Deception

             James knew he was getting close to finishing his job. A job he figured will be his last one for he is getting too old to do such a task for much longer. Too many times, his life almost ended because of his reactions slowing down. More times have come where he has been wounded or inches away from death. If he continues this path, death will welcome him. Part of him welcomed it, for his life was not a pleasant one but a necessity to rid this land of the evil.

             “Will life be better once I am done with this job?” he asked himself many times.

             He has his doubts, but at least he is willing to try the unknown. If it does not work, he can go back to doing this job until the final blow strikes to bring his bliss.

             James enters the building that is ten stories tall. For most humans, it would take many hours to search out the hunted. For James, he can sense the approximate location of his target.

             “Sixth floor,” he thought. “Rooms six-ten to six-twenty.”

             He went to the stairs and started his ascent to the sixth floor. As he neared the floor, he stepped lightly and calmed his breathing. It does not take much to alarm the one he nears. Many escaped in his beginning days as he displayed less control. That was a long time ago. Now a simple step for him to put in effect.

             James steps into the hallway of the sixth floor. His target is nearby. His arms tingle and warm up as he can sense the presence getting closer and closer.

             “It has kept me financially stable,” he mutters as thoughts of if this was worth it constantly pops into his mind. “But how dead I feel inside.”

             He nears the door where behind is his target. A target that has not moved. Good. The target does not know their end is at hand.

             “End this vile race.”

             James steps in front of the door, preparing for anything that might come his way. With the wave of his hand, the door opens. He immediately sees his target as she sits in a chair by the window, looking at him.

             “She knew I was coming?” he thought.

             He enters the room with the door closing behind him.

             “Welcome,” she says as the tendrils sprouting from her head casually wave around.

             James looks at her hands to see if there is anything that can cause him harm. Nothing. as she rests her arms on the armrests.

             “You know I was coming?”

             “I knew the day would come.”

             James quickly scans the room, for this seems to be too easy. Nothing out of the ordinary he can see or sense.

             “Bring your mission to an end,” she says. “Just know that I forgive you, for you have been deceived so you do not know what you do.”

             “Huh? What do you mean?”

             “It will soon be revealed to you.”

             “I don’t know what you are talking about, but this ends,” he says and with a flick of his hand, a blade takes his target in the chest. The force of the strike tips the chair back, and she crashes through the window to the ground below.

             “My last job is done,” he says.

             How easy it was after she spoke such nonsense. Forgiveness? This corrupt race is forgiving him. They are the ones who need to ask for forgiveness.

             James turns around and is about to flick the door open when he hears the cry of a young one behind him. He spins around, looking for the source, but sees no one. Then the cry again, which comes from the other side of the bed, on the floor. No sensing of this one. Too young, which happens of ones in innocence.

             He walks over to the side of the bed and sees a young one of the vile race, lying there. She is so young that she still looks remarkably like a human. Is she the child of the one he just took care of?

             James was about to turn around and leave, but he stopped himself.

             “Maybe I should at least put her on the bed and notify someone.”

             But why do so when one day someone will hunt this young one down? Let her die now. He opened the door and stepped out but stopped again.

             “I can’t abandon no matter the race.”

             He went back into the room and over to the young one.

             “Not sure why I am saving you,” he said, and reached down to pick her up.

             As he picked her up to put on the bed, the young one reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. A flash and it felt like the scales fell from his eyes. He fell back onto the bed as his head is filled with knowledge of the race he has been eradicating. Darkness takes him.

             James opens his eyes. He sits up and looks around. The small child is nowhere in sight. He looks over at the shattered window, then to the closed door.

             “Was this a set-up?” he thought. “Are these thoughts of the race I have been hunting for years true?”

             He knew the answer was yes and hung his head in shame to believe in the propaganda put forth about this race. A race that he was taught to hate and eradicate.

             “I have been made a fool and ended many innocent lives.”

             James’ time to retire will have to wait. It is his job now to teach others like him they have been in the wrong.

             James leaves the room and begins his crusade. He finds out with the touch of his hands he can help others realize they had been fooled. The numbers grow as days go by. But they do not know there is a dark force that started the slaughter that has plans to take James and his followers out. But the race once killed off one by one by James and his followers know of the force. War is in the air.