Delight or Despair: Fantasy

Whether in delight or despair, that was the question. The pills sat in a bowl before him. Choose one, and he would go delighted and in pleasure to his death. Choose another, and he would gain the vital resignation that would allow him to pass through the gate without weeping or trying to escape or otherwise shaming his name. There had been a few instances, in the beginning, where such things happened and the sacrifice was killed before it could be offered. Nobody liked having to schedule a draw for another sacrifice, nobody at all. So now, there was the the choice. He paused to consider his feelings. He did not *feel* overset. He shrugged, picked a despair pill, and pressed his palm to his mouth, allowing the pill to slip up his sleeve. He fake-swallowed.


Inspiration: Some violin music.
Story Potential: Medium.
Notes: And, blah, that makes him survive somehow. Not original.