A gloomy tune rang through the countryside air. The mournful notes were echoed by some of the birds, as if they too could feel the melancholy of the flautist.
Ned put down his flute and sighed. Why was fate so cruel? A week ago his flock had caught the Virus and all of them had perished. And now a wildfire had burned all of his crops to the ground. He could not find a vacant position in the village, so there was no way he could support his family. Unless…
Unless he took the City Road.
Within an hour he was ready to leave. He had made up his mind and nothing could change it. Ned was going to the City to find a job. It was the only way. He packed all the necessities for the journey into a bundle. Then he said farewell to his six children and he reassured Caitlin that everything would be fine. He promised her that he would send money back home as soon as possible.
Unable to watch the tears rolling down his wife’s face, Ned slung his bundle over his shoulders and left his beloved home.
He passed his darkened field and his empty pens and wondered at what might have been. He looked back at his dimly-lit house and saw the tiny shadows, still standing in the doorway. For a moment Ned doubted. But his decision was definite: out there along the road was his only future.
Moonlight poured onto the dirt road, illuminating the ground with a ghostly silver sheet. Tall wild grass sprouted from either side of the path, rustling in the wind. Ned felt frightened by the unnatural silence, as well as his fear of the uncertainty ahead. He had never traveled this far from home.
LEFT TURN
A few more miles the road ran and soon turned into a puzzle. It branched off into three separate paths. Ned stood at the crossroads, uncertain of his choice. He took the road to the left.
Ned soon felt he made an excellent choice. This path seemed hopeful: tiny colourful flowers bloomed along the sidewalk, and sometimes a squirrel was seen scurrying across the well-worn path. It was a good omen, Ned thought as he continued his journey, thoughts of prosperity blooming in his mind.
A closer examination of the road revealed several tracks imprinted in the dust. They were fresh, dated less than an hour ago. Ned knew this from his farming days, when he used to track down lost cattle. A while later, Ned verified his findings.
He had reached the top of a small hill, looking down at the grand western gate of the magnificent City. A procession of cars was entering the City, all of them identical and polished black like the shoes of a gentleman. Ned wondered what sort of important men sat in those impeccable cars. Maybe one of them could help him.
When he arrived at the gate, a guard stopped him and asked in a City accent, “What’s your business?”
“I’m coming to look for a job in the City,” replied Ned cheerfully.
“Oh, you’re one of those,” the guard remarked, “You’re in luck. The Mayor just returned, and he’s going to make a speech about unemployment at the City Hall. You’d better go there.”
“Thank you so much!” Ned could not believe what he had just heard. If this Mayor truly cared about unemployment, it would not be difficult for Ned to apply for a job in the municipality.
With some directions from helpful locals, Ned soon arrived at the City Hall. It was a marvelous building, with marble pillars supporting its radiant golden roof. A diverse crowd had gathered in front of the building, all listening in utter silence. Ned stood on his toes to peer over the moving heads. On a podium at the centre of the crowd stood the Mayor himself.
He was quite a large man yet he was dressed impeccably in formal attire from head to toe. While speaking, the Mayor constantly shifted his body from left to right, his hands a fluttering of gestures. Although Ned could not hear anything the great man said, he found himself nodding like a fool.
Ned finally shuffled forward, muttering apologies as he went. Soon he was right underneath the podium, listening to the booming voice of the Mayor. He spoke with such authority and confidence that Ned believed every word he said.
“...From tomorrow onward we shall begin the Initiative. Every unemployed man and woman will receive an occupation — an occupation that is both honorable and beneficial to our beloved City. Yes! They will help the municipality by cleaning the street and recycling the waste. With their help, we will make our City green again!”
Applause broke out from the crowd. Ned joined them, clapping his hands as hard as he could. He was mesmerised by the Mayor’s genius plan and he felt overjoyed at the prospect of working again. He knew his new purpose in life.
Just then Ned noticed something peculiar. The man standing next to him was silent, unlike the rest of the crowd. He was neither clapping nor smiling. His face was so static that it betrayed no emotion whatsoever. Ned stared at the man, puzzled. Why wasn’t he pleased with this brilliant plan?
Suddenly， the man reached inside his coat and drew out… a pistol! He pointed the weapon at the Mayor as if he had practiced the same move a thousand times. The man’s face was still blank as a piece of paper. Even Ned could see that this was no ordinary man. This was a trained assassin.
