It stands before me.
Eyes meet eyes, soul meets soul.
Terror becomes me.
I swallow my fear, and the sky turns red with fury.
The ground quakes.
The walls shake.
My bones break, and I watch as the cobblestones of the floor begin to fall out from under my feet.
But I stand my ground.
My heart stops.
My vessels pop.
My corpse drops, and I listen as the very fiber of my being begs me to accept defeat.
But I stand my ground.
I persist.
I fly.
And in the face of total annihilation, I smile.
I turn around.
I put the pistol to my soft palate.
I paint the page with my gray matter.
I taste blood and victory in a splatter.