Chapter 2: A Strong Breeze

Mar 24, 2008 - 20:12 PM PST

It was one of those days where the sun shined brightly but with its luminosity forgot to bring the heat. One could dress incorrectly if just determining what to wear from looking out the window at the blue sky and the bright sunlight. There was a brisk, cool breeze that chilled the campus, and not too many people cared to bathe in it. Classes were in session so there were less people wandering about, so they looked like animals scattering for shelter before a big storm to come. But the only clouds in the sky were light and fluffy, providing changing scenery as the winds blew them along.

He was neither dressed for the weather nor not dressed for it. He did not dress that day for the weather. However the winds did certainly annoy him, whipping around the nape of his neck and pushing him to move forward with even more discomfort than his intentions gave him. He picked up his pace, and the speed of his thoughts kept up with the intensity of his gait.

He couldn’t seem to keep one train of thought on the same track however, so trains were smashing into each other and going in circles creating a cacophony of words and imagery. His emotions sickened him and he couldn’t slow down his breath as the breeze felt icy against his sweating face. What was to come of this exactly? What was his place in this madness, this upheaval? His heart pounded as the leaves rustled around him, each one seeming much too close to him for comfort. Their noise irked him, and he turned into a plaza.

He tried to take a deep breath but felt sick. It had been a bad day. Maybe it would get better. Who was to judge after all? Was it time yet? What time did Jacob want to start? Should he meet him? Should he stay here? He had never felt time go by so slowly. He wished he could make time stop.

The wind picked up and blew some leaves across the plaza and he reached inside his bag, partly to shield his hand from the cold. He put his head down and felt what was to come, what he was to do.

He heard a shot, and some screaming. Taggot had started. A funny nickname… but they all had nicknames. As far as they were concerned, their real names were the cover now. It was his turn to get going. He pulled out his mask and put it on, then pulled out his gun and turned the corner. The air he breathed felt like he was inhaling and exhaling guilt, and he felt his heart pounding in his chest more than the kickback of the gun as he fired at the first people he saw. By this time everyone was screaming and running away.

He saw a door close and instinctually fired a couple shots through it. The wind kicked up a dust devil and he moved into the hallway to avoid it. But the hallway seemed more of a wind tunnel than shelter. He saw Taggot running across a sidewalk about 100 yards away towards some classrooms. He supposed he should make his way to classrooms now too, if anything to get out of this damned wind. He had no choice.

He made his way to the door that he had shot through and kicked it open, his body acting as if in a dream while his bewildered thoughts observed the chaos before him. There were some people huddled behind a desk in the corner, and he wondered what they were thinking. What were people thinking at a time like this? Did they think at all, or did their thoughts give way to instinct and action? Does the person disappear at that point? Are they already gone when he kills them? He never could wrap his mind around such things. Jacob tried to explain, as he did to all his pupils, but he hadn’t quite gotten it yet.

He walked through the door and raised his gun. Zack was too surprised to really feel the pain of a knife going through his hand. It cut deep and severed something, and the gun fell to the floor as he lost control of his hand. Then someone was behind him and there was real pain. A sharp, hot, nauseating pain that started at his neck and overtook his entire body exploded into his existence. Zack felt warmth flow down the right side of his body and his energy fade away. There was something in his neck. Was that a pencil? A fucking pencil, amazing.

Ender felt his heart racing. He didn’t blame himself though, he had never killed anyone before. Just what exactly was killing someone though? What was this guy thinking right now? What exactly was happening to his consciousness? What was happening to him? Questions like these started to torment Ender and he started to feel lost. He dragged his unlucky victim outside the door and sat down, staring at the sky and feeling the poor man writhe in pain and gasp for air. Ender stared at the sky and felt the cool breeze on his face which carried away his questions. It was what it was, and this was all there was.

The clouds drifted by and the leaves delicately tumbled over the ground. Zack looked up at Ender, his eyes searching for explanation, searching for what was happening to him. His eyes seemed to long to see something that wasn’t there, desperately taking in the last few moments. Ender recognized him, not as a good acquaintance, but as someone he had seen around. Zack was shocked to recognize Ender as well.

Ender stared up into the sky once again, “It’s okay man, it’s all over. Just let go, let it go.”

Ender now turned to the clouds forming in Zack’s eyes. He could see the clouds of the sky reflected in them as well.

He got up and threw up into a trash can. He shivered and wept and all his thoughts came back to him. He did not see the masked man run away and was lucky the man didn’t see him. He did not see the clouds anymore, nor hear the sirens, nor feel the stiff cool breeze that rippled the blood on the floor.