The assassin’s fingers closed around the trigger and….
“NO!” Ned screamed. At that moment he forgot everything. He forgot about his future in the City. He forgot about Caitlin and the children. He forgot that he was mortal.
Ned threw himself in front of the Mayor. He heard the gun go off with a bang. He saw the Mayor’s face turn from horror to amazement. He saw the assassin drop his weapon and melt into the crowds. He felt a sudden pain as if some giant just landed a heavy punch on his chest. And then he fell.
He landed with a sickening thud. The marble steps underneath him turned bright crimson. His flute fell out of his pocket, rolled down the steps and shattered into a million pieces. The last thing he heard was the Mayor’s voice, muttering to himself.
“A Glock 18 semi-auto… the most accurate pistol in the world. I wonder where he got it.”
RIGHT TURN
A few more miles the road ran and soon turned into a puzzle. It branched off into three separate paths. Ned stood at the crossroad, uncertain of his choice. He took the road to the right.
Ned soon regretted his choice. This road was sinister and had an unfriendly feel to it. He felt like he was being followed but when he glanced around, nothing moved except for his own shadow. A crow’s shrill cry made him shiver with fear. Trying to calm himself, Ned thought of his happiest memories.
He remembered his old life on the farm. His father had been the village’s most successful farmer so Ned had been fortunate enough to marry the most beautiful girl in the village, the eldest daughter of the neighboring farmer. With her curly golden locks and sapphire eyes, Caitlin was known for her fair complexions, but her ability to help with almost everything was the true jewel of her character. They had three sons and two daughters, all as comely and hard-working as their mother.
For a while they were content with their lives, even after Ned’s father passed away from old age. Their work on the farm was enjoyable, their business was excellent, and bringing up the children was the most delightful experience.Then came the Virus and the fire, as if God Himself wanted to ruin Ned’s perfect life. But Ned believed that he could redeem himself for the sake of his family. Their lives depended on him now. Even if this journey seemed so perilous, he was going to make it. He was going to save himself and his family from the terrible claws of poverty.
When Ned arrived at the gate of the City, he was surprised by the lack of pedestrians and the sinister silence that engulfed it. A lone guard saluted him and allowed him into the deserted streets.
“You’re the first person I’ve seen today!” the guard said with a cheerfulness that seemed somehow out of context.
“What happened?” Ned asked the guard, “Where is everyone?”
“Some idiot tried to kill the Mayor, so now all of the citizens have to stay indoors until the threat’s eliminated,” explained the guard with a grimace, “All of the shops closed down, too.”
“You mean I won’t be able to find a job?” Ned grimaced; this was not what he had planned.
The guard’s lips were forming a ‘no’ when a man suddenly stepped out of the shadows. He wore a simplistic military uniform, and he carried a silver walking stick in his hands. His white hair was neatly trimmed, just like his imposing moustache. Ned knew immediately that this was the sort of man who was not to be messed with.
“What’s your business?”demanded the guard, “You’re supposed to be indoors!”
“Do you not know who I am?” responded the man with a sneer.
Recognition flashed across the guard‘s eyes, and his face changed from shock to embarrassment. “Of course, General…” he muttered under his breath.
“Then stay out of MY business!” the General barked, and the guard retreated. The General turned to face Ned and his voice immediately softened. “Come with me.”
Ned dared not say anything, so he followed the General without complaint. He did not know where the man was taking him, nor what his reason was for choosing Ned to do his bidding. But surely this was an opportunity? It was better than nothing at least. The General was taking long military strides and Ned struggled to keep up. Finally, they stopped at a telephone booth.
Ned expected the General to take a quick call, but instead the man violently shoved him inside the booth, and whispered, “I’ll see you on the other side.” Then the booth suddenly jerked into motion, and started to descend at a rapid speed. Terrified, Ned glanced around for an escape. But there were no door handles, no objects to break the surrounding windows and nothing to get him out of his prison. The booth’s descent abruptly ended and the door swung open to reveal Ned’s destination.
He was in a dimly-lit room. The only furniture in the room was a desk, and a flickering candlestick was the only light source. Paper was scattered across the table, and nobody had bothered to tidy up the mess. Along the wall was a map of the City, with detailed notes stuck onto specific points. The place had an evil feel to it, and Ned looked around for an exit from this dungeon. And that was when he noticed that he was not alone.
