Status: Completed
Russian Roulette
.
“We both knew this day would come Kellin. I don’t see what you’re annoyed about.” Vic said as he walked around the young man that was tied up to the chair. But how about this; I cut you out the chair and you can either a, try to escape with a zero percent chance of the working in your favor or b, I can give you a gun and we can both play a bit of Russian roulette. What do you prefer?”
“How can we play Russian roulette if I don’t have a gun?” Kellin asked with a raised eyebrow.
“ I have an extra one here.” Vic said, lifting up his shirt to reveal two guns.
“And if I would’ve chosen a, would you kill me with both guns?”
“Would you like to find out?”
“Give me the gun.” Kellin said.
“Can I trust you not to do anything stupid while I untie you?”
“You have two guns while I have none.”
“Doesn’t answer my question.”
“Just untie me.” Vic went to untie Kellin, who rubbed his wrists as they throbbed with pain. When he felt Vic untie his ankles, he sighed with relief. “Thank you.”
“Here.” Vic said, handing Kellin the loaded pistol. “Do you know how to play?”
“I have a vague idea.”
“Ok, basically, we hold the end of the gun to each others head and on my count, we pull the trigger. We’re playing for keeps.”
“What is there to keep?”
“Our life.” Vic lifted his hand that held the gun and placed it against Kellin’s temple. “Do the same.” Kellin did what Vic did. “Now, take a deep breath and close your eyes.”
“Why? So you can cheat?”
“No, but it helps to calm your nerves.”
“My nerves are calmed.”
“I look at your forehead and I see sweat; I look at your neck and I vaguely see your pulse beating fast. You’re terrified.”
“I’m still here though.”
They stayed standing in silence. With every passing moment, Kellin grew more anxious. He closed his eyes and saw his children, his wife, his friends, his family, all crying over an empty casket.
He saw the moment in which he meet his beautiful wife, the moment when she had told him she’s pregnant, the way she grew large with their precious baby girl; the moment in which he first held her tiny, fragile body in his arms. The boys he gladly raised as his own. The moments he played around with them, cut their hair, helped with their homework, the countless trips they’d taken.
He saw his mother leaving him and his father. His poor father who tried his best to raise him and his older sister alone. He remembered his mother coming back after years, with two children by her side. The anger and hatred he had towards her wouldn’t leave his body until his father forced him to therapy.
He saw his life flash in front of his eyes.
They opened in realization.
Vic was smirking at him.
Vic was still here, meaning he had never lost the game.
“Are the pieces clicking in?” Vic asked as he wiped the single tear that ran down Kellin’s face.
“How many times?”
“Too many times to keep track of.” Vic replied. “Now, I’ll count down from three and when I get to one, we shoot. I highly suggest you close your eyes too. Remember what I said about it helping you relax and calming down.” Kellin took in another breath and slowly closed his eyes. “Say a prayer.”
“Our Father, Who is in heaven, Holy is Your Name; Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
“Three.” Pause. “Two.” Pause. “One.”
There was a shaky intake of breath and a shot fired that echoed in the empty warehouse.
“How can we play Russian roulette if I don’t have a gun?” Kellin asked with a raised eyebrow.
“ I have an extra one here.” Vic said, lifting up his shirt to reveal two guns.
“And if I would’ve chosen a, would you kill me with both guns?”
“Would you like to find out?”
“Give me the gun.” Kellin said.
“Can I trust you not to do anything stupid while I untie you?”
“You have two guns while I have none.”
“Doesn’t answer my question.”
“Just untie me.” Vic went to untie Kellin, who rubbed his wrists as they throbbed with pain. When he felt Vic untie his ankles, he sighed with relief. “Thank you.”
“Here.” Vic said, handing Kellin the loaded pistol. “Do you know how to play?”
“I have a vague idea.”
“Ok, basically, we hold the end of the gun to each others head and on my count, we pull the trigger. We’re playing for keeps.”
“What is there to keep?”
“Our life.” Vic lifted his hand that held the gun and placed it against Kellin’s temple. “Do the same.” Kellin did what Vic did. “Now, take a deep breath and close your eyes.”
“Why? So you can cheat?”
“No, but it helps to calm your nerves.”
“My nerves are calmed.”
“I look at your forehead and I see sweat; I look at your neck and I vaguely see your pulse beating fast. You’re terrified.”
“I’m still here though.”
They stayed standing in silence. With every passing moment, Kellin grew more anxious. He closed his eyes and saw his children, his wife, his friends, his family, all crying over an empty casket.
He saw the moment in which he meet his beautiful wife, the moment when she had told him she’s pregnant, the way she grew large with their precious baby girl; the moment in which he first held her tiny, fragile body in his arms. The boys he gladly raised as his own. The moments he played around with them, cut their hair, helped with their homework, the countless trips they’d taken.
He saw his mother leaving him and his father. His poor father who tried his best to raise him and his older sister alone. He remembered his mother coming back after years, with two children by her side. The anger and hatred he had towards her wouldn’t leave his body until his father forced him to therapy.
He saw his life flash in front of his eyes.
They opened in realization.
Vic was smirking at him.
Vic was still here, meaning he had never lost the game.
“Are the pieces clicking in?” Vic asked as he wiped the single tear that ran down Kellin’s face.
“How many times?”
“Too many times to keep track of.” Vic replied. “Now, I’ll count down from three and when I get to one, we shoot. I highly suggest you close your eyes too. Remember what I said about it helping you relax and calming down.” Kellin took in another breath and slowly closed his eyes. “Say a prayer.”
“Our Father, Who is in heaven, Holy is Your Name; Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
“Three.” Pause. “Two.” Pause. “One.”
There was a shaky intake of breath and a shot fired that echoed in the empty warehouse.