[ WP ] And so he bitterly asked , `` Why ? ''

Changed the'he' to a'she', hope y'all do n't mind. 
 
 *** 
 # # # Jack and the Intern 
 
 A flower bloomed at the center of the man's chest, its pedals golden red and expanding at a rapid rate. He himself was frozen in time, his face locked in a scowl, his mouth wide, his tongue pressed at the top of his mouth, the word he had been saying before time froze locked somewhere inside his throat. The flower grew, and his chest opened, revealing bones sunken into flesh that was being seared by the flower. 
 
 The explosion continued at a snail's pace, ripping the man apart, his final word never being heard over the roar that the bomb strapped to his chest would make. The pressure from the explosion ripped tile from the floor and launched them into the air where they would strike innocent bystanders, resulting in more death. Elsewhere in the shopping center, more men were detonating their bombs, wreaking more havoc. Some, who were not quite ready to give their life to the cause, were perched outside the shopping center, sniper rifles aimed at the exits, eagerly waiting for the shoppers to flee. 
 
 `` Why?'' the intern asked, the word stinging her throat. 
 
 `` Hmm?'' Jack said, peeling his eyes away from the initial bomber, the man whose name would soon be plastered all over the media in one of the world's most deadliest terrorist attacks to date. 
 
 `` Why do people do this?'' 
 
 `` Oh,'' Jack said, returning his gaze to the bomber. Jack, the Death Manager stepped close to the bomber, peering into his eyes. The tiny capillaries in them were rupturing from the pressure of the bomb. Blood was slowly seeping from the corners of his eyes, moving like glaciers. `` There's not one *right* answer,'' Jack said, `` I stopped trying to find it a long time ago. Sometimes it's best not to ask, I assure you. It's just best to take the souls, and move on. Come here,'' he said, waving a hand over at the intern, who had gone green in the face. 
 
 She was a small lass, barely taller than 5 feet and had curly brown hair that bounced around her shoulders with each step. Her round eyes were beginning to water. 
 
 `` Do you see any answer in the eyes?'' Jack asked. 
 
 She shook her head. 
 
 `` Oh come on now, you got ta look. Look.'' 
 
 She cleared her throat, and leaned around the blossoming fire flower, afraid that if she touched it, she would suddenly be sucked into that world, where agony and dread was commonplace. 
 
 `` You can step in it,'' Jack said and demonstrated by comically giving the bomber a hug. The flames wrapped around Jack's body, then froze in place. Jack turned around and waved his arms, displacing the fire. The flames would move out of the way, and then quickly return to their original place, bursting out from the man's chest. `` See? No worries, now look.'' 
 
 She stepped into the flames, and tip toed to look into the man's scowling face. 
 
 `` Go on, give him a proper look, and see if you can find the answer. See it?'' 
 
 She looked, not entirely sure *what* she was looking for. And she saw it. Something that glimmered towards the back of the eye. 
 
 `` What is it?'' Jack asked, noticing the change in expression on her face. 
 
 `` It looks like hate. That's what I feel when I look into his eyes. Hate,'' she said, voice trembling. 
 
 `` Aye, yeah, I prefer the word *malice*, but hate works too. How does it make you feel, seeing that in him?'' 
 
 `` It makes me feel angry,'' she said, stepping out of the flames, brushing at her arms, afraid that maybe some of the flames would jump onto her. `` Is he going to Hell?'' 
 
 `` Surely so, but like I told you before, it's not our decision to make. We're just here to reap,'' Jack said, taking his hand and plunging it deep into the rose of flames, deep into the man's chest. 
 
 The intern saw the muscles in Jack's arm clench, and she saw him pull, at first with great exertion, but then, as the soul finally let go of the body, it came cleanly out. 
 
 He held it in his hand, a blue serpent-like beam of light, wriggling about in his palm. 
 
 `` And then what?'' The intern asked. 
 
 Jack let go, and the spirit fluttered out of his hands, first skirting around on the ground, and then attempting to take flight, clumsily at first, then slightly gaining confidence in itself. It flew around the soon to be demolished shopping center, and made one pass at the body, as if it realized what had happened and wanted back in. Wanted to return home where it knew it was safe. 
 
 `` Nope, ca n't do that,'' Jack said, watching with a look of wonder on his face as the soul bounced off of the exploding body. 
 
 Almost as if angry, the spirit flew away, launching itself deeper into the shopping mall. 
 
 `` What will happen to it?'' The intern asked. 
 
 `` Does n't matter. Not our job. Come on, we've got more to get, yeah?'' He said, pointing to a man who was being struck by a hunk of concrete. He was frozen in place, nose cracked in by the debris. 
 
 `` I'm guessing it broke his spine,'' Jack said, waltzing over to the man frozen in time. 
 
 The intern walked around and looked, `` Or maybe the concrete shattered his nose and sent splinters into his brain.'' 
 
 `` Oh, that's creative,'' Jack said, shrugging his shoulders. `` Your turn, yeah? First time for everything.'' He pointed to the man. 
 
 The intern stepped forward, took a deep breath, and plunged her hand into the man's chest. She felt the spirit slinking around, and grabbed hold, tight, feeling the warmth resonate up her arm and into her chest. `` It feels weird,'' she said, grimacing. 
 
 `` You get used to it, now pull.'' 
 
 She yanked, amazed at how strong the spirit held on. 
 
 `` Keep pulling, it'll let go soon enough,'' and right on cue, the spirit let go of the body, and the intern nearly fell back on her rear. 
 
 She gazed down at it, eyes wide in awe, not wanting to let go. 
 
 `` Ah-ah-ah, dearie, let go,'' Jack said, tapping her hand. 
 
 She let go, and the spirit fell out of her hands, skittering around on the ground, and it too, taking flight. 
 
 `` Come on lass, plenty more, today will be a long day.''
