A respite

I didn't write any new stuff for the ongoing story, so here's something completely different.

The hellish fires raging on every side of him making escape an obvious impossibility would have concerned ordinary men. They probably would have concerned most extraordinary men as well, but this man was insane. Once, he was an extraordinary man. He still considered himself extraordinary. After all, insanity wasn't ordinary, was it? And he knew, without a doubt, that he was insane. The world knew it too. The smell of sulphur wafted through the room, which struck him as odd, because he couldn't remember any sulfur in the building. Once upon a time, not so long ago, the world had looked towards Ben as a savior from the coming darkness. The heat was incredible, and he could feel the sweat pouring down his body. Sweat, he reflected wryly, was supposed to help cool the body when the situation was too hot. He knew it wouldn't help him here, though. Ben Whitecap, born to the most prominent member of the Adaldian parliament, was supposed to have led an army into war. The smoke was quickly filling the room. He was supposed to have delivered an easy victory against overwhelming odds with naught but a trusting populace and tactical brilliance that had never been tested. It was becoming hard to breathe, hard to see, as the fire raged on. Instead, Ben lost his mind at the first battle he witnessed. Now, finally, he was going to die.
Ben Whitecap finally knew no miracle would save him. He was finally, finally, going to die. Even as the flames burned him beyond all recognition, Ben Whitecap felt no pain. There was the laughter, the damning laughter that followed him everywhere, but no pain. Ben finally gave in to the laughter. He'd fought the laughter tooth and nail to this point in his life. Now, doomed to die, he finally allowed the laughter, laughter that had followed him from his first failed battle, to win. Ben Whitecap grinned wildly and cackled as the flames raged on. He was still laughing when the roof came down.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous1:34 PM

    What a brave step to take to share your creative voice with us! I admire you greatly. You have a great ability to paint pictures with your words. Exceptional work. I look forward to reading more.

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