Pathway to Destiny
“I was only trying to feed my family!” Larso pleaded out loud. “My wife and child were starving. There is no work and no food, please have mercy.”
Mara held the baby close to her as they were dragged towards the clearing from behind the crowd somewhere. The two were screaming and crying, but the soldiers acted as if they did not hear or see their pain. They were brought out in front of Larso, the look of confusion was apparent in his face.
For a moment he seemed elated to see his wife and child whom he loved, then fear set in as why he was seeing them. The confusion only lasted a second before he saw a soldier jump from the platform and ripped the child from it’s mother. The soldier showed no emotion as he slit the throat of the child in front of both the parents. Mara went limp in the soldiers grasp and convulsed in silent sobbing, her face twisted in a pain that could not be imagined. She did not suffer long, the murderous soldier dropped the infant corpse to the ground and grabbed Mara’s beautiful long mocha hair. In a second it was over and blood rushed down the front of her clothes. She almost looked at peace as the last of it gushed from her.
Larso stood as an empty shell. He felt so much pain and sorrow all at once he could no longer feel a thing. His thoughts no longer functioned.
“You see what your policies lead to.” Mark directed at Casandra. “For an entire cycle I have let these people migrate here at your request. This is the outcome.” He looked over his shoulder at her, “Did I not warn you of this?”
“You didn’t have to kill his family.” Casandra retorted.
“His family was the reason he committed the crime, now he has no further reason to commit crimes. He was quite worthless and a drain on society, now he will join the vast army that protects this village to pay for his crime. The work option he was given when he first arrived, he should have taken it if he was so desperate to support his family. They all may soon learn the lesson that you are either a productive part of society pulling your weight, or you are disposed of like the dead weight you are.” Mark looked at the crowd who were pushing harder against the soldiers. They didn’t approve of infanticide. Mark stood and addressed the crowd, “You are given the choice when you arrive here to work for the state, you may join the military or you may join the servants. I owe you nothing, and if you take from me I will take from you. Larso Denkan believed it is better for his family to have a quick death, than a slow one of starvation.”