AN: I came up with this late one night. I don't think it's very good. Constructive criticism is welcome. I want to make this story high quality. Anything anyone can offer on how to improve my story is encouraged (i.e. the plot, format, word choice, grammar, etc.)
Thank you.
Darkness peels over the land like a deadly disease slowly eating away its victim. The sun burns a blood red in the west staining it blood.
Blood red.
I cannot seem to think past the blood. Everywhere I look I see death, blood, pain and suffering. The street corners are barren. The streets empty of all people probably hiding from the monsters of the night such as I. The stores, the restaurants, the tea houses are closed and still. Nothing moves. Nothing stirs. Surely it is a night for killers such as me.
I feel wetness slide down my arm to my elbow to my hand but I paid it no mind. It is not mine. Then suddenly the wetness is everywhere. On every side of me, of my body I feel this wetness trickle down me. A wave of panic arises. How can this be? Am I mad? Have I finally as some would say, crudely, snapped?
No, no I think looking and finally seeing my surroundings, it is not my madness that is returning but the rain. Only the rain. It cannot hurt me with its memories. The rain is empty. I let it pour over me now, uncaring. Then I notice the red stained water dripping from my right hand. Blood. Blood stained rain. It is not mine so it should not bother yet it does. This little bit of blood from one of my assignments…Why does it taunt me so? Why do I care? It is nothing. It is only blood. No, not even that; it is water turned the color of blood. There for it is nothing.
…
And yet why do I feel…this way? Why must I torture myself, out here in the rain alone? The man I murdered: an obstacle in the way of the new order where no one will suffer, where no one will die, where no children will cry the lost of their parents and be sold into slavery as I was. Where no will be unhappy. This is why I joined this crusade, this revolution. I could not stand by as others suffered right in front of my eyes. I desire to correct the wrongs, heal the wounded, and defend the weak. I find these feelings deep inside myself. I kill out of the goodness of my heart.
And yet…the man I killed was still a man. He had a wife; children….I feel a sudden pain in my chest. I can't breath, can't see. I can't seem to focus on anything but the pain I feel. Why? What is it this feeling in my heart? Why does it cry so? The pain increases to such a degree that it takes my breath away. For some reason I can't see out of my eyes. They are clouded over. Why? My hand clutches tight to my gi pressed against my heart. I feel overwhelming pain and grief overcome me. I narrow in on this pain in my heart. Nothing else matters, nothing else can matter. It feels like my heart has been pulled open and is now being slowly ripped apart. This feeling takes up my whole conscious, my whole body, and mind. My throat constricts. The man I murdered while an obstacle was still a human being still had a heart and a soul. My vision blurs. I stumbled. I can't stand. Falling I stain my hakama with mud but I don't care. At least it is brown not red.
Anything but red.
Red the color of blood.
The color of the lives I've ended spilling out slowly to fade just as the sun. Only these mortal flames will not be renewed at another dawn.
Slowly the relentless heart pain bore about by sorrow and grief, fades away. I can still feel the pain but it is quite, hidden. This pain is always with me hovering hoping to make its entrance. I keep it carefully in bay by logic. I must kill. How else can I bring about a new government where everyone is to be free and equal? I must. If it means people can be happy I will grandly play the devil, break my soul, destroy my humanity. I would it all people. I will break my heart so theirs will not have to.
That is my promise.
I will not let innocent people suffer not while I have life let in these limbs.
Therefore I get up, wipe the red water away and head back.
My heart closes once again. My gold eyes glow in the darkness.
My, what a dark night it is. How cold it seems…What a chill wind blows through the night fused streets of Kyoto.