Enjoy!
I looked around at the crowd that had been forming, my face calm and collected as I approached the center of the traffic center. My long orange robes swished around me, a symbol of my being. They were the representation Buddhism and the God I served.
“Are you sure it is the right thing to do?” my student asked me. “Aren’t you afraid? You don’t have to do it, we can find another way.”
I smiled at him and placed my hand on his shoulder. “There is no other way. It is right for the world, my son. I will do what is necessary to save those all around us. War is not the answer,” I paused before adding, “And all those animals that we vivisected have told me of what I am to do. The Gods are speaking to me.”
He looked down at the ground, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. I kept myself calm, my face blank and reassuring. It was easy to masquerade this way. My training had taught me to show no emotion, to feel no fear, and I would stand by such rules until the end. Inside, I was conflicted. A spark of hope ignited within me. Maybe this would make a difference. Maybe it would make people listen. The sound of a military plane zooming above the city of Saigon brought me from my thoughts. The sound of bombs, of screaming children, the calls of the dying, that was what had brought me to this city. It was time to serve my purpose to my people before it was too late.
I turned back to my pupil. “I am afraid of only doing too little, young one. I am afraid of being negligent of my duties. Physically, I have done all I can for those around me. But their suffering is merely momentary. I must put an end to all this madness before the world has gone too far. Maybe when it is over, we will no longer be two separate peoples, the Vietnamese. Maybe, we will learn to live with one another, the Catholics with us the Buddhists. But for now, I must educate the world. I must bring light back into the hearts of our people. Bombs cannot be the burlesque of peace although many believe the two to be quite similar. They are not compatible, they are completely contradictory. Just remember all that I have taught you.”
My pupil nodded, biting his lip. I took a deep breath and was about to turn, before he grabbed onto my arm. “I do not know what my purpose is. How will I find it without you?” He was crying now, the tears streaming down his cheeks. My heart pulled. I let my mask slip, now replaced with so much kindness that my heart ached.
“Look inside yourself. Look around you. Find your purpose by serving others, by serving the world.”
He nodded, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve, identical to my own, “You are the bravest man I have ever met. I am honored to have been taught by you.”
I shook my head. “There is no such thing as bravery in this world of cowards.” My heart beat began to race and I bowed to the boy. He would struggle with life, I knew that. I understood his pain, but he would eventually comprehend my reasoning. The light would show him the way to God.
I stepped out into the street. Each time I placed my foot down on the pavement, I went faster toward my destiny. My heart was light now, nearly excited. I was not solemn. Happiness bounced in my step. I knew I was made to serve this purpose now. I sat down in the middle of the street, a truck full of soldiers from the consulate, staring at me in wonder. One man looked down at me.
“Pig,” he spat. I shook my head sadly. He was ignorant, like all other members of this forsaken place. He was innocent.
“I am going to save you,” I said back, bowing my head in his direction. I was refuting all his beliefs, giving myself to the one aim of my people: protest. I opposed the intolerance, the war, and the suffering. Maybe now, they would hear our cries for peace and delve into their human nature to take back their actions before it was too late.
Before he could respond, I reached into my robes, taking one last look at the people I had spent my entire life with. They all stared back, solemn, respectful while the cars beeped at me from behind. I struck the match, bringing it towards my kerosene soaked flesh. I closed my eyes, focusing my mind into meditation. I dropped the spark, letting the flames devour my being. The heat licked hungrily at my skin, piercing pain raging through my body. Yet, I held still. People screamed around me, calling for help as the heat blistered my skin, tearing away my human flesh and leaving my soul. Still, with the heat and the cries, I refused to move, looking up into the heavens. This was my destiny, my purpose, my sacrifice, my fulfillment of life. I would not just stand by and watch the world burn. I would take the flames for them.
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Okay, so here's the link to Kylan's flash fiction (under 1,000 word) Contest (check out the picture this story was based on. It's kind of gruesome, just to warn you).
