Song: Ari Abdul - BABYDOLL (Slowed + Reverb)
Mia
A constant ringing
Faint screaming noises
A stabbing, deathly pain in my shoulder.
A face that looks like its come from the sun.
Black.
Rocco
The gunshots have stopped, but people are still screaming and lying on the floor with their hands above their heads, sheltering themselves in whatever way they can.
Glass is littered all over the floor and tables are turned over from the impact of people scrambling to get down.
My heart is racing at a mile a minute, and I look down to check on Mia.
She's looking at me, her pretty ocean blue eyes glazed over and her body trembling in small quivers like she can't control herself to keep still.
I spot a growing patch of red from beneath her shoulder and my eyes skim over where the fabric of her dress has a hole, blood smearing one whole side of her body, her perfect white dress ruined.
My stomach drops.
"Fuck, fuck ,fuck, no."
A heat flares up inside of me, and I feel anger clawing it's way up to my brain. Rage.
Protectiveness.
I rip a sliver of fabric from the hem of her dress, gently wrapping it around the wound as a makeshift bandage, but the bleeding continues, instantly soaking the white cloth.
I gather her up in my arms, checking one last time that the surroundings are safe again, before standing up and walking to the counter.
A few people scream when they see Mia in my arms, clearly horrified at the sight of her bloody body, but my mind is numb as I weave my way towards the back exit.
A hand clamps down on my shoulder.
"What the fuck happened to her?" Ren's voice floats somewhere in the back of my mind, but I'm too focused on getting Mia to safety and getting rid of that gunshot wound. My arms are threatening to drop, but I force them upright along with my legs so I don't drop her.
The bleeding is intensifying, and her eyes have rolled to the back of her head, her arms limp as they hang down, her beautiful dark hair matted with dried blood and specks of it splattered on her smooth neck.
"Call an ambulance. Now." I manage to force the words out of my mouth despite the way my muscles feel like giving out at any moment, but I stay upright.
I hear Ren speaking on the phone, and then he's by my side again, touching a hand to Mia's cheek.
Pale, cold.
I walk through the kitchen and around the back of the Cafe, through the alleyway that leads back to the front of the store.
I know I should check on everyone else inside there, but with an injured girl in my arms, it's not really my top priority right now.
"Ren. Go back inside and make sure everyone else isn't injured. I'll wait for the ambulance, and I'm pretty sure police will be arriving any second now."
He nods his head solemnly but doesn't move, still staring at Mia's sunken face with a tortured expression.
I will myself to calm down and take a deep breath, but it comes out wobbly and harsh against the humid air.
"She'll be fine." It's all I can offer at the moment, and maybe for him they will be enough, but I can't convince myself just yet.
I'll believe it when I see it.
"Okay." Then he's gone, running back inside, and I hear his voice filter through the doorway as he reassures everyone and helps them back to normal.
Only this morning we were enjoying the morning air in my back garden, and now this. What if it doesn't go back to normal?
She looks so lifeless and helpless and weak.
I hate it.
I'm going to fucking kill everyone who did this, I don't give a shit who they are. I'll find them, no matter how long it takes, and I'll make sure they're buried six feet under with not even a goddamn casket. They don't deserve anything good, and I'm going to make sure I'm the one who delivers them the bad.
When I make it to the front of the Cafe again, two police cars are standing, parked haphazardly on the side of the road, half on the pavement.
I didn't even hear them arrive, that's how out of it I am.
I spot a police officer walking inside the store and then the blaring of an ambulance forces me to turn around and run towards it as it speeds down the road and parks right beside me.
Two paramedics jump out, one immediately running to the back of the ambulance and one coming to check on Mia.
She's speaking fast, asking questions that I struggle to keep up with, and I answer as best as I can, my mind still buzzing, the blood in my body threatening to burst and my muscles shaking inside my skin.
Shit, not now. Not fucking now of all places goddammit.
I close my eyes and when the second paramedic comes with a stretcher, I slowly place her down onto it, wiping away the hair that's stuck to her face and kissing the side of her head. I'm not leaving her right now. I jump in the back as the paramedic closes the door behind us, not looking back.
