Before you knew

69. Bang.

'Hurry Your ass up.' Clay yells from downstairs. 'I'm coming, I'm coming.' I say as I hurry and grab my bag. Another night at Clay's family. He visits them alone a lot, but he never stays over on his own. He says it's because they ask me to come.

We step outside and I wait from Clay to lock the door. I want to hop down the steps, but Clay grabs my arm. 'Hey!' I whine as I look up at him with a pout, the little hop having been ruined. 'We need to go back inside.' Clay says as he starts to pull me back. 'What why?' I ask as I see him staring at something. 'Clay?' I ask as I grab his arm in return. 'Y- your....'

I look to where he's looking to see my walking nightmare. My father is walking up, holding something. Out of experience  I know it's a pistol. Clay starts to pull me back with him. 'Unlock the door.' I say as I let him go. Clay gets to it, but before it's opened my father yells my name, now at the driveway.

'Not one step!' My father yells as he points the pistol at us. 'Clay.... call the cops.' I say. 'If I move-' I turn around and push Clay back into the house, slamming the door closed. I lock the door with Clays keys, locking him inside. I can't get him in danger. I can hear him yelling from inside as I turn to my laughing father. 'So you love him?' He asks. 'He has nothing to do with this.' I say as I dare to let the door go and step away from it. There's banging against the door behind me. 'Why are you here?' I ask as I slowly make my way down the three steps. Wanting to create distance between me, the target, and the door.

'I'm here to end it.'

I look at him, and his steady hand holding the pistol tells me enough. He is. 'What is that going to do? Do you want to live with the image of you shooting me for the rest of your life?' I ask. He shrugs, swinging the pistol around a little. 'You. A stranger. What difference would it make.' He says. 'You-' I get an angry look on my face. I knew he was nuts, but actually shooting me is next level. And in front of my house, where me and Clay live. Clay would be a part of it and I can't let that happen.

'What is going on here?!' I hear my neighbor say. My father shoots to the general direction of him, making me flinch. 'Hey! It's me you're here for!' I say. 'You're right.' He says as he quickly walks up, pressing the hard metal against my chest. The fury and madness in his eyes scares me. The pistol pressed against me while in the hands of this mad man terrifies me. 'After I shoot you I'll go into your house, and end that brat you like so much too.' He says softly. Now I panic. 'No wai-'

At first....
You don't feel anything,
Just the echoing bang that rings in your ears.
Then the warmth of your own blood can be felt.
Yelling from the neighbors.
Slamming on the door by Clay.

And then,
A weird feeling.

I reach for the numb tingling spot on my chest. The second my fingers brush over the entry wound, the pain start. Aching, burning pain that makes me want to scream out. Unable to do anything besides trying to comprehend the state of adrenaline my body is in. I gasp, starting the pain on the inside. Like I just ripped my lungs apart with that one breath. My mind is empty as the banging, the yelling, and the sirens fill my ears. Tears fill my eyes at the pain as I try not to breath. Fall back. If I fall I need to fall backwards. There is no exit wound, falling forward would only mean the injury would get worse. That's what I learned on the emergency room at the hospital. But instead of someone else, it's my own life I need to save.

The sound of glass shattering behind me is the last that reaches me before my legs give out. Faint yelling and colorful lights of the sirens reach my vision as I let myself fall backwards. My body starts to shake as I feel lightheaded. The last stage before death. Shock. If I give into that state of shock, my body will shut down and it's over.

Before I hit the ground I get caught. The last bit to the ground is gentle as my body feels to much. And I'm scared. '-Melia' a warm hand holds my face, I look up to meet green, scared eyes. I take another breath, and whimper at the pain. Now sound comes back to me. Sirens clear and sharp to my ears. The warning of 'whatever you say, can and will be used against you.' A bit further away. My body twitches as I try to keep control. If not for me....

Green teary eyes look down at me. Lightly freckled face.

For him. For him I'd fight till I survived. 'Stay with me, okay? You'll be fine.' He says. 'I-' god it hurts 'told you....' I take a moment to let the pain settle into my brain. 'It would ha- have been better......' Clay shakes his head as a tear slips out of my eyes. 'Don't leave me behind. Not again. I.... I love you.'

If it would be possible, that my heart would ache through all the pain. Ache with love like this. It would. It just did. 'I-' I feel my eyes roll back but I fight to keep them on Clay. A paramedic reaches me and kneels down, fumbling with my arm. '...With y-' the first part comes out empty and not audible. The last part gets cut off by my eyes trying to roll back again. Now more paramedics come to my side.

'Amelia!'

God. Not him too.
My uncle kneels down next to Clay. He is pale with shock. He's the driver of the ambulance. I reach out to the familiar and friendly person. The one that was more my father then my actual father ever was. He takes my hand.

'One, two, three.' I get hoisted onto a gurney, the shock of pain too much to overcome.
This time it's done for real, and out of my control.