Weak | S.R

Spencer

As I head up the stairs to my apartment, I feel uneasy. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It feels like I'm being watched. When I turn around, I see a streak of color. Someone moving back around the corner quickly... they'd been peeking around. My stomach churns as I pull out my phone, still keeping watch for the person.

I dial my landline number and Allie answers on the second ring.

"Hel-"

"Listen to me, okay?" I whisper, cutting her off. "My gun is in my bedside drawer. I'm heading upstairs and I need you to give it to me when I come to the door."

"I...okay, I'll be right there when you get upstairs." Fear laces the girl's tone. I hear some shuffling before the line clicks. I shove my phone back into my pocket and make my way up the stairs, backwards and ever-so slowly. When I'm halfway up, I see a fraction of a face peek around the same corner. A blonde, middle aged woman steps out from behind the corner completely, holding a gun. She fires, missing me and hitting the railing. Luckily for me, she doesn't seem to be good at aiming long distance.

Another shot is fired, but I don't see where it hits. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

My heart races even faster when I see Allie rush around the corner at the top of the stairs. "Spence?"

"What are you doing! Get inside!" I yell at her, but she doesn't listen. Instead she starts heading down the stairs toward me.

What happens next happens so fast that I can barely even process it. One second, Allie is coming toward me and asking if I'm okay, the next...she's pushing me out of the path of a bullet and firing a few rounds from my gun. I land on my backside, but just as I'm about to get up, another shot is fired by the blonde woman. It hits Allie, making her fall backward onto the stairs. It doesn't seem to phase her at first, though, she clutches the wound with one hand while holding my gun with the other and fires again. This time, it hits the woman and she falls to the ground with a thud.

Allie sets the gun down carefully before bringing her other hand to the area on her stomach that the bullet tore into.

"I got her," She says through gritted teeth, making me look back to see the woman on the floor, blood pooling around her. Allie lets out a groan, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Allie!" I hop to my feet and occupy the space next to her. "Allie, baby, hey..." I start, pulling my phone out to call an ambulance.

She cuts me off. "You were...in the way, you were gonna-" She tries to tell me, sounding like she's having a hard time getting it out. She's out of breath. I hit send after dialing 911.

"Shh, shh," I shush her, holding the phone up to my ear. "Don't talk, save your strength, okay?"

Allie gives me a small nod as I tell the 911 dispatcher what happened and where I am.

When I hang up the phone, I set my hands on top of Allie's, helping her apply more pressure to the area. Blood is seeping out from between her fingers...

"You're gonna be okay," I assure her. "You'll be okay."

"You were in the way," She breathes out again, her brown eyes looking up at me and threatening to roll back into her skull.

"Shh, hey, shh..." I bring a hand up to the back of her head.

"Quit shushing me," She says with a weak chuckle. The smile that came with it fades quickly. "If...something happens-"

My heart drops and tears start building in my eyes. "Don't, Allie. Don't even say that. You're gonna be okay, I promise."

"I love you...so much," She pulls one of her hands from underneath mine, bringing it up to my face to gently cup my cheek and wipe a falling tear away.