See what you think.
Spawn
of Kongomato
Preface
Slumped alone in a darkened
room, the man nursed a very large whisky. Even though it was an excellent
single malt he tasted nothing, except, perhaps - ashes. He’d just killed two
people. That he’d done it under orders, made him feel no better.
After a decade of witnessing, and sometimes causing,
destruction on a scale that few people had ever seen, for the first time a
gnawing pain had begun to work itself deep into his system. He’d killed before.
Not in sufficient number to forget, for time to blur the images, but enough. He
killed because it had been his job. To be a soldier meant killing people. He’d always
known that and been able to live with his conscience. It had been him or them.
Simple – no confusion.
Even after being invited to join The Department his orders
and priorities had remained steadfast. People wanted to destroy what he held
dear: his government, his country, his way of life. But never before had he
killed; no make that murdered, at the whim of a faceless voice on the end of a
telephone. He gulped down the dregs of his drink, barely feeling the fiery
spirit gouging through the skin. He simply could not let it end like this.
He stood, swaying
slightly. The thirty six hours since his last meal had allowed the whisky to do
its work. For a moment he grabbed the edge of his desk as the images of what
he’d done swirled about his head. He allowed the images to assail
him until, as expected, the gruesome horror of what he’d seen and done, had the
required effect. Within seconds he was once more sober. Tugging open the drawer
under the whisky-stained desk he withdrew the enormous pistol and slid it into
his shoulder holster.
He knew what had to
be done.
***
No hint of monsters yet. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not. Hopefully the ambiguity and the cover will make people read on.
I love the first paragraph.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'll edit the whole thing until I'm sick of it but that's what I'm working with for now.
ReplyDeleteI like it! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you. I hadn't even decided the man's actions, or the result until a week later.
ReplyDeleteOff to a great start. I loved it.
ReplyDelete