The Devil's Conscience

I swung the door open and stepped into the bank. As I walked over to the queue my heart jumped into my mouth, this was the moment I had been building to for the last month and I could feel my pulse hammering around my body like a jackhammer. The queue was lengthy and I knew my bosses were proud of the haul they had managed, though the time it allowed me to contemplate terrified me.

Knowing I at least owed these people an acknowledgement I glanced around at the many faces surrounding me. My heart sunk when I saw families with small children, elderly couples and teen lovers, though I knew targeting emotion was the plan all along I guess I had forced myself to push all feelings of empathy from my body. I watched as a young mother crouched down and began stroking her child’s hair; he couldn’t be over the age of five. I desperately tried to conceal the emotion from my face but a lone tear began to roll down my cheek.

I was now nearing the end of the queue and with it everything else. I cared not for the promise of riches and honour in the afterlife; I just wanted to give back to the creator that had bestowed so much upon me is this really what a compassionate God would want, to end all this love between his most precious of creations? With a sudden rush my faith was gone, for a God that would wish such ill will on these innocent people was not my God. Panic set in as the horizon I had abandoned me, what can I do now? However amidst this terrifying emotion was a powerful feeling of peace, that I would not be the vessel of these peoples demise.

I had now reached the front of the queue. ‘Hello TCH banking how may I help you this evening sir?’ I stared vacantly at the women behind the counter, my mind in a much deeper place. ‘Sir?’ She repeated, slightly more demanding. ‘I… I’m fine thank you’ I mumbled and abruptly turned, pacing back through the queue. In an instant all feelings of panic had left me and I knew what I must do. All eyes followed me puzzled at my bizarre outburst as I removed my trench coat and threw it on to a chair near the door; I had to try to conceal myself as much as possible from the devils outside.

Pulling my collar up around my face I stepped out onto the cold London street my eyes cast towards the white van parked on the corner of the street. As inconspicuously as possible I began striding towards it. Glancing down at my watch and saw I only had sixty seconds before the call, ‘not a minute too late…’ I thought to myself, as a manic smile began to dance across my lips. My hands felt below the vest to the cold heavy padlock keeping the bomb to my breast. There was no other option. As I reached the van I stepped around behind it, trying to avoid the view of the mirrors. I guess I would find out if they’d seen me in about thirty seconds, or better yet I wouldn’t, that smile tinged with insanity forcing my lips wide yet again before quickly retreating. As I thought about the many lives I would save taking these hateful men into the afterlife with me a serene feeling flooded my body, I knew I was doing the right thing. It was time to be with my creator.

My phone began to vibrate.