Me Interrupted

The Day the World Went Away

It was an average day at work; somewhat hectic…I didn't even notice him enter.

"EVERYONE ON YOUR KNEES! HANDS IN THE AIR!" He screamed, waving a gun around like a psychopath.

"What's going on?!" Grace cried in horror as some tried to flee.

BANG

He shot her; gods, he killed her! People were screaming in terror as chaos descended.

"SILENCE!" He ordered, firing a round into the roof, shooting anyone who continued screaming.

Considering, he looked around at us all, crouched and frozen. He pointed to a new, young girl, Ceres.

"You… yes you, get up." Shaking, she did.

"Please… don't kill me…" Tears rolled silently down her face. He grinned sadistically, making his face stretch into a hideous mockery of a smile.

"You are the lucky one. You are going to inform everyone about what's going on, because I don't want any interruptions. Tell them if they said anyone, anywhere near, I'll shoot the hostages one by one until they leave." I felt a chill as I sized him up as I had many a businessman. He wasn't bluffing.

We could hear the panic start on the street below as Ceres hysterically ran out. Then, the madman took me by surprise as he turned to me.

"Remember me, Ryuji?" I was shocked and tried to remember how I'd met him, where I'd seen him. He laughed bitterly.

"Alan Riché, Human Rights activist." He mocked, and I suddenly remembered.

"You came to me for funding; I gave you what I could." I remembered out loud, frantically trying to think of something that would calm him down.

"You… you gave me the equivalent of $5! Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Ryuji Otogi, benevolent hypocrite." Alan snarled. My staff shrank back and I paused, uncertain of what to do and mindful of not wanting to make things worse.

"How much money do you have Ryuji?" Alan asked. The gun was waving about, pointing from Leslie, my secretary who argued with me over the benefits of coffee versus tea to John, my Vice President who had his children, Mika and Mikaela, the twins who called me "Uncle 'Togi"

"$..." I answered. The gun hovered in front of Paul, now 60, who'd been an advisor of mine when I was just founding the company, one of the only adults to believe in my dream.

"And how much did you give to World Support?" It was such a sinister piece of black metal, the gun. Jessica recoiled as the gun was pointed at her. She'd been so brave, surviving an abusive husband who'd raped her, raising her child without a father.

"$..." I answered with a sinking heart. When he put it like that, it sounded positively pitiful.

"That doesn't sound like much, does it?" Alan asked my employees conversationally. None of them dared reply.

"DOES IT?" he insisted, waving the gun.

"No…" came the quiet, fearful replies.

"Please, Mr. Riché, let them go." I begged desperately.

"Call me Alan, Ryuji, we'll be spending some time together. And no, I won't let them go." Alan said congenially.

"You have me at your leisure, Alan." I pointed out.

"How many times did I ask you for funding Otogi? How many times did you sit in your pristine, white-fucking-tower and decline?" Alan was angry again now.

"Look it's not that simple-" I began, thinking of reserve capital needed. If I'd given him the money and something happened, not only I would have been destitute. It was my responsibility to make sure that if I ever screwed up, my employees would never suffer because of it, my-

"Not that simple? How many people are dying now, because you wouldn't help me? HOW MANY?!" He screamed.

"I don't know." I dared not push him.

"I do. Do you like seeing people suffer? Would you like your employee to suffer?!" The gun swung around to Paul.

"Don't do this…" I begged, reaching out my hands…

"Too late."

BANG

With a half sob, I recoiled in disbelief. Just like that, Paul was dead.

"Every minute people die because pretty rich boys like you hoard your money." Alan stated coldly.
"Look Ryuji, look at your secretary. She hasn't done anything wrong. She wishes she'd never even heard of you, let alone worked for you. She wishes she hadn't come in today." He continued. No, not her.

"… please… I'll give you anything you want… don't hurt anyone else… all my money-" I offered.

"You think money is enough now? It's too late. They're dead. They're all DEAD!" He screamed.