Silence.
The only sound is my heavy breathing, and I swear I can hear my heart in my ears right now.
My breaths turn shallow, and I shuffle forward next to Mia as the ambulance begins to drive, gripping onto her limp hand.
It's cold and frail, but I keep hold, needing something to ground me.
I suck in breaths, feeling my throat constrict against the hot air, my head turning cloudy and my body trembling.
This can't happen right now. I need stay and watch over Mia.
My cherry.
She can't disappear like this.
It's getting harder, my muscles contracting at dangerous paces, my breathing harsh, rough, anything but smooth and easy.
It feels like all the air in the world is slowly running out.
I bend my head closer to Mia's face and bury it in her neck, not caring about the blood that stains her skin and not caring about my clothes getting dirty.
I breathe her in, smelling the metallic stench of blood, but underneath all that, there are traces of her cherry body wash and shampoo. I hold on to it, willing myself to calm down, willing myself to stay strong for her, willing myself to breathe.
Slowly but surely, my lungs fill with air agin and I take deep gulps, head still buried against Mia, hands gripping the side of her face.
The muscles in my limbs return back to normal and my arms strengthen as I breathe in steadily, closing my eyes.
The cherry scent is all around me know, weaving it's way into every crevice of my head, forcing my body into a calmer state.
I move back from the bed, not wanting to hurt her, and slump back in my seat as I run a hand through my hair, forcing it away from my eyes.
The ambulance is still driving down the road, occasionally stopping, until we arrive at the hospital.
The doors open and the two paramedics begin to slowly lower the bridge, pulling out the bed and calling out to somewhere inside the hospital.
Nurses rush out, all in white, eyes scanning over where Mia lays, then me.
One comes up to me as they begin to wheel her inside, but I push past her and follow the rolling bed.
I need to be near her, and to hell if they don't let me. I'm going in no matter what.
"Sir, you need to calm down. We will take her into the operating theatre and then you can visit her when she is stable." The same nurse I dismissed stands in front of me, blocking my way to Mia, her accent heavy and her eyes pleading.
"Move." One word, one simple command.
Why is it that doctors don't ever fucking listen.
She continues to explain to me how I have to wait, but my eyes are on the wheely bed disappearing through double doors as nurses crowd around it.
Before she can get another word in, I run towards them and catch up with the bed, walking with it through the emergency ward.
Before I can step into the operating room, though, and hard hand lands on my chest and I look down at a stubby man, a blue surgeons hat on his head covering his presumably black hair, and glasses.
"You will need to wait outside, I'm afraid. No one apart from the surgeons are allowed inside while the operation is taking place."
His calm voice brings back some logical reasoning to my head as he explains that as soon as the bullet is successfully withdrawn from her body, and her analytics are at a constant, I can go inside.
I will need to fill out some documents, but I can wait outside if I really want to.
I need to.
I nod my head as the doctor speaks, finally giving in, my mind wandering back to Mia. I don't want to scare her with my panic, so maybe it's best if I stay out here.
"A nurse will come around with the necessary forms, and there is a coffee machine one hallway down. Help yourself." He says before patting me on the shoulder and disappearing back into the operating theatre.
I try to watch through the glass, but there are blinds drawn and I can't see a fucking thing.
I hate not knowing what's happening.
I slump back into a waiting chair against the wall and rest my head back, calming the fiery pace of my heart and closing my eyes, forcing myself to believe that Mia will be okay.
I can't believe she got hurt. It should have been me, not her. She doesn't deserve any of this at all, and with everything that she's already been through, she doesn't need another traumatic experience on her list.
A loud scream comes from inside the room.
i know i keep killing y'all with these cliffhangers, but it's amusing. mwahahahahah i'm evil.
anyway what do you think?
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So I have an announcement to make to you guys.
I have a new book coming out called: The Hijabi and The Streetfighter. In introduction will be posted today, so make sure to ADD IT TO Y'ALLS LIBRARY, COMMENT, VOTE AND SHARE<3
This is the cover for the book.
I honestly cannot wait for this and I can't wait for you guys to read it too.
Good things are coming, so stay tuned!!
I LOVE YOU ❤️