A Fine Line

Benjamin Doyle's heart was racing as he watched the video on his laptop. The stark and eerie prison room, with its thick concrete walls and lack of windows, would have made him feel uneasy if he was there. The dimly lit space, illuminated only by a single bulb, cast a haunting glow on everything below it. It was a place where the worst of the worst came to speak with the prison psychiatrist, and the atmosphere was designed to make even the most hardened criminals uneasy.

Benjamin was no stranger to danger and discomfort, being a CIA agent. But as he watched the video of two people in a room, he felt an unsettling sense of foreboding. In the room were Dr. Julia Kens, an attractive woman in her mid-thirties who could have been a supermodel, and August Pree a 34 year old tall man with dark hair and dark blue eyes , who is built like a brick house , a notorious murderer who had killed an entire church congregation for reasons only know to his deranged mind .

Dr. Kens was a single mother a Harvard graduate and also happened to be Pree's psychiatrist. Pree was a madman of the highest order, who had committed unspeakable atrocities with a smile on his face. He had used knockout gas to murder everyone in a church and had shown no remorse for his actions. an act that would leave many pale and distraught.

However, Benjamin was no average civilian; he was a CIA agent who had been responsible for putting Pree in the deep, dark cell where he resided today .

In accordance with the report provided , August Pree made an attempt on his life yesterday. I truly wish he had succeeded, but alas, it was merely a ploy to entice Dr. Kens to meet with him prior to their scheduled appointment , if that just goes to show how much of a madman he is .

"Pray tell, Mr. Pree, do you comprehend the reason for your presence here?" queried the fair-haired doctor.

"Ah, of course I do. It is because I endeavored to terminate my existence yesterday," he chuckled, as if privy to a jest that only he comprehended. "But fret not, my dear. I shall not repeat such an act. For you see, the next arc is the pièce de résistance," declared the madman.

"The next arc?" questioned Dr. Kens, seeking clarification.

"Indeed, the subsequent arc, phase, or any other term one may deem appropriate. For we are all but characters in a book, and I, my dear, am the arch-nemesis, the villain, the fiend who perpetrates malevolence upon the virtuous. I have always been cognizant of this fact. Ever since I was young and perused comic books," he uttered with a serious tone, albeit retaining a smug smirk upon his face.

"It is understandable to feel like the antagonist in our personal story, particularly if we have erred in the past," responded Dr. Kens. "However, it is crucial to acknowledge that our deeds do not define us as individuals. you can still find peace and can accept responsibility for your missteps, make reparations, and endeavor to evolve into an improved version of ourselves you should not stive to be the villain in your story" It seemed as though she intended to expound upon her point, but August interjected. "Me, the villain? You are entirely correct. Nonetheless, you fail to comprehend that it is inconsequential! So what if I terminated a congregation of people, even if I derived pleasure from it? What you fail to grasp, doctor, is that it is within my right to kill, to consume. I am superior, that is why. I killed them because I am a predator. Why ought I to feel remorse or, as you suggest, acknowledge that my actions were erroneous? I made no error. After all, does a lion experience regret when it slays a gazelle?" he said in one sentence more than he has said in an entire year of confinement.

"Verily, you err when you claim to be both a character in a book and a predator with the right to kill. Pray tell, which one are you? A character or a predator? Moreover, you liken yourself to a lion, but you forget that a lion, a wild creature, kills only to satisfy its hunger. Yet, according to your own confession, you derive pleasure from killing others," spoke Dr. Kens as August went silent . I could not help but marvel at her extraordinary composure. She gazed deep into the eyes of a hardened criminal, a madman whose confinement was necessitated not for his own well-being, but for the safety of his fellow inmates. Five men had attacked him five months ago, yet only one of them survived the encounter.

Dr. Kens looked at August with a mix of curiosity and disgust. "Are you truly a predator, or just a mere character in a story? Can one really have the right to kill, or is it just a fabricated notion that we have created in our society? You compare yourself to a lion but forget that a lion only kills for survival. What is your purpose in killing, August?" she repeated .

August chuckled, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Dr. Kens, you misunderstand me. I am not just a predator, nor am I merely a character in a book. I am something greater, something beyond your limited understanding of the world."

"My purpose in killing is not for survival, but for the sheer thrill of it," August continued, his voice rising in fervor. "Every time I take someone's life, I prove a point - that we are all insignificant insects in the grand scheme of things. Our actions and lives are ultimately meaningless, and the only way to leave a mark on this world is through destruction and chaos."

Dr. Kens shook her head "But what about empathy, August? What about compassion and love? These are the things that make us human, that connect us to one another and give our lives meaning." Doyle couldn't help but notice that it was as if Dr. Kens was saying those words to herself or someone else .

August laughed, a cruel sound that echoed through the room. "Empathy and compassion? Love? These are all illusions, Dr. Kens. They are nothing more than weak emotions that hold us back from achieving true greatness. The only thing that matters in this world is power, and the willingness to use it to achieve your goals. And I, my dear doctor, am more than willing to do whatever it takes to achieve mine."

August leaned back in his chair, the manic energy in his eyes now replaced by a calm confidence. "But you see, Dr. Kens, the darkness within me is merely a reflection of the darkness that exists in all of us. We are all capable of great evil and destruction, just as we are capable of great good and kindness. It is up to each of us to choose which path we will follow."

