Reflections of a the Fire Man

Dang its been a while. Sorry for the wait. I've been feeling especially lazy this month, but whatever. Here we go!


The sun slowly slid below the horizon, its light bleeding away into darkness. I watched it fade, standing towards the bay windows that prominently cover the front of my house. A cup of warm cocao in my hand, I listened as the crickets started their nightly serenade. All was peaceful and calm. The town that glittered below was a beacon against the shadowy landscape. Cars sputtered to and fro, individual people living individual lives. My house, or mansion, as some simpletons may call it, was located precariously on the side of the mountain that rose forever into the clouds. The little town of St. Kellers was the town below, a beautiful little city that had thrived during the big war.
I felt an odd kinship towards this little town. I did not reside there, but I made my fortune there during the war. I led the development of weapons and vehicles for the military, a job that supplied me with enough money to retire after the war. Now I watched as others went about their work, toiling away while I did nothing except amuse myself. On the far side of town, I could still see the weapons plant, still running due to the threat of war with the Eurasian nations.
I sighed, a deep melancholy sound that welled up from the recesses of my chest. I stepped away from the window and walked over to the couch, throwing myself upon it lazily. I needed to work out. I could tell that this lifestyle had taken its toll on my now flabby stomach. But I figured I'd deal with that problems later. More important things were at stake.
For once, I was excited at what the night would bring. Today was the 200th anniversary of America's successful announcement of freedom. It was the fourth of July, and it promised to be the best one ever seen by the likes of this great nation. Any minute now, the fireworks would begin and light up the sky with color and sound, a feast for the senses. I was anxious to get started, but I kept my patience. The show would begin promptly at 10 o'clock. And, since I was the benefactor for this magnificent event, the townspeople would be given a show they would never forget.
I think back to my earlier days, before the war. I lived in St. Kellers with my mother and my brother Tom. We weren't exactly well off, but we managed to scrape by. My mother sold herself to afford food, and at the age of 8 I took up a job working in the old Herman shoe factory. When I turned 17, war broke out between the Eurasian nationalists and the good ol' US of A. Herman's was changed into a weapons factory to provide for the war. Luckily, I showed potential when it came to the development of weaponry, and I quickly rose to the top, taking control of the second largest weapons company in the US. The highlight of my career came years later, when I developed the nano missile. Designed as an experiment, the nano missile could be told what the target was, and the nanos released upon impact would decimate it, leaving everything else intact. The nano missile gave me my fortune. The military gave me a life. A life I felt I had lived to the fullest.
The fireworks were about to start. Abandoning the couch, I walked over to the windows and looked out. Any minute now. Off in the distance, I saw a bright orange streak shoot of into the sky. The show had begun. I watched as the rocket ascended to the heavens. I smiled. What a show it would be.
The nano missile fell to the ground in the center of St. Kellers, decimating the nearby buildings. I watched with relish as the nanomites spread from the blast site, consuming everything in their path. I could hear the townspeople screaming from down below. Another orange streak erupted from the Herman weapons factory, this time directed toward the army base at Ridgeton.
I watched the small town burn, as the sins of the townspeople were cleansed in this baptism of fire. The bastards that tore my childhood away from me, that forced my mother to resort to prostitution to feed my and Tommy were now awash in flame and death, and I relished the feeling of liberation I now felt.
I took another sip of cacao, reflections of the flames dancing across my face. Smoke rose gracefully from the crator that the missile had left in its wake. The horizon lit up once more, far off in the distance. I laughed at the beauty of destruction. What a cruel irony that the most beautiful things in life were the most deadly! Satisfied, I watched the nanomites finish off the rest of the town before perishing. Another wicked smile crept across my face. What a show it had been.