The Forgotten Thoughts
I awake to music playing. “I live for the Applause, Applause, Applause. I live for the Applause-plause. Live for the Applause-plause…” The music drags me out from my inebriated state. I open my eyes and see that I am strapped into a big recliner. About 10 feet away from me there is a small radio in which the music is coming from. As I survey my surroundings a man comes in through the door behind me. “Sergeant Bai,” he says as he turns off the music, “you are a strong man. I do not know any man who can eat as many peeps as you did. Do you know how many you had?”
“Uhh…” my voice raspy “I lost count after 150… but I think it was about… 200? 300? I don’t know.”
“You had four hundred and fifty seven peeps before you passed out. That’s a new world record!” He exclaims excitedly. “Here is your prize,” he says handing me an envelope. I open it and cannot believe what I see. It’s a Hershey’s chocolate bar. A real chocolate bar! It’s been at least 30 years since they had banned chocolate after the great chocolate riot of 2212.
“How did you manage to get this?!” I blurt out, awe in my voice.
“I’m a very powerful man Mr. Bai. So, are you going to eat it?” He asks.
“Uhh, yeah,” I say. I open the aluminum wrapper slowly and the smell of chocolate washes over the room, making me giddy with excitement. I lift the chocolate up to my mouth and slowly take a bite. As my tongue touches the chocolate, I taste the delicacy and I hold it on my tongue, savoring every moment of it. Finally I can’t take it anymore. I rip the rest of the chocolate out of the wrapper and wolf it down. I feel the sugar coursing through my body. The experience is heavenly and as I try to savor the last little bits still stuck in my teeth, I notice that Mr. Caballero is holding something. It is small and shiny. And I realize what it is. It is a knife. My years of military training try to kick in, but I shut them down. I’ll have to wait until he’s closer before I can get it from him. As much of a friend he’s been to me I remember all of the horrible things he has done to the world; the bombings in New York, Shanghai, Seattle, L.A., Boston, and countless other cities all around the world. This man has killed thousands, if not millions, just because he wanted power. He wanted people to fear him, to hear his name and run, run away screaming and crying, or to beg for mercy before he killed them. This man is a sick, sick man, I remind myself, and he deserves to die, to be punished for his actions. He walks over to me, holding the knife. As he bends down to untie my hands I kick him hard in the groin. As he falls down, the knife lands right next to my hand. I struggle to grab it and as I do I see Mr. Caballero start to get up. I kick him in the face as hard as I can and hear a crunch as his nose breaks. That’ll keep him down for a while I think to myself as I struggle to get the knife. My hand clasps around the handle and I begin to cut the straps holding me into the chair. I get out of the chair and begin to run away when I remember my mission, the whole reason why I came here, to avenge my father’s death. I turn back to Caballero and pick up his gun and hold it to his head. “My name is Coleman Montero, you killed my father. Prepare to die.” I say. I look down at his face and see him staring up at me begging not to kill him. My, my, how the tides have turned, I think to myself, the one who caused people to beg for their life is now begging for his. I look away and pull the trigger. There’s a loud BANG and then silence. I turn around and walk out the door. No doubt I’ve alerted all the guards but for now, justice has been done.