Necessary Evil

The task this time was a bit using either, old photos or necessary evil,or both, or neither,

Necessary evil
– for the 4th of May meeting.

I have planned it for over a year now but even as I dropped the first one I could feel the ground shudder a little and from my vantage point above them I could sense the inhabitants startle. This devastation of their community was an unavoidable byproduct of my new resolve to clear the way for better things. Sure, thousands would die and hundreds be made homeless but my will is supreme and my intent now resolute. I had not decreed they establish their lives within my range of endeavour and as I continued to make my marks into the landscape the unease of the ground dwellers became more apparent. I see some of the less brave make good an escape which upsets me a little but I reasoned there had to be some that escape, I could not expect total decimation. With luck they will return overnight as my actions cease and they will be back in residence in time for the annihilation.

Besides this was fair warning, I will be pounding the earth with many blows and in many places for quite a while. I need to clearly establish and in fact limit the range of the future destruction. If, despite the relentless pounding I am delivering today, the stubborn residents within these boundaries choose to remain out of bravery, misguided resistance or languor, then I can grant them no mercy. I will not stand to have them resident within my new plan for the area. After all, I am anticipating a carnage, I have assembled my forces, the trades of my destructive vision are scheduled and arriving, and I can almost see the total devastation I have planned to ensure the eradication of these meager occupants. I am the lord of their world and my will shall be done.

I look back now at the results of my efforts and the clearly defined route of demarcation. All the destruction to follow will fall between the markers driven in to the lands. There can be no confusion. The first clouds of the apocalypse shall descend at daybreak, those endeavouring to elude the noxious destruction shall be trapped and slain by my lieutenants of eradication. At noon the second holocaust of needle toothed warriors will be unleashed to devour survivors and the following day the lands will be laid waste by explosion and excavations of the like never before seen in these parts, by close of actions all their dwellings will be demolished and the genocide complete. Guaranteed.

My mission will have commenced. I can’t wait to feel the vibrations as the lands are compressed, the wasted haunts of the slain masses smote level and filled with the detritus of my industry. The vision of flame-hot viscous ooze spreading black over the scene actually excites me and I admit that I am reveling so much in this imagining that a grin has spread across my countenance. The memory of my efforts of past years, slowly traversing these places in howling gales, and my recollections of the annual battle with the occupants of the lands will be sweet memories now that I know I will be free of their endless trials and the frustrations. My previous and ineffective attempts to subdue the insidious occupants are laughable, as if I were negotiating with intelligent beings and finally expecting that by killing the majority the minority would depart. Beyond my understanding the invaders not only remained but grew in number year on year. Their activities have destroyed my lands, corrupted my produce and made negotiating my landscape a daily disenchantment.

As I cast my gaze further I am looking now at the roadway outside the gate to my property, smooth tarmac and smart guttered edge. I am so excited that in just a week, no more, I will have cleared the rabbit plague from the way to my house, filled their burrows and laid that same smooth all weather tarmac surface to my front door. The feeling of triumph and victory over lands and nature goes a long way to dull any feeling of remorse over the slaughter of a local wild lapin population . The decimation is a minor but necessary evil.