Each time I watch them so gracefully raise their weapon of choice I wonder, What is it like to die? When they see the limp body that used to host a human soul, What are they thinking? The bloodied corpse of a now forgotten son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, or father. It had always intrigued me.

The humid air and cold wind from the passing rain invaded my layers of clothing, gripping my body in an icy embrace. I hugged myself as if it would help me get any warmer. As I walked, calmly as my legs would allow, the brush and undergrowth shivered, the branches above waved, and the creatures scattered in my presence. From the corner of my eye, there was more movement, but not that of nature's; it was one of a human's. I let out a sharp, bark-like laugh and threw a rock from where I stood. The rock soared the distance between us in moments and bounced off its intended target. I heard a man's voice cursing.

"Why the hell would you that?" he hissed at me, "That hit my fucking head, dammit."

"Oops, my bad," I giggled with absolutely no sincerity, "Now let's go."

"Who says you're calling the shots?" he glared at me from his kneeling position, his hand rubbing the side of his head.

I began walking ahead, not looking back as I disappeared behind the tangled trees. Staggered steps barreled after me, while an echo of more curse words followed. Hmm, it's to the right, I remember that. I took a sharp right and dodged a branch that would have taken out my eye.

"Holy s***!" his voice boomed in the otherwise silent woods.

That idiot, he ran into the branch, didn't he. I didn't bother to look back: he'd just delay my arrival. A hand gripped my shoulder tightly and a gruff voice whispered in my ear, "Be careful, they're all killers. They will not hesitate to shoot you down if you make a single mistake."

"You think I don't already know that? " I slapped away his hand and scowled.

"Whatever missy. Maybe I'll be the lucky one to take the shot that kills you." He winked, a wide grin spreading across his face. Despite his careless appearance, I knew he was serious: he would enjoy killing me too. I shook the image from my head and strode across the remaining distance. Inside the grove I was greeted by a chair, 13 figures wearing all black, and my father who was bound by ropes. Two shadows crossed the room and hauled him to the chair. Our eyes met. His nostrils flared and through the gag tied around his mouth, a muffled cry emerged. I saw him not as my father then, but as my prey. I looked at each of the shadowy figures, every single one of them were carrying a different weapon: a hammer, a gun, a knife, a shovel, a screw driver, a chisel, a bat...I was overwhelmed with choices, but my giddy excitement was contained, instead appearing as a young girl who silently walked toward a figure holding a brick. She nodded and I snatched the brick from her calloused hands. It stayed limp at my side, until I approached him, he who sat on the chair, terrified. He couldn't speak, and said nothing at all. Tears started down his cheeks, and snot ran from his nose: he was a pitiful sight, my father. The man whom I met in the forest barked, "Kill him now! It's as simple as that." I turned briefly to stare him in the eyes then turned my back and held the brick up high: a sickening crack broke the silence as I brought it down upon my father's head. The first hit rendered him unconscious, the second crushed half his skull, the third tore his ear to shreds, but the fourth was the killing strike. It didn't stop there: I kept on hitting him, over and over. I eventually lost count of how many times a brought the brick down of his limp, broken body. And all the while, the shadows just watched me.

A week later I was escorted to the grove again. We took the path we had taken last time, but we wouldn't travel on it once we were finished. I entered the familiar grove: my home that smelled of iron and moss. Even in the air I could taste the fear.

"She's here. How do you want to do this?"

A sharp pain flooded my body, and I felt a rough pair of hands carry me to the center of the room. A woman stood above me, holding a gun, with a crazed glint in one of her eyes.

"Just kill her already. We all witnessed her failure."

"What? My...m-m-my failure?" my eyes had widened, cleared from the pain temporarily, "I did exactly as I was told! I succeeded!" my voice cracked and I coughed blood on the floor.

She kicked me in the stomach and growled in disgust, "You miserable brat, you failed!"

I gasped, my eyes practically bulging from their sockets.

"Mother...?" I gazed up and stared directly at her pointed gun.

"I'm going to kill you now. It's as simple as that."