Smile For Me || Niall Horan

41: Life Is Like A Camera

Just because someone smiles all the time doesn't mean their life is perfect. That smile is a symbol of hope and strength. Behind it is a world of pain.

I shut my eyes, waiting for him to pull the trigger. I'm going to die. This is it. I didn't even get to tell Niall I love him one last time. I didn't get to say goodbye. I glance at my bracelet, still secured around my wrist. Forever and always.

I didn't get to tell my little sister to be strong no matter what happens. I couldn't teach her everything that I've learned through the years. She would have to find out on her own. She would have to make her own mistakes instead of learning from mine.

I couldn't thank Austin for always looking out for me. I couldn't thank him for not giving up and for always being there for me. He's an amazing big brother. He's done so much to keep this family together, and here I am, tearing it all apart again because of my own stupidity. I couldn't even apologize.

I heard the killer chuckle softly one last time. I knew this was the moment he would pull the trigger, but the sound of sirens in the distance made him stop. Hope spread through me. I saw him frown. A small smile hinted at my lips as the sirens got closer. He kept the gun pointed at me, glancing out the window.

"Shit," he mumbles. "Shit shit shit. Get up!" he orders. When I hesitate he hits me again. "GET UP!"

I obey his orders. Pain shot through me as I stood on my own two feet. I was so hurt from the damage this man has caused me. I could hardly hold myself up. He shoves me forward.

"Keep walking," he demands, nearly knocking me over. When I don't move fast enough for him he grabs my arms and drags me down the stairs. It was a lot easier running down them than it was running up. It still hurt like hell, the way his nails dug into my skin. The bruises were probably already forming.

He pulls me out the front door with the gun in his hand. The cops were all pulling up by now. White cars with different black, blue, and red police designs came pulling into the parking lot with their lights flashing and sirens blaring, signaling an emergency. A few of them pulled up in front of me and the killer. He quickly dragged me to a black van. He slammed me against the side of it, keeping me there with his hand against my arms. His other hand held a gun, pointing it at the increasing number of white cop cars that were now surrounding us.

One car, however, was not white. It was not like the others, but I recognized it. Austin got out of the car with a terrified look on his face. The cops held him back, and he stared right at me. I looked to the ground, tears falling down my cheeks. This is it. Goodbye Austin. Don't give up.

I wondered if Claire was sitting there in the backseat, watching all this go down. I hope not. She doesn't deserve to see me like this. She doesn't deserve a lot of things that have happened to her even at the young age of five. I felt sorry for her.

"Drop the weapon!" the cops all scream. The killer looked like he didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to aim the gun, and he slowly realized he was outnumbered. He was obviously conflicted.