Shoot and Run

CHAPTER 2

      “OKAY, SO THE PLAN IS,” Chris says while we look at an overview of the city, “We will park four blocks down from the Manson’s Mansion, we will then shoot off into the side of the house….then while security go off and see what’s up  we will break inside and make our way to John and Nancy Manson. They are in the 3rd room to the left top story. Alright?” I look at him confused for a second the reply gloomily, “Alright.” Chris pats me on the shoulder and begins to grab ammo and guns. “I sure hope you know this is them…it would suck if we just killed some random couple….” I say putting a BB gun into my pocket. Before I could turn around Chris whips me back around and looks into my eyes, “I tested it. You don’t know this but I found a gun on the side walk 10 years ago…..I fingerprinted it.” He turns back around to grab more guns and shove them in a backpack, “H-How did you learn how to do that exactly?” I said, “Just shut up and stop asking stupid questions we are leaving now. Get into the van.” I was going to ask how exactly we have a van but I decided against that and hopped into the van. We drove at high speed, down an empty street into a lighted neighborhood. I knew where we were. Our old neighborhood. Where everything happened. “Uh….Chris…you think our old neighbors….the Manson’s are the people who killed our parents….WE HAD A BARBECUE WITH THEM!” I yelled in his ear. Before I could say anything more he slapped me across the face and shoved a gun into my hands, “Okay, you’re shooting the bush. I’ll get the front door and break the knob.” I looked at him with my eyes squinted, “Chris?” I said, “Yea?”

      “You’re not going to…like…brutally murder them are you?” He didn’t answer. We crawled out of the van and down the side walk towards there house.  We passed ours that was now boarded and had a lock on the door. Some windows were broken so it was obvious people have broken in. sometimes I think about all the great times I had with mom and dad and then a vicious sight of my father getting shot in the head and my mom being dragged down the stairs comes to mind. I clear my mind and follow Chris up the Mansons driveway, there house is bigger than I remember and less lighted. Chris nods and I take that as the signal to shoot. I aim for an umbrella on the other side of the gate and shoot, sending a loud booming noise throughout the street. Nothing.

    Chris nods and I shoot again. Nothing, silent as ever. Then that’s when the alarm goes off. 6 men come out the front door with guns in hand. Chris and I make a run for the door and find the stairs. I guard the kitchen while Chris makes his way up stairs. Before I even could think of what’s going on a gunshot goes off upstairs, then another one and another one. Two people, 3 shots. Then another one goes off. I decide to count, “4….,” another one, “5...6, 7…8…9...” I start to hope to god Chris stops. When I hear the 10th shot I sprint up the stairs and find Chris in John and Nancy room. Nancy is sprawled out on the bed, not breathing, blood covering her face. I run back into the hallway and peek into the room, “Nice seeing you old man.” Chris says, “Who…are…you?” John says wheezing between words, “Let’s just say…our parents used to be great palls with you.” There’s a pause and then John says, “YOU!” And then the 11th gunshot goes off.

     “Come on.” Chris says as he grabs my arm and walks to the stairs. I’m a step down, when Chris stops me. He puts a bloody finger to his lips and nods to a door down the hall, past Johns room. “What?” I whisper. “I heard…a whine…” he said, “Dude, yea right. We need to get going before the guards come…I think they are holding back or ran for their lives.” Chris ran back down the hall and I heard a door slam open from the stairs. I run to the room and see Chris on top of a girl holding her wrist, “SHUT UP!” He yells. She screams. I stand in the doorway trying to remember when John and Nancy had a 16 year old looking girl, there is no way she is there’s because 10 years ago Nancy wasn’t preganant…if she was the kid wouldn’t be this old already. “JAKE STOP STANDING THERE AND HELP ME! GIVE ME MY GUN!” I spot his gun on the ground, he must have dropped it getting onto her bed. I pick it up, and instead of handing him the gun I aim it. Not at her. At Chris.

      “DON’T.” Chris says, his eyes desperate. “Let…her….go.” I say, my teeth clenched. Chris gives me an evil smile, so wide it touches his ears. He pulls a long knife out of his pocket. The girl screams again. “STOP! PLEASE CHRIS! SHE DOESN’T DESERVE THIS, YOU GOT HER MOM AND HER DAD JUST….JUST…” Chris gives me a questioning look. “Just?” he asks, “Just…she’s seen too much…bring her with us.” I instantly regret saying that because I know Chris will torture her. She screams a sob of “No’s.” Chris grabs her by the hair and pulls her out of bed, covering her mouth with one hand. “I’d be happy to.” He says smiling. I keep the gun on Chris as we walk past her parent’s room. She takes a peek and instantly starts to sob, Chris yanks on her hair and she starts to cry silently. We walk down the stairs into the kitchen. A street light shows her perfectly through the window. Long black hair, curly at the end. She’s tall and skinny, a healthy skinny, and wearing pajama shorts with a tear stained tank. She’s….beautiful. Chris sits her on the table and tells me to watch her while he packs up his backpack on food. I look at her tear stained face and look away instantly, knowing I might cry to. “Wait…,” she whispers to me, I look directly in to her crystal blue eyes and nod, “C-Can I get something really quick…?” I look at Chris and see he’s still occupied, “it’s not like…pads is it?” She gives me a small smile then instantly clears it, “No…its…it’s down here…my charm bracelet.”

         “Yea…yea sure. Where at?” I couldn’t get that small smile out of my mind, I wanted to see the full thing. “Key…..um,” She sighed a singular tear raced down her face, “Box.” I looked at her once more than turned to find the key box. She grabbed my arm, “Don’t…please. Don’t tell him about the key box.” I nodded and went to the first counter I spotted, there was a small box labeled LOVE I unlatched it and inside was 3 pairs of keys and below them all was a small bracelet with 4 charms on it. My mom used to own one of these…they’re very expensive. I turned back towards the table to see Chris holding her by the hair again, “WHY WOULD YOU JUST LEAVE HER, SHE TRIED RUNNING!” He said furiously.  I pocketed the bracelet and looked at her stern eyes, trying to see what the hell she was thinking. “S-Sorry, just lets go.” We walked out the front door, guns raised. Nothing. “Such wuss’s.” Chris said. Chris struggled with her on our way to the van so I took over. “Why?” I asked her. She gave me a stare like daggers, “Why? You’re asking me why I would try to run from murderers!?” She started crying again, “Listen. We have our reasons just as much as you do to run.” We made it to the van, Chris started it up while I got in the back with the girl.

“Just let me die.” She sobbed.