BANG

"AHHHHHH! Oh god it HURTS! AHHHHHHHHHH….". She wasn't dead, thank god, but blood was pouring out of the wound, pooling on the carpet.

"You see Ryuji, people like you only care about themselves. They want money, they want sex, they want to stay young forever." Alan continued to lecture me.

"I'm not like that!" I protested in horror.

"Aren't you? I see money. I see your whores hanging off you at every public appearance. You're still young. You are a shadow of a person, shallow, evil. You care only about yourself." Alan judged. I couldn't change his mind.

"Don't you see? Every minute people die because pretty rich boys like you hoard your money. People like this, innocent people, die."

"So no, I'm going to kill your co-workers; ill them in front of you and watch the ones you love die. Isn't the irony just to die for?" Alan grinned darkly, Jessica sobbing quietly in the background.

"So who are we going to start with?" Alan's eyes roamed over my employees, stopping on Shelly.

"Stand up." Shelly was relatively new, but a fantastically generous person. She'd organised a cake and card for Paul's 60th, and we'd lit a candle and all sung "Happy Birthday".

"Don't kill her!" John pleaded.

"Alan, please, you of all people know injustice!" I tried once more, knowing already that it was futile.

"And now you will too." He uttered quietly, Shelly shaking and sobbing.

BANG

The white wall was splashed with red and a sickly grey. Leslie screamed uncontrollably. He'd blown half of Shelly's head off. Jason threw up.

"And just like that Ryuji, another person died. Half way around the world, the people didn't know. They don't care, the same as you and your preventable deaths." Alan laughed coldly.

RING RING!

Alan froze, before glaring at the phone.

"That will be the police Ryuji. Pick up the phone." Alan smiled, and the smile horrified me. Slowly I picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"This is the Police. We're here to negotiate the hostage situation. Can you tell me how many people are injured?" Came the calm reply. I looked to Alan for instructions, hoping that the longer I could stay on the phone, the longer I could keep the remaining people alive.

"Tell them this is your punishment, that I'm not interested in negotiation. Then hang up." Alan instructed and my heart sank. The gun was pointed at Jessica.

"This is my punishment. Alan doesn't want to negotiate." I hung up the phone slowly, ignoring the office's attempts to keep me on the phone.

RING RING!

The gun swung around again.

BANG!

Just like that, without any warning Leslie was dead and more blood decorated the macabre horror scene my building had become. An awful coppery smell hung heavily in the air as Jessica screamed and Alan laughed like a madman, seeming more and more unhinged as time wore on.

"What do you think Ryuji, seeing as you've probably killed as many people as me. At least the deaths of your employees were merciful. No children watching as their families died of starvation and disease, no entire villages that never wake the next morning." Alan looked at my employees, bending down to stroke Jessica's face, who was crying silently.

"Look at these tears… so selfish. Would you cry for the child that goes hungry?" Alan looked spitefully at Jessica.

"I support-" Jessica began shakily. I knew she sponsored 3 children. I also knew Alan would not accept it as enough.

"Shut up!" Alan sneered harshly, slapping her with his free hand, before spinning, standing and walking away. The gun moved again, towards Jessica. John stepped in front of her, shielding her.

"No!" I yelled, rushing for Alan.

BANG

John and Jessica dropped to the ground together, as if in slow motion, their bodies sinking to the floor in an awful parody of grace. The gun swung towards me, and I finally read the hate in Alan's eyes and saw my death. I was going to fast to even try and avoid the bullet.

BANG!

But it was Alan whose eyes widened, who froze and dropped his gun in disbelief. It was Alan who had blood blossoming like some obscene flower from the bullet wound on his chest, Alan who staggered towards me and dragged us both down into the blood and gore soaking the grey carpet. I dimly registered the police rushing in, their declarations that Paul and Jessica were alive…

Alan was lying on top of me, blood seeping out between his lips as he grinned like a skeleton.

"It was… your…fault, Ryuji." Alan laughed, and his body spasmed. I felt the blood soaking into my hair as Alan's last words reached me, before the maniacal light finally left his eyes.

"Welcome to Hell."

The End