Chapter Ten

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Conrad landed on his back with a gasp as the air left his lungs. He blinked to keep his vision clear as he looked up at the young giant, Coraline's head hanging low as she cried in pain. His eyes widened and even though he was having trouble breathing, he rose to his feet. "C-Coraline!" He choked out to catch her attention.

She didn't even have time to realize what they had done to her, it was so painful. All she knew was that one moment she was protecting her little friend, the next excruciating pain shot through the back of her foot and forced her to drop him. Tears ran down her face as she crouched on the ground.

When his voice called out to her, her eyes snapped in his direction. She was horrified to see him gasping for breath. "D-Daddy?" The word was out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop herself, but she didn't care. That's what she thought of him as. Her father.

That one word brought tears to Conrad's eyes. Her voice, filled with concern as he laid on the ground. Immediately he forced himself into a sitting position and looked up at the girl. "I-I'm fine." But as his eyes landed on her foot, he knew she wasn't.

They had cut her Achille's tendon. Walking would be close to impossible for her now, let alone running. Looking around for the first time, he can see the crowd readying ropes to tie her down. Time was almost up. 

Flinging his satchel off his shoulder, he quickly reached in and wrapped his hand around the handle of the pistol. He didn't like the idea of killing another human. But he knew that if he wanted to help Coraline, he'd have to at least wound one.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted a man getting ready to wrap a rope around the giantess's wrist. Taking a deep breath, Conrad brought his pistol up and aimed it at the man before pulling the trigger.

The shot caught everyone's attention and a few others in the group looked just in time to see their friend crumble to a lifeless heap in the grass. The attention of another man turned to Conrad who was looking at the body horrified at himself. "Get him, he's trying to save the giant!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

It all happened so fast. Bam! Bam! Bam! One gunshot after another, only from Conrad's pistol. Survival mode set in as he had his mind set on saving the giant girl and himself. 

By the time he ran out of bullets, several other townsmen laid in the grass dead. Suddenly a sharp pain ripped through his back and he gasped in pain as the force sent him to the ground. He laid there for only a moment before getting on his hands and knees, bringing one hand to his back with a quiet groan. He'd been shot, right in the back. If treated, it won't be fatal, but who'd treat it after he 'betrayed' the village.

Coraline looked at Conrad and tried to stand up, but found the cut on her foot rendering her unable to. Tears continued to run down her face as he fell into the grass. "Daddy!" She shouted, making the people cover their ears before wrapping ropes around her wrists and ankles. She didn't want to hurt anyone, and she didn't want Conrad to be hurt either. 

Conrad looked over just in time to see Coraline pulled onto her back with the ropes. He rose to his feet, ready to run over before his vision blurring from the amount of blood lost from the bullet wound and he toppled to the ground once more. "C-Coraline, no! Get your damn hands off of her right now!" He shouted, panic shooting through his entire body. He has no idea what to do.



Misunderstandings ((G/T))Donde viven las historias. Descúbrelo ahora