Victim of Destiny

Looking up to the sky Derrick watched as the rain clouds parted, the full moon peaking out around the clouds bathing the meadow in its beautiful light. His serenity was cut short as a searing pain shot through his side permeating deep into his chest.

Looking down he watched as the blade slipped deeper between his ribs. Stumbling forward he turned toward his attacker the blade slipping free. A woman dressed in garb almost identical to his own stood in front of him her arms crossed over her chest.. Her face was hidden in the shadows created by the hood draped tightly over her head. Tossing the hood back she laughed towards the sky her hair draped around her face. The beautiful curve of her face was burned into his memory. It was Amelia, she continued to laugh as her bell like voice rang across the clearing.

"They said you would be a difficult target. That your kill record and skill matched even that of the great Derrick Nightengale. How pitifully wrong they were those fools."

Struggling to remain standing Derrick slowly pulled his hood back his hands shaking as he fumbled with the straps holding his mask in place. After a few minutes he finally wrestled the straps free and the mask fell to the soggy ground with a squish. Looking down at her soon to be dead target Amelia watched with amusement as the man struggled to remove his mask. As the mask hit the ground she saw his face for the first time. For minutes she stared in blank shock her entire body frozen in place.

All at once a wave of horror and sorrow crashed over her knocking her to her knees with its sheer strength. It was Derrick she had just slain her teacher...friend...lover he stood there blood gushing down his side. Amelia stared blankly tears welling up and streaming down her face leaving dirty streaks down her alabaster skin.

"I didn't know" she wailed her voice cracking with the emotions that raged through her. She beat the ground her fists quickly getting covered in mud and grime. "They never told me who I was hunting. All I knew was where to find you. I'm sorry."

Crawling over to Derrick she grasped futilely at his knees her grime covered hands sliding off the cloth as she whimpered unintelligibly her voice breaking at more and more frequent intervals. Realizing he was growing cold she sat back on her heels staring up at him waiting for any semblance of emotion. Derrick's knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground his weight settling on his legs.

Tears streamed down Amelia's face as Derrick sighed a smile finally cracking the steel mask that he had held in place for years. Slowly the life drained from his eyes as he looked over at her the smile spreading wider. Leaning closer he kissed her his weight shifting forward onto her. Breaking the kiss he leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"Thank You."

With those words spoken he leaned back staring up at the sky the moon glowing dimly in the sky the rains starting up again and creating a river of red that flowed around the two kneeling figures. He looked at Amelia his mind reeling with all the possible things he could say but only one repeated over and over.

"I'm glad it was you Amelia, I feel like with this I have regained my humanity."

With one final smile and a final glance towards the sky he sighed the last breath slipping from his body and he passed into a place he believed was unreachable to a person that had committed the atrocities he had. His eyes slid closed a look of true peace on a face that had never seen a moment of true serenity.