A/N And again the driver was suggested by alelealeooo . There is still one scenario left (1. Take a ride on a zipline together). The idea is from a dream I had one or two years ago.
TAGLIST: LilyHeseltineNew Airwaveee Mi1234ll archivebooks Guineapig98 smallmonsterr
WORDS: 1853
WARNINGS: Violence (shooting, mentions of death, mild injuries)
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Shots, shots and screaming people are the sounds that creep into my ears and which pull me into a wave of fear. My heart is beating way too fast and it feels like it is trying to find a way out of my chest.
This was supposed to be a relaxed event, nothing big or thrilling. It was just a get-together, focussed on relaxed conversations and talking about past achievements. But suddenly there was a change in the atmosphere and everything went down a spiral, pulling us all to the ground.
There were shoots cutting through the happy chatting and people started screaming. Out of reflex I ducked onto the floor and crossed my hands above my head to try and protect it.
I didn't fear for myself at that moment, I panicked for the people that were with me. Friends, family and my boyfriend. The fear of losing just one of them tightens my throat and I try to make myself even smaller while little splinters from met furniture dig into my skin.
Only when someone helps me to my feet and tries to talk with me I do manage to come out of my trance. My ears open up and I hear again. The person in front of me shakes me on my shoulders and repeats his words.
"Run!" This time I understand what he says and follow his demand. In the beginning, I stumble a bit, but then I run just like the devil would follow me.
I cross a field and just orientate myself on the other people which run in the same direction. My head is empty, and I act like a robot until I reach a safe place that is filled with many other people.
Ambulances and some police cars are spread over the place where everything seems to be full of chaos. People cry and others hug each other because they made it out of this situation.
Trying to protect myself I wrap my arm around my body and let my gaze wanders from left to right. Search for people I know while I hold back the tears.
As a medic asks me if I need help, I just brush his words off. I am not hurt, I just try to find my people. Try to figure out if everyone made it.
Then my gaze finds a group of people I know. A relieved sight leaves my lips, but then I look at everyone again and realize that the person I wanted to see the most isn't there.
With shaky steps, I walk over to the group, keep hugging myself and get slower with every step I take. It is like an invisible leash holds me back while I step close to the group of boys who usually are happy but just look disturbed now.
"Lando." My voice is weak, and cracks just saying this one name. The one addressed immediately lifts his head and stands up to close the distance between us.
Like someone drowning I hang onto him and can't hold back my crying anymore. Lando holds me close and brings us both to the benches where he sits down to pull me right to his side.
He swings us from side to side while whispering sweet nothings, but I don't hear him. The knot in my throat gets tighter and tighter and slowly I can't breathe anymore.
Panicking I grab the collar of my shirt because it feels like it cuts off my breathing. Lando seems to notice the different behaviour because he pushes me away from his body just slightly and tries to catch my gaze.
"Hey, look at me, look at me." He waits a moment until I manage to look at him with my teary eyes and then continuous speaking.
"Breath with me, okay?" I can't really react, but I try to concentrate on the breathing pattern of the older one. Breathe in, hold it for a few seconds, and breath out slowly.
We repeat this pattern several times until the knot in my throat gets less tight and I can finally breathe again. The panic is still there, but at least I don't feel like suffocating anymore.
"Better?" Is Lando's question and lets his hand nervously brushes through his always messy hair. I don't trust my voice right now so I just nod and place my head on his shoulder. This mild panic attack drained a lot of my energy, but I don't think that I can relax right now.
"Is everyone..." I try to speak but have to clear my throat first. "So, is everyone safe?" I ask and doubt that the answer will be positive with the number of shots that were fired.
"Many have a shock of mild injuries, one is hurt more and another one is in a critic state," Lando informs me with a rough voice and now the panic is back.
Oscar, I haven't seen him yet and when the shooting started, we were separated. He is not...no Lando would have told me that, or? My head shoots up and Lando looks at me surprised.
