Consequences

Life can change in an instant. Passions overtake common sense and emotions run amuck, leading to explosive situations that blow the lives of those involved apart. Sometimes, the pieces can be picked up, but can they ever really be put back together properly? Or is something still missing? Is that integral piece of humanity no longer there, or if it still exists, do other, more powerful forces, squelch its' voice? Immediate satisfaction feeds the thirst for vengeance, but parches the soul, leaving a dead shell the person is forever trying to fill. Sometimes, when this happens, the lines between Crime and Punishment are blurred. Damaged people seek peace for themselves by damaging others, never considering the cycle will continue and that their actions will have consequences far reaching and devastating. Are victims who turn into tormentors no longer victims? Do the Crimes committed against them not deserve Punishment? The stories in this anthology delve into the psyche of hate and pain that leads to destruction for so many, and show what happens when those who only seek retribution, where justice is an afterthought at best, deal with Crime and Punishment.