GAGE

36| g u n s h o t s

I've finally gotten myself to stop crying and I'm waiting for the auction to begin. Reality hasn't hit me yet and my heart is exuberantly racing.

I can hear everyone in front of the curtain chatting away before a man begins speaking into a microphone.

I can't do this, I won't let this happen.

I turn around and try to make my way past the crowd of girls, but they're like a brick wall. By instinct the first thing I think of doing is crawling on the floor which is exactly what I do.

I grimace as I struggle to make my way across the dirty floor. My attempt fails when the girls start moving against me and I'm forced to move backwards towards the stage.

I stand up before I fall over and I'm pushed against my will; there's no escaping now. My palms start to sweat as I take each step towards the stage. A man stands by making sure one girl goes on at a time.

I look at the ground as I walk out and an overbearing applause is given.

I can barely think and I finally look up when a glass shatters onto the floor. Almost immediately after, banging noises echo through the room causing shrieks to emit from the strangers surrounding me.

People rush out the door before my eyes and inaudible words are screamed into the air. This is my chance to get out of here. Everything is a blur and I can't seem to move my legs to take me away from my current location.

Shouldn't these people be used to this kind of thing by now?

Part of me hopes that I get shot in the midst of all this chaos so my shit life can be over.

It seems as if I'm in a slow motion scene from an action movie that I can't get out of. The gunshots have stopped after what seems like minutes, but people continue to yell and run.

"He's dead!" A voice screams and without thinking I finally run down the steps from the stage and kick off my unnecessarily high heels before sprinting across the now half empty room.

Suddenly I am stopped when an arm anchors around me mid stride. Undetectable noise fills my ears as I flail my legs to kick at the figure holding me.

A hand wraps around my neck in a right firm grip.

Boom!

I can breathe again.

A loud thud sounds as I fall to the ground along with the unknown person behind me.

My hand grows wet and my eyes widen when I bring it in front if my face. I look to where my hand previously was and a puddle of blood leads to the stranger's body, it trickling from his head.

I gasp abruptly causing my throat to go dry. All I hear is ringing while blood starts to soak the hem of my dress.

A voice calling my name echoes through my mind before an hand is hooked around my arm.

"Josie, we have to go." I look up and see him; it's Gage. He tugs at my arm.

Seconds of me staring at him pass before I scramble to my feet and he pulls me through the building.

More gunshots are heard throughout the halls.

Barefoot, I follow him out the door and nearly fall to the ground when I hear another loud bang louder than the last, meaning it's closer to me. As we run I notice a gleam of silver peaking out of Gage's back pocket. It must be what I think it is.

Finally we reach Gage's familiar car and I stop.

"What the fuck are you doing? Get in!" He yells over the heavy gusts of wind.