At that point I stopped flinching.
The
naration
throughout
the event gave it a cold, lifeless feeling. It became a scientific
research of art, with the old man as the subject examined.
"Do you see?" asked the figure standing next to me with a wide, eerie smile. "Do
you see how all traces of life are slowly being lost from his eyes? His life
drained away while he is still aware of everything, still
concioues?"
I froze there, watching the old man kneeling on his
knees, surrendering to the gods of fate, to his coming death. I could
see in his face how he lost all hope, all chance of redemption. Lucifer
saw it as well, and his face was practically orgasmic. It was his
winning move, his checkmate on humanity, and he didn't have to
move a muscle this time.
Even the robbers haven't noticed us watching
them. Perhaps it was the darkness surrounding us at the alley's corner,
or simply the fact the two were so busy hitting the old man.
"I want you to get closer. I want you to see his eyes, to see their eyes. And I want you to do nothing, but watch."
I hated him. Every word that came out of his mouth, every smile he let out. And I followed his orders.
"They won't be able to see you, I promise." he tried to rush me.
So
I got closer, until I could see the white in the victim's eyes. For a
second,
he looked at my direction, as if he knew I was watching him die. The
next hit knocked him to the floor, his blood quickly surrounding him
dramatically. The robbers weren't interested in his money anymore, it
was the rush which came from hitting him that they were after now.
Monsters, just like
Lucifer, who was standing a short distance behind me. I knew he was
smiling, he was always smiling when blood was being spilled.
I could
feel anger running through my veins. It was... It was fury. I wanted to
kill them, to see them burn for what they had done. But I knew I could
not. I simply kept watching the man die, until he truely did. A tear
had left my eye.
The robbers grabbed the wallet from the body and ran away.
A hand had gentley landed on my shoulder. His hand.
"Well done, Lewis. Remember - No feelings, no values, no involvment. It's art."
He gave me a pencil and a piece of paper.
"Now write."