It was dark, seemed like just any other warm July night in our small town. There was an essence of freedom as the fireworks went off in the distance; the heart warming sound of color and celebration. To think that not many years ago in 1776 the founding fathers of this country decided to rebel against the most powerful nation at the time all in the idea of freedom. Now a days it seems that’s a pretty hard concept to swallow, that your government isn’t always right. Well I figured I had spent enough time by the dock and casually walked back over to where the masses were watching the fireworks. My wife, Alexandria noticed me and asked what id been thinking about. I just smiled and chuckled to her the simple answer of everything. As I had expected, she smiled back walked over saying like what, in a real up beat tone. I told her everything most people think about and then you of course. Satisfied with my answer she smiled and watched quietly, as did everyone else. It’s so odd to think about how something simple as the wording of an answer could affect someone’s whole mood and disposition for an indefinite amount of time. Simple ending on words change everything, similar to the butterfly affect. Ha, the butterfly affect, such a difficult concept to grasp I dare not try and think about it. After the fireworks everyone clapped and some cheered as expected. We all parted ways the other viewers went to their homes as I went to mine. I didn’t think too much of that seemingly uneventful day until latter.

In the morning we awoke as always, made breakfast and got ready for work. I loved my job; I was a bounty hunter. As dangerous as you may think that is its not as bad as many think. Most often than not the people that have skipped bail are sitting at home assuming no one will come after them. They are almost always to full of themselves and think that because they may be bigger than me or have a gun that I won’t be able to take them in. Nine times out of ten they are wrong, I’m not the best at my job but I’m pretty good. I carry a gun and a few other tools to help aid me in their capture. It rarely comes down to any of those things though, most people see what I have and rather go quietly. It’s hard to stand up for yourself especially when you know you're in the wrong.

There was this one guy that I was trying to find, and when I found him he told me he was innocent and had been set up. Its hard to believe something like that, it just pry’s on the fact that you have to either trust the supposed criminal or “the man”. After hearing him plead his case for sometime I let him go, and told him to not let me find him again. I never did hear what happened to him; it seems that if someone powerful enough wants you gone you’ll stay gone. If they got him I hope he wasn’t innocent, and if they didn’t then I hope he was.

My wife on the other hand didn’t really fancy her job much. She was a realtor. What she didn’t like about of it was how fake she felt the other realtors were. Its terrible because she was so kind. They get more money for the more houses they sell and how much those houses cost. She knew many of her coworkers that would much rather sell people a run down house for an inflated price than a much cheaper house in better conditions. Where she worked was almost like high school, there would be just a bunch of different groups of people. The people that sold the most homes would be on group, the people who sold the least would be another and then there would be the random other groups of people; like the weird group or the younger group. She like many people my try in high school, tried to be in all of the groups. She could talk with most all of them fine but, when it came down to the concrete decision of choosing a definite side she couldn’t. Some groups just don’t want to get along.

I was on my way home and decided to stop by and pick up some groceries because I figured we were out of at least something. I bought some milk, bread, cereal, and juice. Just the things were bound to be out of sooner or latter. Suddenly and without warning I heard a round go off in close proximity to where I was. I reacted quick and ducked for cover trying to asses the situation at hand. The other unsuspecting people fled and hid for their lives, clearly not thinking rationally. Then emerged the first victim and the gunman. The man was lying there standing still the smoking gun in hand. His eyes filled with tears, fear and anger as he came to grasps that he had lost control of the argument. The victim looked up in her last breath and whispered, “I love you”. Upon hearing this, the man stood there frozen and just watched in shock as she bled out. It’s scary to think that in a matter of mere seconds everything we know can fail us and we can change our lives forever. He got angrier, screaming terrible things and weeping at the same time. He blamed him self, then he blamed the world, then he blamed god after he ran out of people to blame he looked around to who was still in the store. Then still with regret and sorrow in his eyes he squeezed tight on the trigger again, and again, and again, at what he thought was another victim. The innocent woman hit the floor, the loudest sound I’ve ever heard and the brightest red I’ve ever seen. The man seemed sadder and now with more regret than ever. Then another shot. His eyes widened to the whiteness of snow and he dropped. I had fired back at him, without thought, on instinct seeing that more people were in danger. He hit the floor much softer than the woman before him. He looked at me with heavy eyes; I approached my gun drawn still on target. And with his last sorrowful breath he told me he was sorry and thanked me. I’ll never forget that, his voice still echoes in my head. The gate to his eyes shut for the last time. I holstered my weapon and walked over to the injured woman; but she had left as well.

