2015 with the release of "This Is Not An Exit"! All roads through "45 Days" and "Descent Into Madness" have lead to this. Available 01/02/2015 from Amazon Kindle via Ebook, and from Createspace.com via paperback!