9

He beat and shot the man, surrendering to the resistible rage rage rage, losing his temper, relishing the surge of terrible energy and its release, bloodied body satisfactorily crumpled before him, immobile and stiffening, losing consciousness, disappearing from being, and with the act now complete the killer flees in arbitrary directions, hiding in plain sight, tired of running, uncaring about victim or self, lungs burning, collapsed on back gasping at spinning sky, blue jacket above, handcuffed, babbling questions from attorneys, witnesses, motions and stern looks, bars and grey concrete walls, blank mind and sleep and timelessness, dreams of victim, beating by guards or perhaps only memory, awake again with emptiness, neither sad nor happy, staring staring, guards return him to courtroom, time for sentencing, killer experiences deep acceptance at tough but fair sentence, watching cold eyes of his peers and, finally doing the one decent thing in his horrible life, understanding his responsibility, consequences of his vicious actions, embracing punishment, praying to clear his late-appearing conscience before he joins his victim, before the end.