Shoot

Shoot

You have one choice. Shoot one of them, the other two will live. You have no memory of getting to this place. This place of darkness and blood. The three victims are looking up at you with pleading eyes, their mouths unmoving for fear that you will make a decision to end their lives. The gun is heavy and cold in your hands, but somewhat comforting. You find it strange that such a cruel object feels natural in your hands. In your head there is only one option for you. To shoot them. Why only one of them you cannot say. You aren’t even sure that this is real. Maybe it’s all a twisted, messed up dream. A dream where your decisions mean life or death. A dream where you hold the power to end a life, but at what cost? A dream where you can shoot one brutally here and leave the other two restless at night as they try to forget. Is this a dream? Or maybe a nightmare? 

Are you a criminal in this dream? A criminal who has no choice other than to kill or be killed? Or maybe you’re the type of criminal who kills just to kill. You could also be the justice bringer. Maybe these people are all criminals. Criminals who deserve to die at your hands right here and now. You feel your arm raise and look down into the woman’s eyes in front of you. She takes in a large gulp of air as the metal touches her head. She must have kids at home, you think to yourself. Tears track down her face as she tries to assess your emotionless face. What are you feeling? Do you feel scared? Bored? Happy? You cannot say. 

This must be a dream. If you can hold a gun to an innocent woman’s head without second thought, then this must be a dream. Or maybe this is a nightmare. All of these people must be innocent and you are the sadist who wants to watch them die. Yes. This is a nightmare. But is it so bad? A choice is easy to make. You don’t know these people after all. You don’t know their stories, or their names, so why hesitate? 

‘Only one’. Resonates in your head. Why only one? Is their one guilty being among the three in this room? How would you know? Maybe you should try speaking to them, try to find out why they are here. A look into the eyes of the boy to your right stops you. None of them, much like yourself, know why they are here. Do you have any memories? What is your name? The gun feels much colder in your hands as you struggle to remember even the faintest trace of who you are. An interesting sensation washes over you. A sensation that almost feels like fear, but something much deeper than that. Something inside that you can’t exactly put your finger on. The three are looking up at you but no longer with fear. Their eyes are blank, their faces emotionless. You almost want to try talking to them but something stops you. A tingling goes up your spine and you are forced to turn around. 

A person stands directly behind you. A person you know. She smiles and waves at you. Your eyes catch the glint of the gun in her hand as she stares at you expectantly. You smile, and she smiles. You move, and she moves. A mirror image. A reflection of yourself. How is it that you cannot recognize yourself? The girl in front of you is completely new in your mind, but this girl is you. The three are staring at your back in the mirrors reflection, their eyes are completely black now. Your reflection looks at you with a slight grin on her foreign face. A dream. She smiles once more and says something to you. Something in your brain clicks. Yes. This must be a dream. A crazy, messed up dream that I have put myself in. The girl catches your attention again and repeats her recycled saying. A smile catches your lips and you raise your arm once more. There is a static sound behind you now, like a TV that cannot find a channel to run. The static grows louder and louder as the cool metal touches your temple. A dream. 

The girl smiles and turns away from you. You notice that she is bleeding heavily from the face, the blood staining the white floor she walks on. The gun is no longer in her hand as she walks away from you. The static grows louder. 

“Only one.” You say as your finger drags the cool trigger back.