The Button

This story was inspired by the Bourne Legacy. lol I actually liked the concept of the idea of one decision influencing the whole world. The burden you must feel if you picked one. I'm sure there are people out there saying 'I don't like my family' and stuff like that. There are days when my family irritates me but if I had lost them through this decision then I would feel devastated that I couldn't do anything. So here's a short story for my English Folio. I want to write some more but I lack inspiration to do so.

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The Button
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I wake up to the sound of water dripping down from the pipes that adorned the ceiling. The light bulb dimly illuminating the whole room. The pipes, which are somewhat still functioning, are covered in this bronze like rust. I try my best to turn around but I couldn???t. My legs are clamped down on the metal chair I am sitting on and I cannot do anything about it. The only good thing about this is that my hands are free. The room isn???t well kept either and as I stare down I can a layer of moss growing from the corners. If I have to make a guess to where I am, then I am probably in somebody???s basement. I close my eyes again to try and compose myself and as I open it I finally see that the door is missing a doorknob. This is when I notice that I am really in a pinch. Then I notice it. The table. The table was wooden and varnished to the point to make it still shine from the light. There are other things on the table of course. Two buttons, one red the other blue. I look at each with great curiosity.

???What do they do???? is the question that is currently circulating my head right now. My hand itching to press one. I give out a large sigh and close my eyes to try and think but as I try the question just keeps popping inside my mind. Deciding that it is probably dangerous I restrain my hands and place them on my lap. Then I hear a voice coming from the door.

???I see that you are finally awake.??? It says, the voice I cannot distinguish if it is male or female. ???I have but one test for you. Do you see the buttons in front of you????
I look at the buttons that has caught my attention from the start and I nod, self-consciously.

???Good.??? It says again. ???I am going to say to press one but before you do there are, of course, conditions.???

I nod again trying to understand the situation and the voice continues with the instruction.

???The conditions are simple. The red button will cause for you to release a plague throughout the whole world and the blue one will, unfortunately, kill your love ones including past friends and people you have associated yourself with ??? work colleague for example.???

My eyes widen at the choices and I try to wriggle my feet to free myself from the metallic chair but I???m just not strong enough. Can I handle this burden? As my eyes glance at the buttons again I gave each one a hard look and close my eyes.

Surely releasing the plague to the rest of the world is not that bad. They can cure the world and my family and everyone else would be safe. Right? My mind thinking of the worst case scenarios quickly and swiftly in my head, each one involving the death of someone I know: my mother first, then my father, siblings and finally I see my wife and kids coughing as they collapse then die. I feel a prickle in my eye as tears flow down my face and dropping on my hand ??? that was still on my lap despite my wriggling earlier.

Even if I pick the blue one my family would die and everyone else would also die but the plague may leave them safe. May leave them safe. There is a sound of uncertainty inside my mind about that one possibility and I just can???t risk it all. I would still bear the burden of the whole world being infected by this ???plague??? however. I was never good at choices and it seems whatever choice I pick I always find a way to find a burden. There is no escape to this choice though and I must pick one.

I start contemplating on the possibility of me not picking the button. This is the easiest way out. They can let me starve here to death and I would not have to press a button. This is to ensure the world and my family would be safe. Then my mind drifts to my child. His happy face. The smile of a child can lift your spirits right up to the stratosphere and make you infinitely as happy as a clown. There is a possibility that he would die if I press a button but if I die here right now, I would never see his happy face again. I exhale once more to calm myself as I notice my hand start to shake. The tears are rushing down my face once again as I see the image of my child lying there, unmoving. Dead.

I made a choice to not press the button. I sit here with my eyes closed breathing calmly regardless of the tears still streaming and meandering down my face. I open my eyes at the sound of that voice again.

???Press a button, sir.???

I shake my head, there was in no way I would make a decision like this if it would involve my family. I stay still, looking at the button and then back at the door. No force in the world right now will let me press a button. None.

***

I wake up again at the sound of the same dripping from the same rusty pipes. Hours passing by me I would think ??? I wouldn't know as there is no clock here whatsoever. I check the same surroundings. Everything is at the same place as before, even the buttons. I look at them once more.

???Sir, you must pick a button or we will do both of the choices.???

My eyes widen at the voice again. The exact same voice from before. They intend to release both the choices all because I could not press a stupid button. That is when I truly find out. There is no escape from this reality. I am trapped. I would have to make a quick decision now.

As my thoughts swirled around my head I see images of my family dying; the world in turmoil because they could not find a definite cure and me all there watching it all happen. I can see the people and the world I know die all because I could not decide on the button.

After my thoughts start to clear, I have made my decision. I hover my hand over the button of my choice. The dim light from the bulb still finding a way to make the button shine I close my eyes and hold my breath.

Here goes nothing.