It Was Time.

By Sandra Markovic

Clank Click. The unsatisfying sound of a reloaded gun. The weight boring into the palm of his hands. The cool metal giving him goosebumps. Another day, another kill. He crept out of the house with assassin like movements. Quick and quiet. He couldn't be heard. It's time.

He stood outside the door. One look at the blue, pink and yellow hues of the sky surrounding the rising sun. Bang. A warning shot aimed high in the sky. Disrupting the peaceful melody of the morning. Birds flew for escape and animals scurried away in fear. The same routine day after day. He sighed. On with the show.

The crunching of leaves and breaking of twigs just reminding him that it's all insignificant. Nature and his prey. This was no Man vs Wild where everything was to the extreme, it was simple. Hunt, kill and bury. No more of this nonsense would be tolerated. This would be the end, no more games, no more allusions. This was the last act. The closing curtain.

His grip tightened until his hand turned white from lack of circulation. The pressure became so intense, he almost dropped to his knees to avoid of the crushing weight. IT had to be now, it had to end.

- X - - X -

One knee dug into the dirt, the other bent to support him. The gun pointed and aimed, his eye in sync with it's movement. It was time. There was no escape, after years of playing cat and mouse it was finally time. Death is inescapable. The longer it struggles the more torturous it'll be. He could almost imagine feeling the force of the bullet as it shot out the gun. The ripple of it's body as the bullet shot through. Then the final drop of it's limp, lifeless body.

He shivered in apprehension. It had to be done. It was time. No longer would he be outsmarted and humiliated by a dimwitted...Well it didn't matter. It's time had come. Bang. The sound of a voice singing, you missseedddd, reverberated through his slightly deformed head. It won't happen a second time, it was nerves, just nerves. I'll do it. He was deranged enough to reply. Insanity, a cloak covering his mind. Bang.

Missseedddd againnn, you'll never catch it. It'll never be within your grasp. You loon. Loon, loon, loon, loon, looney tune! Ha ha ha! The echo of psychotic laughter bouncing against the walls of his mind. He dropped his gun falling to his knees gripping the hair on his head, almost pulling it off. Screaming in agony. The torturous taunts of his mind continuing to reverberate. Spreading almost like wildfire through his veins. The blackened taunts seemingly replacing what should have been his blood. DIE, JUST DIE. He replied in contempt.

Sticks and stones may break my bones...

But words will never hurt me!

Ha ha ha ha ha!

He fell onto his hands. Screaming, gasping and crying. It was HIS time. He WILL eliminate it. It was time. He slowly stood up, holding his head, gasping for breath. He looked around, no sight of it. Ignoring the pain he bent down and picked up his gun. He began to walk only to find himself limping. He looked down in frustrated anger only to see a cut running down the outside of his thigh.

Sticks and stones...sticks and stones...

La la la la la..

He looked up, a silent plea on his lips. He had to do it. After this it would all be different. He would have a better purpose in life rather then his sole purpose being to play cat and mouse with IT. IT. IT. IT. Everything revolved around it. He gripped his gun tighter and continued on, ignoring the searing pain rushing up from his thigh.

Crunch, snap. The sounds seeming so loud in such a quiet place. The lush green bush, the tall, dark trees splintering in it's old age and what should have been animals roaming freely, too bad he scared them. It was time. Snap. In two quick movements he had turned and knelt on one knee as he aimed for it. It was time. It just stood there, shoulders hunched and his gaze trained on him. Almost as if it knew...

"I'm sorry" he looked at it, at him, "I'm so, so, sorry" It looked straight back, he knew. It was time. "It's alright doc, ...its all alright." One tear, a crack in the armour. His time was up. Bang. The shot hit. Blood pouring from his stomach. Hands slowly reaching over to touch the blood, Bugs looked up with a tormented gaze. Did it really hurt that much? He should stop. His gun wavered.

See can't do it. I should get you a dress, since your acting like a girl... Bang. Right into his shoulder. Causing an almost ripple like effect through his body. He looked into Bug's eyes. They almost seemed to talk. ..I thought we were friends.. I thought this was just a game..

He shook his head. It had to be now. Then it will all end. Oh poor baby, he still isn't dead. What about pink? With frills? Ha ha ha ha! Bang. The final drop. His lifeless body falling, falling. It seemed almost an eternity before he finally landed on the ground. He slowly walked over, on one knee he bent and checked his pulse... gone. Dead.

Why didn't it feel different? Why was it still the same? It was supposed to be different! He looked down at his body. Everything was supposed to change when he was dead. Everything was supposed to be different. He wasn't meant to feel this empty or this dead inside...

He looked again, feeling faint. Will it ever end? There was blood, so much blood. Why didn't it stop? There's so much blood. Grabbing the lifeless body he rocked back and forth, crying. Why? His face tilted towards the sky. He screamed in horror, sobbing. "Why?"

It was time.

That's all folks.