Short Stories.

Pull the Trigger

Tears rolled slowly down my face. The inevitable was happening, far sooner than I had anticipated. The girl I loved, she was finally stood in front of me,my gun pointed directly at her.

"I was the one who raised you. Her family tried to destroy ours. That hate should be imbedded into your very soul." He said, his teeth clenched as he watched me.

My hand trembled as I looked at her and I could feel the colour fading from my face. "Pull the goddamn trigger Venn!" He shouted again hysterically.

His voice made me quiver as I drew my shaky finger to the trigger. "I'm so sorry..." I said, my voice full of sorrow. Every part of me wished I could've never met her. All this would've never happened. She could've lived and happily married, gone on and had a better life.

My father watched, a large psychotic grin on his face, like a child anticipating getting a new toy. But, her smile was dull. Not sorrowful or hateful like I would've expected it. It was just a dull false smile, plastered on her face.

I let my arm fall as I stared at her. Her happy self seemed to have gone. Even the shine in her sparkling yellow eyes wasn't there. All of it was missing. Then again, of course it was; but why was she trying to smile at me. It left me standing, baffled with myself. How could I cause this? I must be the monster I always thought I was.

Of course, if she hated me I would understand, if she was upset, I would deal with that but instead she still tried to force a smile onto her face. My heart felt like it had shattered. "Why don't you hate me?" I asked, tears welling in my eyes as I blinked them away.

She only smiled. "Because I understand. It's alright. It's either this or, you'll be taken away from me." Her expression shifted as she tore away from my eyes. "I'd rather die than live without you.."

Tears trickled down my face now and I wiped them away with my arm. "Why haven't you shot her! I raised you to hate her people! Hate her entire family! Do what I raised you to do! Or so help me you will be removed from his family!"

Anger overwhelmed me as I turned to him. "Fine!" I screamed hysterically at him. His entire face shifted as he looked at me dumbstruck. "Remove me! I would rather myself die for her to live! No one in their right mind would want to go back to you!"

I could see the anger on his face. "You are my son. I raised you, you will listen to me." I could hear his voice quiver. He didn't know what to do now.

"You raised me with hate. But I am void of it now, I love her, and I will continue to for the next thousand years." I looked down at the gun and rose it slowly, now pointing at him. "I only have hatred towards you father. The kind you raised me to have towards her."

Ember stared, looking horrified. "Don't do this, he's your father." She said quietly behind me, her eyes filled with tears.

"I will never call a man like him my father ever again." I said as he stared, jaw hanging open. "A man like this doesn't deserve deserve a title like that!"

He chuckled. "You're weak boy. You wouldn't shoot me." His smirk grew as he spoke. "You would never have the courage to shoot me."

My voice quivered. "My hate runs deep enough that I don't need courage to shoot you." I turned my head aside, fear taking over momentarily; but I didn't stop. Before I could stop and think, or start to change my mind I pulled the trigger.

It was an ear-splitting sound and it shook my entire body. His body hit the ground and I dropped the gun and it clattered on the ground. "Come on now, let's go home." I said, turning and looking at her as I wiped the tears from my eyes.

Her body shook violently but she nodded nonetheless. As she brought herself to her feet, she spoke, "I didn't expect you to kill your father..." Her voice was quiet and choked.

I choked back tears and cleared my throat. "I didn't either but, if I hadn't then I'm sure he would've killed you himself." I explained, choking on my words at the thought of her ever dying.

"Thank you.." She said very quietly.

My eyes gazed down as she clutched her dress desperately. "For what? All I did was become a murderer. A cold blooded murderer; the one thing I most feared I would become." I said, again swallowing my tears.

She shook her head. "You followed your heart. You protected me. You're not a cold blooded murderer, you're a hero to me." She said beaming up at me.

A smile forced it's way to my lips as I stopped and hugged her. "Like I said my dear, I would rather die than live without you."