Battle Born Vagabond

Chapter 17: Madness: Warden Flynn: Mar 1, 5007

This thing in my chest has been a disaster. I  hate Dane and his men. Two days ago I announced that I had a bomb in my chest. I told them that I would kill myself somewhere isolated to keep the kill count down. I loved everyone and refused to commit genocide demanded of me.

My son, Aaron, my successor at eight years old; told me he would out of respect not officially take over until after I passed. In the last six hours, my heart has physically felt different, and anxiety has shot my blood pressure through the roof.

I  wake up at 0200 because I can't sleep.  I  kiss my wife's forehead then her stomach, our future child. I leave the bed with final words for her, "I love you, Michelle" and give her my pillow to hold. She whimpers because I'm no longer holding her and murmurs incoherently in response.

I make my way down the hall and peer into my daughter's room, and she is fast asleep. I creep in to say goodbye, I  kiss her forehead and start to leave, and I say "I love you honey" I notice her favorite stuffy fell on the floor and give it back to her.

When I'm about to close the door, I peak in one more time and hear her say very clearly, "Daddy, I love you more." I  look back, and she is clearly still asleep I close the door silently as I leave with a muffled click.

I  go to my son's room at the end of the hall. His bed isn't even there he sleeps in the library so he can go straight to reading and whatever else he does when he wakes up he wants to be the smartest and wisest leader he can.

I  walk outside and start going to the edge walking straight ahead from the manor. A couple of guards stop me when I'm about to go over the edge shouting at the top of their lungs, "Warden Flynn! Warden Flynn! Wait!"

I address them, "what do you want? Be quiet people are sleeping!"

One of them goes to attention, "We just wanted to say it been an honor to serve under you! Sir."

The other one already at attention follows suit, "And with you in battle. Sir."

I open my arms up offering a hug to them both, they both hug me, and with tears in all of us I let out, I get back to what I was doing prior, "how about a little 'last call' boys as I go out with a bang." We all crack an awkward smile at my joke, I compose myself "and as my final order. Reville at 0900 flags at half-mast instead of the full mast at 1200".  They sync up their facebots and hold them in front of them.

Last call begins to play over the speakers, at 33 years old; I'm executed with honors. I tip to the side and don't stop myself.  I close my eyes and feel my arms freezing, wind blowing through my hair skin flapping in the wind as I go faster until it's continuously pulled. The music is short lived for me the wind makes it, so I'm unable to hear it very long. In my chest, my heart is racing, but it doesn't feel like normal heart pain, and it's not the same as being anxious earlier.

A loud continuous beep comes over, and I think that is it over. In glimpses of bitter passion, I feel my rage as I no longer have control of my body. I remember orange light flashing; blood spatters, sirens, gun, rifle and mech firing as I dodge and evade. I'm for the first time ashamed of the life I lead. Like a burning sun destroying everything that gets close I am a berzerk juggernaut with no regard for human life. In the brightest memory on my darkest day, I get full retinal vision to watch this unfold as I have no control over my actions. I realize what is happening as I walk up to my manor with a shotgun unopposed. The two guards from earlier splattered all over the pavement on the porch of the manor.

I kick open the door to my bedroom, and Michelle wakes up from the sudden noise, she reacts to this with anger, "Larry Ishmael Flynn! I thought you were not going to do this! You better be role-playing as a soldier going to ravage me. Actually yes please, we haven't done that in a while." She continues to berate me as I stand in the doorway as I do not respond to her nagging.