Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: MIX (10/22/15)
-
TITLE: Cocktail | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gary Ritter
10/24/15 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Officials had thought long and hard about what to name the vehicles. They decided not to call them suicide buses; that would’ve been a trifle gauche. Instead they plastered “Euthanasia Bus” on front, side, and back – big red letters on a black background. That made me slightly uneasy. If they’d shown blood dripping from each letter they could have easily gone back to their original naming idea. It took a while getting used to driving one of those big black buses. Just the sight creeped me out.
But the money was good and I knew how appreciative my clients would be. My bus was among hundreds deployed in cities around the country. All the driver/technicians such as myself were specially trained. The program required us to become certified EMTs plus get a commercial license to drive the vehicles. After two months of medical and driver training we pulled out from the garage that cold morning ready to make a difference.
My route took me near an area of town near retirement communities and nursing homes. I pulled up outside one such building and waited. The brain trust behind our service had been advertising for months, announcing the coming of the Euthanasia Bus “to a street near you.” The feedback our government agency received was largely positive. For years more and more people had desired an easy way out of the cares and concerns of life. They were sick or old or simply tired of the rat race. The government finally determined to take positive steps and meet the demand in the marketplace.
Of course some small number of dissident groups opposed the concept, mostly Christians and the like. They squealed about sanctity of life and claptrap about God giving purpose and meaning to all people regardless of their circumstances. In their wisdom our government leaders turned a deaf ear to that nonsense and the program moved forward.
That first day a couple of people stuck their heads inside the bus checking out what we were all about; no clients, though. It took a week for my first intervention. Parked where I was I’d expected my initial one to be some old person; instead a pretty woman in her twenties demanded, “Work your magic on me.”
I was a little surprised, but hey, I just worked there, and had her recline in the Lazy Boy. While mixing the chemical cocktail that would end her life I casually asked, “What brings you here?”
“I broke up with my longtime boyfriend this morning. I’ve had enough.”
Being well trained as I was, I said, “Sorry to hear that. I can help you.”
She began crying. “It was awful. I’m so glad you’re here. I needed a sympathetic ear.”
“Uh huh,” I said, as I finished adding the final ingredient of my concoction. I unwrapped a syringe and filled it by slowly pulling back the plunger. The day-glow green mixture held a certain fascination with the young lady. Her eyes widened as I came near the chair.
“This is for real, isn’t it?”
“It’s what we’re all about. You ready?”
The constricting band was in place; the veins on her arm were good. I inserted the needle and emptied the deadly stew. Soothing music played in the background. Outside the darkened windows of the bus, a few snowflakes swirled about.
She didn’t notice. Her chest rose and fell with her gentle breathing. Suddenly, she tensed and struggled to sit up, her eyes popping open in fear. “What am I doing? Wait! Stop! I don’t want to go through with this!”
“Everything’s all right,” I said, my voice calm and soothing as I’d been instructed.
“Something’s not right! I…”
It pleased me that she expired without pain. My stomach lurched a tad when she fought the procedure, but that settled down as she sank into death.
I was proud. My first client.
She slid easily into the storage locker and I tidied up. Taking a deep breath I steadied my beating heart and overactive conscience. For some reason I felt a pang of guilt. No problem. It quickly vanished with the next customer.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
Chilling reminder of the consequences of the world's current moral and ethical condition. Even though I wanted a happy ending, your ending was more plausable and powerful.