Moments later the police came and questioned everyone. They said it was a clear act of self defense and thanked me for being able to act quickly. My wife showed up in tears and hugged me. The media and a small crowd gathered to hear the story now that the danger was gone. I saw the people carried out on different stretchers. The police were trying to figure out what had happened. Of course the media would be able to spin this into whatever story that they wanted. If they wanted it to support gun rights or go against them or tie it to gangs they could, weather it had anything to do with that or not. I found out latter that the other woman who was killed was the saddest of all, a loving mother of two. Killed getting treats for her children. She told them if they did all of their chores without being reminded then she would buy them each a treat. Of all the things her little daughter asked for apples and carrots as a treat. Sounds like a wonderful kid; while other parents struggle to feed their children healthy food her daughter wanted them as a treat. Now instead of getting a warm hug and a comforting treat from her mother she will get a heartbroken apology from her father. They all will willow in their sorrow for as long as it takes form someone to get over the most tragic of events. It must have changed her son’s and daughter’s lives forever. It’s un comprehendible how different their lives will be.

The man, the lost soul, the atrocious killer of a seemingly pure soul. Why would this happen? How could it have happened? I was there! I’m trained! I can shoot well and I should have frozen up; but I did. Still there in the crowd of people and police officers, in the loving arms of my wife I was lost in thought. Still in shock and disbelief of what had just happened. I thought if only, if only I had acted faster. Why would that devil do such a thing? Who was the first victim? I found out that the first victim was his wife, when I heard this I timidly held my wife closer and listened in disbelief as my heart sunk lower than it already was. His wife had cheated on him. She was on her way out with having secured their child in her name and all of his money. When she had seen him she froze in disbelief that he could have found her. She stared to cry, and whimpered, “What are you doing here?” He cowardly barked commands at her trying to get her to come back with him, to not leave and destroy everything that had taken so long to build up. She refused every plea, every desperate bargain. Then she finally said to him, “I don’t love you”. Those words sank deep as she intended, but then they started to sink to deep. They sank deeper than any word should sink in a man or anyone; he broke, drew a stolen gun and fired.

In a simple flash of light he took her life. Just as you could with any other tool used to harm. It takes so little, the slash of a knife, the swing of a fist, the push of a button. Done, that’s all it takes and then that person as we no it is no more. Should you be happy in a sense that people suppose you go to a better place? There is believers and nonbelievers, but in all truth you haven’t ever been there and back so no one will every know until they are gone. But when you go, as everyone dose you wont be able to tell anyone.

We headed home, back to our simple house in our thought to be simple town. How tragic would that be if I had to have a son without parents, or without a mother. I had shot someone before and they were killed. It was so different though, they were a felon and tried to kill me before. I had him cornered at gun point and he over confidently tried to draw his weapon. Never had the chance, was dead before he could finish pulling it out. I didn't feel any guilt about it either and now I was looking back comparing it all. How was it so different I asked my self? Well it really wasn’t very different in both situations I had taken a life. The fact that knowing one was a “bad” guy changed everything. The man in the shooting was just a regular guy who lost control and acted terrible. If you kill a killer isn’t that the same thing as him killing someone? Well many people will look at intent and that changes everything. In the end it’s still a life lost. You could look it as number though. Instead of morality look at numbers, isn’t it better to take one life if it will save many others? For most people that isn’t even a question it’s clear as day; a fact in their mind.

Now I would have this haunt me until how ever long it takes for me to get over it. What dose that even mean, getting over it? Dose that mean your mind stops concerning its self with it or it just fades from memory. I thought all these things, then drifted off to sleep and then the future. This was many years ago. Me and my lovely wife have a child of two years old he’s they joy of my life. We even are lucky enough to have another one on the way. She is expected to be coming soon. We couldn't be happier, what done is done and what’s in the past should stay there. No need to dig bad memories, they aren't events anymore; just history. After it’s passed before you know it, time will take you to another warm July day.