SAD SOLDIERS

NO. 1

THE GIFT OF DESPAIR-

 “Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings”

“Who are you? How did you get in my fucking house?”

Parker hides behind his father as he confronts the man in all black. His mask strikes fear into everybody. The red rings around the eyes on the white canvas of a mask with an X over his mouth.  The man lifts his arm, holding a pistol pointed at Parker’s father.

He pulled the trigger, an explosion combusted in the cylinder, and the steel letter went straight through his skull. Brains painted his family behind him in red. Screams. Parker’s mother covered her mouth in astonishment, and everybody’s thoughts were drowned by his sister’s cries and screams. Parker stood still, he thought the world of his father, and now he lays dying in a pool of his blood. The cinematic sequence of him falling to his knees empty of life and slamming onto the floor.

The man wasn’t done. He pointed his gun at Parker’s mother’s legs. Explode. One kneecap shot out. Combust. Both kneecaps destroyed. She can’t stand anymore but refuses to show her tears to her children.

“Mommy!! Get up!” Sarah says as she pulls at her mothers arm. “We have to run!”

“Sarah...” she looks at her daughter and tears run but her voice and face remain strong. “You and Parker have to leave. Now. Run.”

“No! I’m not going to leave you Mom!” she sits beside her mother’s immobile body.

The man walks toward Sarah. She doesn’t move. Parker watches, petrified, unable to do anything. He puts his hand around her little throat and starts to squeeze. Blood starts to leak from her mouth as she’s trying her hardest to get his hand off of her neck, scratching and pulling.

Snap.

Her arms fall to her side, and the man throws her to the side and flips her mother over and rips off her shirt. She tries to struggle so he shoots out both of her elbows. She can only move her neck now. She looks to Parker, face red from crying her eyes out.

“Parker… Don’t cry, you need to be strong for Sarah, Mom, and Dad... But I need to hear you say you want to live.”

“…Mom.”

“SAY IT!”

“…I wanna live.”

“Good. Now listen to me. Don’t live to live, live for something. Stand for what you believe in,” Tears start to pour heavily now, “Don’t fight your friends, eat everything you’re given, grow up to be big and strong, and protect what you care about. Never give up, and don’t be sad about me or Sarah or your dad. We’re with you always. You’ve got your dad’s fire and fighting spirit, and your sister’s stubbornness… and you’ve got my bright brown hair, and green eyes. And my heart. “

Parker grits his teeth and wipes the tears from his eyes. He walks towards his mother and the man and picks up her arm and grips her pinky with his pinky.

“I’ll make you smile in heaven, promise.”

“I know you will, son… One more thing,” A smile grows on her face, “Take good care of N-“

The man interrupts her with a bullet to her head.

Parker’s eyes get wide and he balls his fist and runs to the drawer a couple feet away and grabs a big kitchen knife and stabs the man in the back multiple times, and once in the neck, the man covers his neck wound, unsaddles his mother and points the gun to Parker.

“The gun’s empty. You used your sixth bullet just now, and I’m not gonna let you reload in front of me. You’re dead now.”

“Heh..”

He talked for the first time. His voice is deep and distorted.

“You’ve got a lot of spirit for a little shit. I like the look in your eyes. Hate. Come on! Show me your hate. You little bastard, you think you can kill a demon?!?”

A Demon?..

“Demon my ass! You might think you’re something special but anybody can kill with a gun! You’re just a twisted, demented fuck!”

Parker charges the man with the knife, but stops when he removes his hand from his neck and the knife wound is gone..

“You- your neck?”

The man starts to laugh psychotically and puts the gun to his head and acts like he shot himself and stumbles and laughs more.

“Now do you think I’m just a demented fuck?”

Parker stands in fear. He knows he can’t kill him, and if he tries he’ll just be another body on the floor tonight. He looks to his father. His mother. His sister.

I wanna live.

“Cross. I know that’s not your name, but it fits your mask. Look at my eyes, and just know, that I’m taking your life one day.”

“You? Take my life? Don’t make me laugh. But, I do like your spirit, or maybe it’s your soul.”

Cross walks toward Parker, Parker steps backwards.

“I’m not going to kill you, if I wanted to you would already be dead.”

Cross puts his hand to Parker’s chest.

“Like I thought,” he bends down to his knees to speak to him face-to-mask.

“You’re like me.”