Golden Arrow

Bullseye

I'm going to die.

On a Tuesday.

At three in the afternoon.

The platitudinous of my situation is enough to make me shudder. Of course that shudder could be due to the loss of blood from the gash in my thigh. But who's to say?

Several bullets bury themselves into the car next to me, so close to skimming me, I swear I could feel the breeze ruffle my shoulder length strawberry blonde waves. I duck reflexively and pick up my pace, ignoring the burning sensation that is running through my entire leg.

Not today. Today is not my day to die.

The pounding of footsteps on pavement echoes in the alley behind me, but I don't dare to see how close they are to me. I can't afford to lose any more ground. I have to make it back. Everyone is counting on me.

I take a left and I'm back on the main road. Tugging my green hood lower on my face, I try not to make eye contact with any of the pedestrians on the sidewalk. I get caught at a crosswalk and my foot taps anxiously against the pavement. A police car squeals through the light, causing several cars to slam on their brakes and all eyes pivot to watch the four squad cars and motorcycle that follow. I don't breathe. I don't move.

And then I snap out of it and tap my phone and Arrow hits my target, changing the signal for my side to walk. Even though it took me a year to code and create, my Arrow app has served me well and hasn't had a glitch yet. In simple terms, Arrow sends pulses and sound waves that interrupt and agitate whatever I direct it at. Of course the mechanics behind how it actually works are quite complicated.

My fists grip the straps of my backpack and I hike it higher on my shoulders. Because my eyes are boring holes into the ground, I don't watch where I am walking and I slam headfirst into the broad, sweaty, and very shirtless chest of some behemoth. I let out an attractive grunt and bounce backwards into someone else. Spinning around reflexively to apologize, my backpack knocks the arms of a businessman carrying an armful of probably extremely important papers. I immediately bend down to fruitlessly help corral the white sheets that are fluttering everywhere. Cringing as I watch several disappear down a storm drain, I'm caught off-guard when a shove on my back catapults me out of the crowd of pedestrians and into the open.

"Just stop helping and get out of the way, kid!" The businessman glares at me as he picks up the few papers close by and struts away.

As I stand up, I grimace and see that I've left a small puddle of red in the spot I'd fallen. The back of my neck starts to prickle and I freeze. Biting my lip, I look out of the corner of my eye and watch a black unmarked car do a U-turn in the middle of traffic. Directing my phone at the car, I utilize Arrow again and its pulse is as accurate as always. I watch the car lose control, swerving as its dashboard controls go haywire.

"Bullseye," I murmur before turning forward to continue across the street.

I catch a glimpse of three men with dark sunglasses exiting a coffee shop with hands pressed to their ears and their focus solely on me. Three well-aimed pulses from Arrow and the men are left holding their ringing ears. It will only last for a few seconds, but that is just the amount of time I need to gain some distance.

Without a second thought, I dash into the middle of the street, barely missing a speeding cab, and begin to weave between cars. Angry shouts call out behind me along with irritated honking. I juke to the right to avoid a person on a moped and am forced to jump onto the hood of a parked Cadillac, my leg leaving a trail of red across the pristine silver roof as I climb to the other side. People step out of my way, leaving a wide berth for what appears to be a school kid getting chased by the cops. They'd rather gawk and film it for social media rather than intervene.