Agents of Destruction BYO2023 Non-Writer

So this is how it ends. I tighten my grip on the "Peacekeeping Tool" which Uncle Sam has not so subtly forced into my possession, and nervously stare through its iron sights into the dismal scene ahead. A veritable sea of protesters, who were once civil and commendably calm given the circumstances, are rapidly approaching the line of riot police. The tension is palpable, as if one could literally cut through it with a knife. If this marching ocean of angst could carve one word into its thick cloud of emotion, it would no doubt be "Vengeance". I keenly position myself on top of the armored personnel carrier which I rode into this wild rodeo. My orders were to use my steel lasso of justice to quell this unrest, yet I could not rid my mind of sympathies for the raucous crowd.

For you see, the night before this deadly circus side show saw an unarmed teen shot to death by a man of the law. He was shot in the back as he was running from a police officer by the name of Edward Stanton. As he lay on the ground from the first shot which took him down, he was shot another six times in the chest and head by this spiteful LEO. Witnesses called it a death by firing squad of an innocent child, a senseless act of calculated murder by a state sanctioned thug. One who just happens to work in the same precinct as I do.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, angry friends and family of the deceased boy, Tyson Jackson, swarmed the scene and demanded justice for the fallen. Overwhelmed, Edward called in backup, who in turn also called backup. Within 30 minutes there were 60 LEOs at the scene attempting to diffuse the situation. People demanded to know the name of the officer who killed Tyson and were refused this piece of info as the perp was carefully shuttled out of the crowd in an armored vehicle. The crowd continued to grow in size all day, and the standoff came to a boil.

The crowd was given a stern warning to disperse by dusk, or face arrest and crowd control tactics. Many left an hour before sundown, afraid of the militarized police outfit of which I was a part of. The crowd grew significantly in the 30 minutes preceding nightfall, and far more confrontational, a fact which I thought peculiar at the moment, but I had no time to give second thought to my curious speculation.

Back to the present. The crowd has now reached the line of riot police, who have shields and truncheons in hand, and a solemn look of inevitability on their collective face. A Molotov cocktail flies through the air and smashes its fire of misplaced method into the side of a police cruiser. It came from the crowd. A symphony of rubber bullets can be heard popping through the air like kernels of forced obedience, compelling the rebellious to cease and desist. I was wrong, this is not how it ends.

This is how it BEGINS.


-The End

a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

Awesome!

originally posted by: JJproductions
a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

Awesome!

Glad you enjoyed it!

a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

Gripping, HS432Hz!

Very well written, but too short... however, I have the feeling that what follows will be of epic proportions.

So poignant; loved it!

a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

I enjoyed that and had no idea how it would end, till the end, which was the beginning!

S+F for an entertaining and well written short story!

a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz
"kernels of forced obedience"
nice one!

Welcome to ATS

originally posted by: Encia22
a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

Gripping, HS432Hz!

Very well written, but too short... however, I have the feeling that what follows will be of epic proportions.

Much appreciated!

If I do end up writing a novel about this, it will involve secret society penetration into the top levels of the intelligence agencies, false flags, cryptid intervention, ancient Tartarian tech, etc.. All sorts of goodies.

a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

That's marvellous and sounds intriguing. Long-term, are you thinking of self-publishing?

originally posted by: Encia22
a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

That's marvellous and sounds intriguing. Long-term, are you thinking of self-publishing?

Self-publishing is the last resort but always the most likely option. It's so hard nowadays to even get your query letters looked at by an agent's assistant, let alone have them intrigued enough to ask for more.

a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

I feel your pain. I've not tried, but I know it's like trying to breach the walls of a fortress.

I think self-publishing has improved and is a viable option. The only thing is you need to do a lot of social media legwork to garner interest and drive people to your work.

Best of luck, whichever route you take.

a reply to: HologramSimpleton432Hz

Just exactly how it could happen, the powder keg awaiting, and then lit by a mindless action. Well written.