The carpet was worn all the way through as the elegant men and women strode across the magnificent temple of the arts. The sophistication in the theater was palpable. One man stood out among the rest. He wasn't an eye opener nor a loud man but he carried himself with a regal honor that no one else in the theater possessed. The man moved through the seats and the aisles with an ease as if he knew each and every person, individually. The man and his wife began to bid their farewells as they proceeded to their box at the top of the theater. The play began and so had the countdown to the worst catastrophe the Americans could possible have had to face.

Scene 1: The troubles of an entire nation were all on the man’s mind but today was better than most days, for the war was over. The man had aged a decade over the last 4 years but that was of no consequence because the nation was safe.

Scene 2: The man was captivated by the acting of the thespians. He released all of his worries as he immersed himself into the theatrical performance.

Scene 3: As the man held his wife’s hand, he felt a cold touch on the back of his head. Before he could even turn around, the slick trigger was pulled and time slowed down.

As the bullet slowly sunk into the man’s head, a thousand thoughts ran through his mind. The life of the man was not the only thing that was in danger. The spirit of an entire country was dying along with the man. The screams of those around him caused him pain. More pain than he had ever felt before. He saw the beautiful colors; a dash of red, a pinch of white, and a touch of blue; spread out across his vision. The unity and the cooperation between the American people was enough for him to realize that he had been able to achieve his purpose in life. The people were free, and soon he would be free too. Free from the hardship. Free from the worries. Free from the burden of life.

As the world fell to darkness and the light faded from his eyes, the man never worried again.