"Oscar," I mumble just his name and can feel my chest gets tighter again. I can't say anything else and just look at Lando with big eyes while I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
"He's fine, I have already seen him. Everything is fine." Lando quickly says, but I am not really calmed down by him.
My head turns from left to right, trying to find Oscar, trying to find out if he is really fine, but I can't find him. I feel nauseous when I think about what could have happened and I want to stand up, but Lando holds me right where I am.
"I need..." I try to speak, but can't finish the sentence because I can't breathe again.
"You need nothing. One of the boys is getting him and he will be here in a minute. Okay?" Lando looks at me and waits until I nod to confirm what he said before he pulls me back into his arms, and just holds me until I calm down.
"There he is." Lando mumbles into my ear and stands up to make some space beside me. My head turns to Oscar, who looks more than relieved when he spots me and closes the distance between us as quickly as possible.
As soon as he sits on the bench I wrap my arms around him, bury my head in his neck and hold him close. Again there are tears in my eyes, but this time they are tears of joy. Joy that he is all right.
"Shh, I am here." Oscar whispers and brushes his hand over my back. I inhale and exhale deeply, trying to calm myself down, breathing in Oscar's scent and trying to fight the exhaustion which is slowly taking over my body.
He places his chin on my head while he keeps swinging us softly from side to side and I manage to relax in his arms. But it doesn't take long until the silence between us is cut by a friendly voice.
"Hello, does one of you need medical service?" A young woman asks us and I turn my head to the side to look at her. I can feel how Oscar shakes his head and lifts his hand up.
"My cuts were already taken care of." Is his explanation before he wraps his arm tight around me again. Cuts? Bewildered I lift my head and only now spot the white bandage around his hand which is there to cover the wound.
"And you?" She asks and this time looks directly at me. I just shrug my shoulders because I don't think that I am hurt, but Lando is speaking up now.
"She has a lot of splinters in her arm." He makes us aware of it and takes my arm away from Oscar to show it to the doctor. Oh, I didn't realise that there was something wrong is my only thought when I see the dark splinters in my skin.
"Follow me please." She says and waits for me to follow her. I stand up, but wait until Oscar stands up too because I don't want to be separated from him again.
"Its okay, I'm right by your site." He mumbles, places his lips for a split second on my cheek, and then crosses our fingers for a connection. Together we follow the doctor to the place where they provisionally treat the patients and have all their medication.
I sit down but keep holding Oscar's hand which is brushing over the back of my hand with his thumb and waits patiently until the doctor has managed to pull the last splinter out of my skin. During this process, I flinched several times but didn't say anything because I am way too tired for it.
She spreads some salve over my arm before she wraps it with a bandage to protect the little, barely visible wounds. The doctor tells us some more things, like how we have to treat the wounds, but I can't hear her, my ears just murmur, but I think that Oscar listened. At least he thanked her and then she disappeared.
"Let's go home." These are Oscar's next words and he helps me to stand up. My fingers are still entangled with his and I lean my head against his shoulder while we walk, feeling more and more tired.
The way back home feels like a blurred movie in front of my eyes and I need to blink several times when we reach our home. My steps are slow, but we manage to enter the house together, just make us ready for bed and then lay down.
But in bed, I can't close my eyes. Every time I try to the gunshots are back and I hear people scream in my ear. I turn from left to right and back to left again, trying to stay still to not wake up Oscar.
It seems to be too late for this because his arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me close to his chest. He buries his head on my shoulder and mumbles some words.
"Can't you sleep?" His voice is rough, sounding sleepy and I feel bad for keeping him awake.
"I...I keep hearing the shots when I close my eyes and the screams." I mumble into the dark and search for his hand to hold it.
For a moment there is silence then Oscar changes our position, making me lay on top of him, his arms around my back holding me as close as possible to his body and making me feel his heartbeat under my head.
"Do you think that you can sleep like this?" Oscar asks and begins to stroke his fingers over my back. Being this close to him plus his touch calms down my nerves and slowly lulls me in. I just manage to mumble something confirming until the darkness takes over and I finally fall asleep.