The Consequences of Power

 “No deals can be made alone son,” Kevin said.

“What do you mean dad?” Dashawn replied.

“I have to get you to understand that someone will always want what you have, and you will have to decide if you want to make the deal or not, now go in the house with your mother. I can hear her calling you.”

Dashawn’s father’s words played over and over in his mind and the older he got the more he understood. 

“Today class, I want to talk about survival. Now understand one thing because in the next 20 years I don’t know which one of you all will be in a powerful position. Understand that in every decision that you make their will be consequences,” Professor Ann said to here class.

After hearing this, Deshawn kept hearing the words of his father play over and over again in his mind and he began to fold.

The more he studied, the more he learned, and the harder it became for him to speak his mind because all his friends did was party their life away.

He couldn’t escape them and where there is knowledge there is power.

“Dashawn, you need to hangout with us,” Pearl said, eager for him to reply.

“They’re going to attack us soon,” Dashawn replied.

“Who? Dashawn what are you talking about? I’m out of here. The more you read the crazier you get.” Pearl replied. 

Tired of being misunderstood and large minded, Dashawn took matters into his own hands. Knowing that he was being watched he took a lithium ion battery and placed it by the computer with his bitcoin savings on it. He then screwed the thin metal leg from his nightstand off and used it to expand his radio signal to tap into the radio communications near him. 

“His light is off. Maybe he’s asleep,” he heard.

“Bingo!”

He was on the right channel so he hooked his microphone up to his transmitter.

“They’re going to attack us tonight, they’re doing their planning offline. I know you’ve been watching me for a while, but I don’t think you’ve been hearing me.”

After making his statement everything went quiet.

“Hello, hello,” he said.

He then heard his doorknob move, it was Pearl.

“You know Deshawn, I’m worried about you,” Pearl said.

“Pearl, what do you want? Go find someone on your level. I’m a nerd and you’re a sex addict,” he said.

“You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Well, it’s the truth and the truth hurts now leave me alone. I’m in the middle of trying to save us all from the wrath of war,” Deshawn replied.

No one would have ever predicted what would take place next but for some odd reason the power went out.

“What do we do now, Einstein?” Pearl said.

“My dad used to say that no deals can be made alone and that someone will always want what I have. I think I get it now.”

DeShawn was at the top of his class, he was actually smarter than the President and even smarter than his top generals, but what was on his computer made him powerful. Deshawn had spied on every key government figure from the comfort of his dorm room and that made him a threat.

“Hey, don’t just leave me in the dark alone,” Pearl said, jogging to catch up with Deshawn holding the light from her cell phone.

“If you want to live stay away from me Pearl. Stay in your simple life. I’m toxic,” he explained.

Pearl didn’t understand.

“Why do you keep talking down to me?”

At that moment Deshawn heard his watch timer alarm go off. He could hear attack planes in the sky. 

“It’s too late, we have to get to my bunker, come on Pearl.”

The both of them ran for cover, the country was under attack.

In the distance things were getting out of hand, while he and Pearl rushed to take cover in his bunker they sat on the hard floor looking at each other with the lights of their cell phones soaking in the madness.

“Is this why you’ve been so distant?” She asked.

“They didn’t listen to me.” Deshawn replied.

“I know you think I’m dumb Deshawn, but we ordinary people can’t save the world. They didn’t listen because they’re blinded by their own power. We’re all just college kids here to play their game. You tried and now we all have to suffer the consequences,” Pearl said while observing the chaos erupting above her and her friend. 

“I have enough food down here to last us until things settle,” Deshawn said after making sure they were sealed in.

“How long have you been preparing for this?” Pearl asked.

“Well, first it started with a weird dream and then I intercepted a phone call between a foreign ally and an enemy nation. So to answer your question about three years. I used the money my dad left me to built this bunker secretly under this old forgotten dorm that we’ve been hanging out in.” He explained.

Even underground they could feel the earth trembling as they could hear the people screaming and running for cover above them.

They both became very close while waiting for the war to end. Sadly, when it did, nothing was left above the bunker. Climbing the iron ladder to get to the surface, Deshawn and Pearl could smell the funk of soot and nuclear waste.

“I guess your dad was right. We had something that they wanted. I guess it’s just you and me now,” Pearl said.

“Yeah, I don’t think anyone survived this unless they’re underground,” Dashawn replied.

Walking through clouds of smoke, they could feel the toxic ground crumbling under their shoes.

“This is it Pearl, they died instantly and we die slowly by inhaling this mess. The consequences of power. Our thirst for weapons of war gave use the power to kill not only our enemy but ourselves. How could we be so smart yet be so dumb at the same time?”

“Remember what your dad said Deshawn, no deals are made alone. It’s just me and you now. Do you want me or do you want to eat off of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?”

Feeling the snake crawling in his pants, Deshawn now had the unexpected power to choose and Pearl gave him a choice. If Deshawn said no, then he had the power to see the world now as it was, toxic and a waste. If he said yes, then he would have the power to be just like his creator and repopulate the world with Pearl with the knowledge to undo what the people before him had done. In the distance he could hear echos of his mother calling him and his father’s voice fading away. Just like the leaders who dropped the bombs, he had the power to choose. Looking into Pearl’s eyes a small patch of grass began to grow as the sun peeked through the clouds. The ball was in Deshawn’s hands now.

The Consequences of Power.