My Dear Reader Rebecca

Part 5 - The Ending

Perhaps the general readers have no idea of how painful it is to write your own favorite protagonist to death. Let alone burning her alive. I have been dreading this since the very beginning, fully aware that the inevitable will happen someday.

And that someday is now, each keystroke is like stepping up to a guillotine. Sentences typed in then deleted. With my heart filled with stones, I struggle to get the words right, knowing that my poor English literature skill will never suffice.

I wish there was an AI smart like ALIE to help me out. The AI could have finished it in 10 nanoseconds and I wouldn't have any need to go through this waterboarding.

I am surrounded by the darkness of a world where sunlight can no longer pierce through the endless thick cloud, the aftermath of nuclear war. A terrifying scene presents itself in front of me.

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It's afternoon but the sky is already dark like night. The city of Polis ( ex-NYC ) is mostly in rubbles and broken buildings. The only one remaining intact is a 40 floor round-shape building designed by none other than Bill Cadogen himself, in the hopes of surviving a nuclear blast. The skyscraper did its job and now stands proud among all other collapsed ones.

A new thriving neighborhood was recently established around this building. Due to the effort of Becca and her followers, streets were cleaned up. Food stalls, steel forges, and clinics have appeared one by one.

However, all the progress might come to a halt, because Cadogan is now determined to burn Becca in front of all her remaining followers. Killing the leader to instill fear and obedience. It's the same story that has happened over and over in history.

Becca is tightly bonded above a huge stack of wood, which will be lit at any time, just like the TV Series depicted. This is her last moment of life.

( Gosh, please, someone stop me from writing this! Cannot take it any more! )

Looking at the people who are cursing her with the worst expletives, she smiles.

I just enraged everyone, turning them into my enemy. After this they will live on. I have done my job of saving them, at least till this moment. There is nothing more that I can do. Once they kill me, they will return to their daily routine of surviving in this hostile world. Can't say I envy them...

Oh no, one of them is having second thoughts. The tears betray him. His hands are trembling. No, no, you are supposed to hate me! I ended the world and killed everyone you loved, remember? Don't shred tears on me. Please don't !

Time to remind them what kind of evil I am.

Slowly Becca yells out at the top of her voice, "Please let me go. I will make the serum for you. The next one will work. Your babies will not die."

Yes, let them be aware that I am still doing harm to them. Because of my serum, 9 out of 10, their babies will die. I am the only person who can fix it, but so far I haven't. They should think that I did that on purpose.

Yup, the man who just lost a baby looks at me with an incendiary stare. Hatred flares up in his face. This is right! Don't want to give you a reason to regret.

The fire is lit. In a short time she's engulfed by merciless flames. Becca let out a piercing cry that tears at everyone's heart, including mine.

( Why do I have to write this ? Such a torture ! I'd rather go cleaning up the municipal toilets. )

I let my trembling fingers off the keyboard. Trying to calm my emotions down, my brain is like an overworked wracking machine and creaks with complaint. At my "advanced" age, I should have accumulated enough wisdom not to be affected, but why do I still feel so much grief ? This is all fictional for God's sake !