AFTER NEVER (Charlotte's Story)

Chapter 74/146: Bloody Reunion

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Following Scarlett's steps outside the bar, We both squatted down, and crawled over the ground to avoid the bullets flying in the air like nightmares.

Terrifying is a complete understatement to the sounds and screams and voices all over.

I couldn't see a thing, as we kept on crawling in search for a shelter. Before me, Scarlett's legs shook, but she nevertheless continued on crawling, until we finally reached behind a huge garbage bin, and we laid our backs against it, panting heavily.

Scarlett gulped, shaking from beside me, "D-Do you have your phone on you? Can you call that employer of yours?!" She screamed over my ear because of the loud bullet-exchange.

I shuddered, and reached out for my phone in my pocket, "I-I hardly think any service might be found in th-these conditions!" Eying the screen, I was just right, there was no service.

So we both sighed, and sat in silence, waiting for the bullet shower to pass safely. Hopefully.

.

.

.

About forty minutes after, shot sounds slowly started subsiding, and I knew that a high number of victims must have fallen by now, while the left ones were probably resting.

Scarlett nudged me, "Let's try to move!" She whispered, and moved before me, this time crawling on all fours as low as possible.

I followed, and we were directly greeted by a bleeding corpse. I bit my screams back, and kept on moving. I couldn't help but notice how composed she looked compared to me.

Now that there was no such thing as a battle going on, Scarlett was no longer shaking despite the fact that we were moving between corpses.

Having crossed a fair distance now, my own heart started clenching in the dark.

Mr. Ellington is nowhere to be seen.

Goodness, please... let him be safe... plea—

Every thought in my mind disappeared, as a scene away in the dark came to sight due to a coincidentally remaining street light.

He was on his knees.

Blood streaming down his face. Shimmering under the slight light in sweat.

And a group of men were before him.

One of them was aiming a gun at his head.

He shook in helplessness.

Tears streamed down my face, as I saw that Scarlett was frozen as well.

She had recognized him. Just like I did.

"Both your daughters are here." The gun-holder's voice came, dark, "You're not needed anymore, Ben Thorne."

We both shuddered fiercely at the name, and I couldn't help but straighten slightly.

He hadn't changed much since I last saw him about a year ago.

The only difference was that he looked older.

More tired and exhausted.

His thin brown hair shimmered beneath the nightlight, and his forehead held so many wrinkles.

His shirt was extremely dirty, and his expression was not clear as much.

His body was shaking, helplessly.