Fractured

Chapter 59

We whipped up stairs and around the bend down the short hall.  And with Luke's hand grasping hard in mine as he pulled me with him, we ran into Clare's bedroom.  We slammed the door shut.  Obviously, that would do nothing.  With hectic eyes, as we finally stopped, I looked up to Luke as I watched him move around to where the dresser was against the wall besides the door. As fast as he could, he pushed the long heavy piece of furniture in the way of the door, blocking it just in time as he heard loud banging coming from the other side. 

It slowed them down long enough... even if just for a moment as I stood there... in shock.  In fear.  In... not knowing what was to come next.  In not knowing how we were going to live.  And if we could... how could we process all this?

"Come on," he said in a low and deep breathing voice.  His fire green eyes flashed down into mine as I felt his hand grasp in my free one that wasn't holding the gun... the gun I just shot and killed a man with.  The gun I had been forced to use.... Oh god, I-I couldn't even think about that.  I couldn't think about anything.  I just grasped his hand in mine as he towed me behind him fast and towards the window on the far wall.  The window that was a few yards from mine and let out to the rooftop of the house. 

There was no time we could waste.  He tried opening it but with it being closed all winter and not budging much, I watched as he raised the gun and fired through the window, breaking and shattering the glass.   He used  his body as he climbed through it to clear the rest of the glass for me as he pulled me up through the window and onto the roof with him.

The fresh air hit my senses and it was less filed with the scent of gun fire and more of the evening air.  But that didn't last long.  None of this was last longing....  It was us living by each second and hoping we could see the next.  It applied the moment we both had our two feet planted on the roof.  Because the party wasn't over yet folks.  Not even close. 

There was a little light left in the sky.  And just as I got a good look over the front yard, my eyes somehow and someway... grew larger at the sight before me.  Cars lines along our street, four or so, maybe more... I didn't so much as concentrate on that.  Rather the scattered men in our yard, standing there in position like soldiers.  Ready for us to come out of the house or ready to go in.  Well, we were out alright.  Which they saw a moment after I noticed them in the yard. 

"Luke!" I screamed out as I saw them raise their hand guns up towards us... steadily and evenly, with no sign of a panic.  And it freaked me out even more.  Especially when I heard them start to fire their guns up towards us.  The second they had, Luke grabbed me, and swung me to the other side of him to block me from the fire.   Then... we were running... and running along the roof as the shots missed and passed us.  With each shot that was fired, it hit close into the house, into the roof, and it could be us at any second.  Luke was blocking me as I heard him fire back, as we ran side by side along the roof... and towards the edge. 

However, as we ran, it couldn't have been more than five feet.  Because if it were anymore, our luck would have run out and we would have been shot.  And if anymore feet we ran, we would have passed the other window.  The window of their master bedroom's bathroom.  This window was our only escape from this gun fire we didn't expect.  And the window Luke would throw us both into, I soon discovered. 

As he fired out into the yard, he stopped and wrapped his arms around me as we ran and slammed my body to the side.  He grabbed me, and dove through the hard and now shattered window. He shifted me in his arms through the blur of it all.  Through the blur of this brutal hell we couldn't escape. 

As he shifted me within that one second in his arms, it held a big impact.  Because the second we threw ourselves into the huge bathroom through the window, we fell hard. Or rather, Luke did, who took the brunt of the impact.  Because as I was over him and pressed against his chest, I realize where he landed - and that was on the edge of the big Jacuzzi tub.