He paused for a moment, as if lost in thought. "Perhaps my purpose in life is to serve as a reminder of this truth. Perhaps I am here to show others the consequences of giving in to their darkest impulses, or to inspire them to rise above their base desires and embrace the light. But I think you and I both doubt that. "

Dr. Kens shook her head in disbelief. "You are right , I do doubt that .You are a monster, August. A cold-blooded killer who shows no remorse for his actions. There can be no justification for what you have done."

August leaned forward, his eyes ablaze with a fervor. " You are to quick to judge me.Do you not see the freedom in embracing our baser instincts, Dr. Kens? To shed the shackles of society and morality and truly live as we were meant to live. It is a rush, an exhilarating sensation that cannot be matched by anything else. It is the feeling of truly being alive, of experiencing every moment with all of our senses."

He leaned back in his chair, a smug grin on his face. "You may call me a monster, but to me, I am simply embracing the primal nature of humanity. We are all capable of great darkness, and yet we deny it, suppress it, and pretend that we are better than we truly are. But in reality, we are all just animals at our core, driven by our instincts and desires. And there is nothing wrong with that."

August's eyes narrowed once more, and he leaned forward, his voice growing softer but no less intense. "You speak of justice and morality, Dr. Kens. But tell me, who decides what is just and moral? Society? The law? These are nothing more than constructs, created by humans to maintain order and control. They change with time and place, and what is considered just in one era or culture may be deemed unjust in another."

He leaned back again, his eyes searching Dr. Kens' face. "But there is something deeper, more fundamental than these superficial concepts. Something that transcends time and culture. It is the struggle between light and darkness, between the primal urges that lurk within us and the higher ideals that we aspire to. It is a battle that each of us must fight within ourselves, every day."

He paused for a moment, looking at Dr. Kens intently. "I know that you cannot understand this, Dr. Kens. You are too bound by your own fears and limitations. But perhaps one day, you too will see the truth in what I say.".

Doyle had could only think of one thing, that this man was a lunatic who has watched to many movies, and that he wasn't special at all just another monster who will rot in his cell for the rest of his life but sadly that wasn't the case the world wasn't that lucky .

August Pree rose from his seat, his body now emitting a sickly yellow glow. "Enough talk of darkness and despair. It's time for me to depart from this place, to embrace my destiny, and see where it leads me. Thank you for the conversation, Dr. Kens. It has been...enlightening."

Upon seeing Mr. Pree's glow, Dr. Kens and I both understood what he was ,that he was one of them - the so-called Empowered. People who possess abilities that defy the laws of physics. As I watched the video, I saw the guards' reactions as they attempted to sedate him, but their efforts proved futile. August Pens was a monster of a man, both physically and mentally. A year in prison had made him even more muscular, and he now clearly possessed superpowers.

Horror engulfed me as a blade of yellow light emerged from his fist, effortlessly cutting through the restraint vest and chains that held his legs to the ground. The guards approached him, but he drove the blade through the mans face , the other noticing that , took out a pistol and shot at August only for the bullets to fall harmlessly against a glowing yellow energy shield that august seemingly conjured from thin air , he aimed his hand and with a yell an energy beam shot out and killed the other. I notice a smile on his face as he went past Dr Julia Kens and towards the door. " I am going to prove my point , goodbye... Julia" was the only words he spoke .

As I watched the events unfold before my eyes, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of fear for the future. August Pens, a man who had once been held captive, had broken free from his chains and embraced his newfound powers with terrifying zeal. In his wake, he left a trail of destruction killing most of the prison guards and the warder before causing a prison break, he became the first symbol of the chaos, and the dark and uncertain times that lay ahead.

The image of his yellow blade cutting through metal and flesh with such ease was a stark reminder of the immense power that now resided in his hands and that of a select few. What would become of the world if more of these Empowered individuals were to emerge, each with their own unique abilities and agendas? Would they use their powers for good, or would they be corrupted by their own limitless potential?

As I pondered these questions, I couldn't help but be reminded of the words of the great philosopher and poet, Jubran Khalil Jubran. He once wrote, "Your fear of the unknown is greater than your fear of the known. And so it is with these Empowered ones, who possess powers beyond our wildest dreams. We fear what they may do, what they may become, and what kind of world they will create."

The fear of a world where the few hold all the power, where justice is decided by the strongest, grips his heart. He hates the idea of a world where a single individual, like August Pree, can do as he pleases. But what he hates even more is that he himself was responsible for bringing in and reincarcerating the man, now known as the supervillain August Prince. The weight of this responsibility bears down on him, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth as he bitterly muses, "What a wonderful world."

//Authors note : I could go full philosophical here , but August was incredibly fun to write he is a coin character , he is crazy so all his decisions are based on a coin flip it took him that long to escape because I wanted three consecutive coins to land on heads before I made the decision , the reason he didn't kill Dr, Pens was the same , it was a coin toss , the reason he does anything is random with only the barest hint of reason just like a real madman , he is also deep and truly believes his views , and that's okay in real like a psycho who does anything like this goes to jail for life a one and done , everything is back to normal after a while as evident IRL but this is not IRL , i asked my self , what would happen if a mentally deranged man was given superpowers , like what would really happen when a madman who kills and breaks the law , could now protect himself from those who enforce it ? well that is August for you. also I did some foreshadowing it is slight and the only hint im giving is that is something Agent Doyle notices Anyways see you next time