Chapter 1: The end reignited
The light slowly dims on a quiet street, an uneasy silence looms in the streets of this quiet city. Like clockwork, the streetlights illuminate the vacant roads of Portland, nothing but a lonely bird resting atop a dustbin gives indication of any life. The silence and tranquillity are all but a shadow, a lightly veiled cover of the true nature of this city, ravaged by crime syndicates and controlled by large gangs and mafia alike. The rampant acceleration of two vehicles in the distant shatters the silence, wheels screeching painfully as they dive the cars in various directions. Out of the corner of a side street a small hatchback emerges, sliding wildly as it tries to outrun the pursuing black SUV. It ducks from one end of the road to the other, desperately trying to prevent the pursuer from pulling alongside to shoot or ram them off the road. The efforts of the hatchback driver are quickly rendered futile as the large black SUV rams with battering might into the rear of the hatchback, affirmed with the sounds of tortured metals and taillight glass shattering. The SUV flicks right, sending the small car into a spiralling motion, rotating endlessly like the hands on a stopwatch, until finally the car comes to rest in a cloud of trailing smoke and a stalled engine. The front doors of the black SUV swing open, as two men in leather jackets, jeans and bandannas partially concealing their faces casually emerge. Inside the small hatchback a young female and her male associate shift wildly, trying to get a grip on what has just happened, as they glance toward their assailants. The two masked men split up, with one circling around to the driver’s side window where the young man was located, whilst the other walked over to the passenger side door in clear sight of the tense, shaken young woman. The male driver tried to secretly edge his hand toward the ignition key, in hopes of a final attempt at escaping these masked villains. A flash of light and a crackling explosion akin to that of a lightning bolt erupting in a darkened cloud occurs, as a bullet emerges from a 9 mm gun, punching a hole through the window and penetrating the driver’s skull. The young lady screamed in sheer panic and looks over to see her friends head and shoulders arched against a blood-stained window. The masked shooter lowered his gun and indicates to the young lady his discouragement of any further foolish attempts, by slowly waving his leather cladded index finger from side to side. She began to beg for her life amidst a rainfall of tears and sadness, pleading for them to take whatever money or items of value she may have if only they let her live. As the two masked assailants stand dead still looking at her, it becomes apparent that their intentions are far more sinister than just a crime of acquisition. The assailant alongside her window digs deep under his jacket to slowly reveal a silver-plated handgun, with a small quote etched on the side of the barrel, ‘I am your judgement’. He motioned for her to roll down the passenger window and then leans in close to her ear to whisper final instructions. Her body trembling with fear as she watched her grim reaper retract from her window. She slowly slides her hand down into her bag and emerges with her phone, which she then passed over to the masked assailant in a slow hesitant manner. He began searching through her phone book, pausing when the target contact is found and drawing the phone to his ear as he dials the number. On the opposite end, the second masked assailant opens the door, allowing her male companions lifeless body to drop to the floor. There, the assailant digs deep into both pockets of the deceased, finally finding the companions cell phone and proceeding to repeat his partners actions. Once both men had completed their calls, they did not end the calls but rather allow them to transmit the sounds of what is to come next. The cold steel once more lifts from the armed assailant’s hand, pointing at the chest of the young woman.
Knowing that the end is near, the young lady gently closes her eyes, clasping her hands together and reciting verses from the bible. Darkness, the final soul has been taken this night.
