A Kids Decent Into Madness

Today is different.

Things have changed.

An old training partner

Shot-up a shopping center in town

With an assault rifle

And a shotgun

He was 20 years old

Two people died

He left a journal behind

And his months leading up to the shooting

Are well documented

His descent into complete madness

Is right there

For anyone to read

Reading suicidal-madness

From someone I briefly knew

Turns the stomach

And sinks the heart

He was just a kid

That I kicked in the face a few times

He loved fighting

But I was levels above him

And I would do whatever I wanted to when we spared

I remember landing a spinning back kick to his face

And blood started to gush-out of his nose…

The guy must’ve been having flashbacks to all the times he was bullied in school…

I skipped training today

Being violent

Even if it’s controlled

Even if it's consensual

Even if it's part of training

Doesn’t sound like something I want to do

Thinking about it

Makes my stomach turn again

Hopefully

Some day

I'll find the fire again

To fight

I know

I can't let him

Take it away from me

If I do

Then in the end

He will have taken another soul.

-C.H.