Journal Entry

The Scientist # 12

How could he get over what just happened? He broke into silent sobs, fighting to control his emotions. He couldn't think about his wrist right now. He had experienced a great loss. It wasn't long before the man fell to his knees. Smoke was ascending high into the air. The heat from the flames was incredible. He was gasping for breath.

What just happened? It all went so fast. With the force of an atomic bomb, the research lab finally detonated along with everyone inside it. He leaped with all his might away from the building to the cold, hard ground. Sprinting from the building, his strength finally gave out.

He reached the door, and he kicked it open violently. He could see it—the exit. In desperation, he flew down the last fight of stairs. Three quarters, now. He was halfway there. Those horrible people, he thought. Why would they do this? Trying to get as far as he could from the situation at hand, he began his hurried journey. About twenty flights, he wasn't sure if he could make it. There were the stairs. In his hysteria, he lost his mind; which way was the exit?

Tears filling his eyes, he regrettably turned from them all and ran away, away, away... "Okay," he said, "but you've left me no choice. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about us, just go! It's better for one of us to live than for all of us to go up in smoke!"

"I can't leave all of you!" he yelled.

"You have to go," one of them told him.

His friends and coworkers at the lab looked at him solemnly. Apparently, those people had kept their word... A loud computerized voice on the intercom rang out, telling them all that they had one minute prior to detonation. He wondered if those criminals had done what they said they would do. The man had been told to stand and keep watch, not to move. This was as bad of a situation as you could get. As he stood there, he thought of his wife and his son.