“Not particularly good-looking, eh?” The General’s unmistakable voice echoed behind Ned. He turned to see the man with a malicious smirk on his face. “Come, we’ve got business to settle.”
The General reached inside the desk’s drawers and took out a silver pistol. The dim candle light reflected off its shiny surface. Even though Ned knew nothing about guns, he could tell it was a beautiful weapon. “A Glock 18 semi-auto… the most accurate pistol in the world,” the General muttered to himself. Ned somehow knew that to be true, but he was unsure where he had heard it before. The General then pointed the deadly weapon at Ned, “Even the most inaccurate shot could end a man’s life.”
Ned shuddered and took a step back, “and what does it have to do with me, sir?”
The General passed the weapon to Ned as if it was a toy. Ned accepted reluctantly, unsure what to do with it. The General then reached into his pockets and produced a bundle of notes. Ned had never seen so much money in his entire life, and he was suddenly prepared to do anything to get them.
The General seemed to know exactly what Ned was thinking. He divided the pile and handed half to Ned. Then he spoke in a calm voice, a genius explaining his masterplan. “ Your job is simple. Deliver the Glock to the guard in front of the City Hall. Tell him ‘It’s time to act.’ When you’re done, come back here for the rest of your reward.”
Ned almost laughed -- it was such a simple task. There was no way anything could go wrong. He could already see the smile on Caitlin’s face when he returned home with the money. “ I will not fail you.” he promised and carefully pocketed the Glock and his money. He turned and headed straight for the elevator booth. Behind him, the General chuckled to himself, “I do believe the Mayor needs some more protection.”
Once above ground, it was easy for Ned to find the City Hall. Somehow he knew exactly where to go, as if he had been to this place before. He spotted the guard immediately and walked carefully towards him. He reached into his right pocket and felt the cool metal against his skin. The guard regarded him with a suspicious look, but Ned whispered to him, “ It’s time to act.” The man’s face relaxed, and Ned handed him… the flute.
Ned only realized his mistake when he saw the puzzlement on the guard’s face. He quickly reached into his other pocket and found the Glock. Suddenly, Ned felt something cold and metallic pressed against his head, and the voice of the General boomed from behind him.
“There he is, Mr Mayor, the very man that plotted to kill you the other day! It looks like we’ve caught him in his second attempt!”
“Good job, General,”replied the Mayor, “and I thought you were the one who was planning a military coup!”
Ned could not believe this was happening. He slowly turned around and saw it was the guard who held him at gun-point. The Mayor and the General stood side by side in front of the marble steps, a jet black SUV behind them. The Mayor looked oddly familiar, especially that look of amusement on his chubby face. Ned swore that he had seen the man before.
“The penalty for high treason is death,” the General declared solemnly, “Execute him!”
Ned felt as if a truck smashed into the side of his head. The pain was unbearable. He lost control of his muscles and fell backwards down the steps.
His body landed with a sickening thud. The marble steps underneath him turned bright crimson. His flute fell out of his pocket, rolled down the steps and shattered into a million pieces. The last thing Ned heard was the Mayor’s voice, muttering to himself:
“A Glock 18 semi-auto… the most accurate pistol in the world. I wonder where he got it.”
STRAIGHT AHEAD
A few more miles the road ran and soon turned into a puzzle. It branched off into three separate paths. Ned stood at the crossroads, uncertain of his choice. He took the road straight ahead of him.
Suddenly, he remembered everything. Vivid images came rushing back at him: the emptiness in the Assassin’s eyes, the cruel smirk on the General’s face, the crimson blood on the marble steps … Ned thought that he could hear a defining gunshot and the terrible thud that followed. He could feel that unbearable pain again.
He knew then that only misery lay ahead of him. He knew that he could not turn back either; he was too ashamed to tell his family that their fate had been sealed. There was only one way out of his misery.
Ned reached into his pocket and felt cold metal against his hand. A Glock 18 semi-auto… the most accurate pistol in the world.
He howled at the sky for the injustices that had been done to him. He raised his fist in defiance of fate itself.
There was a loud bang and a sickening thud. And then all was silent, except the mournful cries of the ravens in the sky.
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