What A Wonderful World – FFfAW 135

The procession moved slowly, solemnly towards the city center. Men, women and children held signs conveying respects for the victims and messages of hope and love for everyone else.

Adnan puffed his cigarette, one last mortal pleasure before his impending death. Along with how many, he didn’t know. In exactly five minutes he would join the throng of mourners and then activate the deadly C4 explosives strapped to his torso.

Death is inevitable, his handler had preached. Those people will die one day, that was a certainty. But Adnan will become a martyr. And his wife and daughter would be spared. All he had to do was to take as many people as possible with him.

His reverie was broken by a little girl tapping his shoulder. She was holding a handmade sign that had a single word – ‘LOVE’. Without saying anything, she hugged him, flashed a kind smile and joined her father in the procession.

Adnan stood up, determined. He started sprinting in the opposite direction towards the bridge. His cellphone buzzed. It was his handler.

“What are you doing?”

“My duty. There will not be another massacre today.”

“Idiot! Think about your wife and kid. We will kill them slowly.”

“Death is inevitable, brother. I will see my family in heaven.”

Adnan muttered a prayer and jumped off the bridge into the swirling waters of the river.

An hour later, the news channels flashed the following as ‘Breaking News’

LONE EXPLOSIVES STRAPPED NUTTER FALLS OFF BRIDGE TO HIS DEATH.

My heart goes to the victims of the Las Vegas massacre. Human beings are the only creatures in this world that preys on its own kind. Love, Respect, Universal Brotherhood and Humility are the need of the hour. Many thanks to Priceless Joy for hosting yet another edition of Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. The prompt for the 135th edition has been provided by Elaine Farrington Johnson. This week’s post is a bit long, but I hope that is ok. Find other entries to this week’s fantastic prompt here.

Have you checked out #WordSante, a place where you can resurrect your beloved, older piece of writing. After all, every post deserves to be read.