Never Again! A short story.

A man sits on top of a rooftop; around him is a display of perverted gargoyles in lucid sex acts. The sky is a low overhead of clouds, just touching the tip of an radio antenna behind him. Below him on the streets are a throng of people that have gathered picketing outside a court house, shouting slogans of fault by their leaders, and corruption in government. He studies the crowd as a tear slowly slides from his eyes and falls from his cheek. As the drop falls above thunder shakes the heavens above. The tear hits the pavement below as the sky opens up in a gentle rain. 

The man steps up on the concrete slab overlooking the crowd, lighting flashes showing a glimpse of the fire that resides within his eyes. A young lady below wearing a red jacket stares up to watch the rain fall, a curl of hair escaping the hood covers her view as she wipes it to the side and notices something above her. She peers through the rain and notices a person on top of the building with his arms stretched out of his sides. She screams in fright and warns the people around her the sight above. The man opens his mouth to talk but the wind and rain are making it too hard for the people to hear. He starts to scream as thunder booms overhead. The crowd moves a little ways back in case the person decides to leap, the woman in the red coat runs to an officer who is behind a blockade to hold back the crowd. She points with her finger to the man on the roof and tries to yell as the thunder becomes more intense. The officer looks up, seeing nothing he pushes the lady away from the line with his nightstick. She returns back to the crowd who has made a small circle around the spot where above the man stands. He lifts his arms and bellows out as more thunder cracks from the sky. He waves his hand in an arc as lighting fills the sky.

The situation below starts to become worse as riot geared officers take to the line. The crowd filled by the energy above start to gather arms in resistance to the coming show of force. Banners twist and rip as the winds begin to blow, a sign flies from the hands of a young man and blows against the shield of the riot police. The officer startled shoots off a flash grenade unto the unsuspecting crowd. The bodies of the bystanders become a human shield as police move in.

The woman in the red jacket is still looking up; she sees the man start to undress and begins to worry about the stability of his footing. He looks at her and points a finger as a sharp blast of light fills her mind. Dazed she looks around, the sound of the police and crowd seems to become silent. Even the wind and rain have stopped. She looks around and notices that everyone has stopped moving; even the rain has somehow escaped the clutches of gravity and floats in a state of suspended movement. A voice within her and from all around starts to speak to hear, she looks up and notices the man is staring right her.

You creature of light, marvel and wonder, why is it you stand here?

She looks around hoping that he might be talking to someone else then looks at the pavement to escape the question.

Cynthia daughter of Susanna, why do you stand here? Why are you holding so much anger within your heart?

She looks up and whispers, who are you, are you god? The naked man laughs as the heavens become bright as the noonday sun with lighting, no child I am no different than you. Then how do you know me she asks quietly, how can you hear my words from so far away?

Must I be a god to do something amazing he asks? No she says but I have never experienced anything like this before, and than... am I dead? The man laughs some more, yes and no he says. I don't understand she whispers. You can still be living and dead inside says the man, feel your chest; do you still sense a beat? The officer puts his hand over his heart and feels the steady thrum of fear. Yes I feel my heart. Then you must not be dead, the thing that looks like a man responds. 

Why are you here, a man asks with gold rim glasses? I am here to witness a sacrifice, to watch the collision of change that will affect the world, he says with open hands.

Am I the sacrifice?  An older woman holds her breath as tears start to well within her eyes.  She still holds the hand of her granddaughter who seems to have become a mannequin. 

Would you not be wiling to sacrifice your life? 

No screams the cop holding the baton as the frozen figure of a man balled in fear stands silent besides him. Why should I have to go instead of this piece of shit here, he bellows to the man on the roof.

I have my daughter at home says the postman who has seemed to have dropped his mail he was once caring, There is no one to take care of her since her mother passed away.

If you knew that your death could result in the world changing for the better of man is it not a sacrifice but a noble deed for all mankind?  The woman is red starts to cry, how would my death change the face of our world? 

Your death would start a chain reaction; a law will be passed for equality in this state. Within a few years that law will become national. After the world will follow and all life will be lifted to heights where it belongs. Your name will live in history, and a statue will be erected in your honor. Is this not a good thing? 

What about my firm and my clients, who will watch over them the lawyer asks. Your clients will be walking into a new world where they will no longer need your kind. It will be a world where giving is only accepted and no good deed goes unnoticed. People will not need to sue another for profit as profit is only accumulated in happiness not wealth.

Why should I die?  Why not the white man who has brought my family and me so low all these years.

Why not that Mexican over there, who has taken my job and moved into my neighborhood.

Why not the politicians who have enslaved us for their own gains? 

Is the color of the skin a defining definition of the person they are?  

Did you choose the color you are now? 

Do you not also seek safety and comfort for your family why is that person any different? 

Do you promise that my family will be ok? The world is now your family, after today you will all share in this change. These people around you are all sharing the same experience, all being touched by the same light. Should I sacrifice one of them instead? 

No, says the man in the tailored suit.

No says the girl with the dreadlock hair.

Yes screamed the man who holds another with the heel of his foot; I will never give up my life!

What life do you live, through out your life you have hurt the ones you love, you have broken the hearts of those around you. You have words to scar; you have backstabbed your friends. All of a sudden, a small percentage of those fighting fall to their knees with images of abuse. A man sees through his victim’s eyes as he chokes the life from him. The preacher feels the loneliness of his daughter at her wedding, knowing that her family will never accept her and her lover. The bully feels the pain from all the ridicule he has given to those who are beneath them.

Then yes if my death could save those who I love, and those who I do not know but respect equally, then take my life.

The man smiles, he spreads his arms and jumps off the edge. As he descends his body becomes separated in a multicolored shower of colored drops.

A siren rings as the crowd looks at each other, all in the Vicinity of the falling drops lies a rainbow of color. The asian man has smears of black and white washing down his face. The native woman smiles as purple drips off her lips. The few who had fallen still lie there screaming for their life as the rest of the people drop their signs and begin to hug another. Through the streets a fire rages with the hearts of humanity, touching and spreading as wild fires do. A man sits in his kitchen with tears in his eyes, his daughter in kneeled in a corner crying. He falls on his knees and looks at her, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I promise I will never hurt you again. I promise I will never lay a finger on another. 

Never again!

Peace and Love to you!