Rage

April 5th, 2019

The day had barely begun but I had gone straight back to bed and slept until long after the sun had set again. I would have kept sleeping if it hadn’t been for the thunderstorm outside. It seemed to crack the air as if the very heavens might split apart. It came like the prelude to a great song, impetuous rumbling permeating the air every bit as much as the sudden rain. At first, it was a crack, violent to the ears, but after came a rolling sound that dissipated into the surrounding woods. Then, I realized it wasn’t all thunder and rain. I had been around long enough to know what gunfire sounded like. From the loudness, I estimated the shooting was less than a few blocks away. More worryingly, the rapidity of the shots suggested automatic weapons. Either the local farmer was killing crows with a light machine gun in the middle of the night or I was in serious trouble. Silence returned for a moment as everything around me seemed to hold its breath. Then, shouting followed by more gunfire. Different gunfire. Sheriff Ramos and her people. I quickly put on my clothes and went outside. It was raining heavily which allowed me to move mostly unseen. The people of Kite’s End all came out of their houses to see what was going on. They were foolishly brave to get their own guns out and investigate. The gunfire had scared off every animal in the area so I had to take a look for myself. 

A blast so loud it popped my ears threw me off balance. For a moment I found myself reliving the attacks in The Hague. Gunfire and explosions all around. I pulled myself back together and saw a dozen heavily armed men making their way towards me. They wore private military uniforms with distinctive black berets. These were pros and I was an easy target. The buildings around me were in flames and lit up the night sky. Suddenly, I heard gunfire behind me as well. Ramos and her men lay down covering fire for me to get to safety. 

“Who are these people?!” I shouted trying to overrule the noise. 

“You tell me!” Ramos shouted back at me. “We could really use you right now!”

“What are you talking about?!” 

“Don’t you dare play dumb with me! Get out there and do something!” 

It seemed my identity was no longer a secret. The town I had grown to love was in flames. The people lay dying on the streets and all I did was hide behind a dumpster. I didn’t know what to do though. I’d always played more of a supportive role. The trees and plants of Kite’s End weren’t going to help. There were just too few. I could turn the fires against them, but that would exhaust me. Who knew what more I’d have to face. I stared down at the concrete trying to think of a way out. I hated concrete. It had absolutely zero beauty. I watched the rain seeping through the cracks and gathering in puddles and it gave me an idea. I looked up into the clouds above the shooters and imagined them grow colder and colder to the point of freezing. I watched as massive icicles fell out of the sky and pierced the shooters. It only took two of them to die for the rest to run. 

“Thanks,” sheriff Ramos puffed as she reloaded her weapon. I remained quiet. I was thinking of how fast things could change, how dynamic life was. I wasn’t ready to be found again. I didn’t want to leave yet, but the decision wasn’t up to me it seemed.  

Though I had dealt with one group of shooters the gunfire hadn’t died out yet. It was coming from the town hall. Sheriff Ramos had ordered all villagers to go there. It was also where Minnie would be. I had to go find her. She had lost enough as it was already. Together with Ramos and her men, I hurried my way over there. If only I had been paying more attention to my surroundings I would have been able to prevent two officers dying in an ambush. They threw grenades at us as if they were sprinkles. I saw my chance to throw back two of the grenades guided by the wind and send the ambushers running for the forest. It was too late for the two officers. Both had suffered heavy injuries to their torso. Ramos wasn’t doing great either. I could see she’d never been in a situation like this before. Not many could say they had of course. The death of her men really got to her. She stared at their mutilated bodies in shock.  

“Come on,” I said as I took her by the arm and dragged her along. “We have to keep going.”

The town hall wasn’t much further, but there was an army of soldiers in between it and us. I used my icicle trick again, but it wasn’t enough. However, I had an advantage. Some birds had returned to Kite’s End. Scavengers were drawn by the smell of death and the noise wasn’t going to scare them away from their feast. Birds were easy to control, unlike mammals who always seemed to have a mind of their own. They soared down and pecked away at the soldiers allowing Ramos’ men to make light work of them. Ramos herself hadn’t fired a single shot since having watched her men being blown to pieces. She dropped her gun as her eyes grew larger. I still thought it had to do with the shock from before, but I was just as shocked when I saw the town hall go up in flames as well. Some, including Minnie and Isaac, were lucky enough to get out on time, but the fire spread fast and quickly cut off any escape. 

The townspeople, those who still could, returned fire but they were no match for the well-trained soldiers. I ran over to Minnie and Isaac while the two opposing sides were keeping each other busy. 

“Are you okay?” The moment I asked the question I realized Minnie wasn’t. She could barely stay on her feet. Her hands were covered in blood. What I wouldn’t have given to have Wanda around. She would’ve been able to save Minnie. Whereas I could only sit and watch as the twinkle faded from her eyes. Isaac screamed louder than anyone else that day. His eyes were swollen with tears and his face was red with anger. He screamed until his voice gave out before turning to me and hitting me with balled fists. I threw him off of me, fuelled with rage as well. Rage was one of the most powerful emotions and that extra kick was exactly what I needed to bring down the heavens upon the soldiers. For half a minute or so it rained both fire and ice as lightning struck all around. Rage, though powerful, was also uncontrollable. I lost track of my own actions and stopped thinking clearly. The rage consumed me like a hunter did its prey until I blacked out entirely.