The dark prison cell was near silent. With only the sounds of dripping water, scurrying rats, and soft breathing echoing off the concrete walls. There were no windows, only a small candle hung on a wall providing a minimal amount of light.
Four prisoners were huddled together in the corner. A chain tying them together in their despair. Tears silently falling, staining the concrete floor, painted their hopes-dimming like a flame in the rain.
One prisoner, an old man with balding grey hair, closed his eyes; remaining calm. The young man nearby, with long blonde hair, glared at him, his eyebrows knitted together in rage.
"Patrick!!! You demented F**k!!! If you hadn't swindled us into your stupid idea, none of this would have happened."
The old man, Patrick, didn't respond; just continuing his meditation as if in deep thought.
"Open your eyes you piece of s**t. Look around you. No amount of praying to your f**king god will save us now, and I blame you with every ounce of my being."
Patrick remained stoic, while a young woman spoke up on his behalf.
"Neil, don't talk like that. My father shouldn't take all the blame. We all made some mistakes. You had a choice. But you let your greed take over instead of walking away. It's better to just accept our fate instead of making our last moments even more miserable."
Neil laughed at the short woman with black hair, "My god Grace! You're such a suck up. Do you really think that if Patrick never invested in that illegal prospect farm that we would still be in this situation. No-this started with him. And now it's going to end with me, you, and Caleb being executed."
Neil was shouting at this point his rage causing spit to fly across the room. Grace sunk back into the corner tears in her eyes. Caleb was silent, his face pale with fright.
Neil sauntered over to the prison door, slamming it with his fist over and over again. He cried out in pain trying to make the guard look over. His eyes bloodshot; veins popping out of his neck.
"I know you can hear us. How about you just kill us now?"
The guard, a young man with messy brown hair and dark grey eyes, never even looked up. As if he was afraid to interact with these prisoners.
Neil was furious; his screams continued for four hours. Eventually he lay on the ground his voice hoarse and sweat covering his body. He looked up at the concrete ceiling, his gaze lingering on the grey as if in a trance. He started mumbling to himself. Blaming everyone.
Patrick opened his eyes looking over at Neil with pity. In his eyes he saw the young man who used to be full of spirit and purpose, now an empty shell angry at the world. 'It's my fault. My greed caused our lives to be taken from us. If only I had never met that snake, Samuel Pires.', his regrets echoed silently in his mind.
Patrick struggled shortly and managed to stand. He limped over to the young woman with tears stained on her cheeks.
"My sweet grace. Could you ever forgive a cruel old man such as myself?", his wrinkled eyes stared at hers with pain and love hidden deep inside.
Grace didn't speak, looking to the side as if to hide her face, the feeling of betrayal fighting to break the surface. Finally she turned to the old man and smiled, "Of course father. You did what you thought was best."
Patrick felt his heart sink deep within. He knew what his daughter really felt but didn't say anything. Accepting her words so he could appease his soul.
The two held each other tightly but it was as if there was a barrier between them.
Grace thought about all the times her father had held her before. All the times they ate breakfast together in the early mornings. The times he took her to the playground and pushed her for hours on the swing. The time he came home with a cake for her birthday. The time when her mother died and her father broke the news.
These memories flashed through her mind as if she was about to explode. Soon it would all be over. All of her joy, all of her sadness, all of her fear, all of her pain; replaced for nothingness.
This fear ripped through the minds of the four prisoners as they awaited the final curtain.
Neil crawled towards the wall, using his bloodstained knuckles to write on the concrete. His writing sloppy and uncoordinated. It was as if he was putting his last energy into these words.
As he finished he looked at the wall in despair. His eyes cold and his soul broken.
"In a world ruled by man; only the cruelest will remain at the end."
Patrick glanced over at Neil and then his eyes rested on the words. He felt the rage and despair in these words. He looked around the room at the three young adults he had grown to know over the years. His daughter, a bright young girl with a good heart. Neil, a fiery spirit and a wonderful coworker. And Caleb a youth straight out of high school, always making jokes and got along with everyone.
These three souls now to be snuffed out due to his mistakes.
Suddenly an alarm went off.
The blaring sound struck their eardrums like a hammer smashing in their skulls. The despair and dread struck them like being thrown in an icy lake. Their faces instantly paled.
Patrick lowered his eyes as if coming to peace with something. Caleb started shaking but remained silent as if denying reality. Neil picked himself off the ground, swaying back and forth like he was sick. Grace smiled softly, her fingernails digging into her palms causing blood to flow. And finally the guard slowly stood up, his face despondent and ashen.
The guard casually took out a black hood and slid it over his head, hiding his face from the world. A large axe rested on his back, a symbol of doom. His hand gently rested on the handle of his service pistol.
"I'm sorry. It's time."