head.
Gus stepped forward. “Answer the question.”
“I fell.” I knew the girl was lying. I could just sense it from good old fashioned intuition.
“Right,” said Gus, his tone disbelieving. “You fell.”
“Can we stand up, please?”
“No,” I said. “You may not.” The movement behind the strangers was so subtle, I at first assumed it was just the wind. I allowed my gaze to find it. Just barely perceptible in the shrubs, I saw eye-shine. I reached my hand out and found Boggs, and took his hand in mine to get his attention. Gus was aware of our interaction, likely due to his years of training in the military. I looked over and saw that his gun was raised to where we were looking.
The next moments were a blur. Movement from farther to our right caught my attention, but it was too late. The first gunshot rang loud. Whoever fired never got a chance for a second shot, thanks to Nathan. Gus fired next, the shot deafening my left ear. The smell of gunpowder was thick. Gus shot the figure I first saw in the brush, while Boggs lunged forward to keep Ron and Sadie under guard.
Abbey was screaming and crying hysterically from inside the shelter. My heart was racing as I held my pistol in front of me and turned in a full circle looking for more danger.
“How many of you are there?” Boggs was screaming at Ron in particular. When he didn’t answer, Boggs raised his pistol above his head and brought it down, pistol whipping him. Blood promptly began running down Ron’s forehead.
“Don’t hurt him!” Sadie began screaming, adding to the confusion. Abbey and Jane were both crying loudly by now. Something was horribly wrong. The sobs and screams from the shelter were escalating.
“Emilie! Em!” I shouted as I ducked under the tarp, realizing I hadn’t heard her consoling the girls.
“Zoe! It’s Emilie,” said Abbey in a combination of sobs and moans. She was hysterical and barely able to speak. The girls had lit a couple of candles when they first woke, and in the dim light I could see Emilie lying down at an awkward angle, halfway on an air mattress.
“Oh God,” I moaned. “Emilie…” I walked as quickly to her as I could, and sank down beside her on the mattress. “Em,” I sobbed. “Oh God no. Em, wake up!” I flinched when I heard a gunshot from outside.
“Don’t shoot me!” screamed Sadie. “You have no right!”
Her words were followed by another gunshot, followed by Nathan cursing.
Susan and Gus were already beside me. I was kneeling over Emilie’s body, my head on her chest. She was so incredibly still, and already so very cold. I had no idea where Boggs and Nathan were. At the moment I didn’t care. I knew already that the strangers were all dead, unless there were more hiding.
Someone was crying and I was growing irritated. The sobbing was hurting my head, and then finally I realized it was me. I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder and knew by the feel it was Gus. His hand was trembling.
“Emilie, wake up,” I moaned. “Wake up, please, wake up…Emilie…wake up!”
“Zoe, darlin’, she’s gone. She can’t wake up.”
“No, Gus. No. No. She has to wake up. Please, Em, please! You can’t go…”
Gus placed his other hand on my remaining shoulder and gently pulled me up and away from Em’s body. I turned into him and let him hold me.
“She can’t be gone, Gus,” I groaned loudly. “What happened? What happened to her?”
“That first bullet must have hit her, Zoe. She died instantly. She didn’t feel any pain.” He also had tears streaming down his face.
“Noooo,” I wailed and shook my head. “Not Em.” I closed my eyes, willing my head to remain free of any spark beautiful Emilie might cause in my mind should she wake. I couldn’t bear losing her twice.
“Gus, I can’t do it if she comes back…” I let my thought trail off.
“She won’t be coming back, Zoe. The bullet that hit her already took care of that. She’s at rest now, with her
Gus stepped forward. “Answer the question.”
“I fell.” I knew the girl was lying. I could just sense it from good old fashioned intuition.
“Right,” said Gus, his tone disbelieving. “You fell.”
“Can we stand up, please?”
“No,” I said. “You may not.” The movement behind the strangers was so subtle, I at first assumed it was just the wind. I allowed my gaze to find it. Just barely perceptible in the shrubs, I saw eye-shine. I reached my hand out and found Boggs, and took his hand in mine to get his attention. Gus was aware of our interaction, likely due to his years of training in the military. I looked over and saw that his gun was raised to where we were looking.
The next moments were a blur. Movement from farther to our right caught my attention, but it was too late. The first gunshot rang loud. Whoever fired never got a chance for a second shot, thanks to Nathan. Gus fired next, the shot deafening my left ear. The smell of gunpowder was thick. Gus shot the figure I first saw in the brush, while Boggs lunged forward to keep Ron and Sadie under guard.
Abbey was screaming and crying hysterically from inside the shelter. My heart was racing as I held my pistol in front of me and turned in a full circle looking for more danger.
“How many of you are there?” Boggs was screaming at Ron in particular. When he didn’t answer, Boggs raised his pistol above his head and brought it down, pistol whipping him. Blood promptly began running down Ron’s forehead.
“Don’t hurt him!” Sadie began screaming, adding to the confusion. Abbey and Jane were both crying loudly by now. Something was horribly wrong. The sobs and screams from the shelter were escalating.
“Emilie! Em!” I shouted as I ducked under the tarp, realizing I hadn’t heard her consoling the girls.
“Zoe! It’s Emilie,” said Abbey in a combination of sobs and moans. She was hysterical and barely able to speak. The girls had lit a couple of candles when they first woke, and in the dim light I could see Emilie lying down at an awkward angle, halfway on an air mattress.
“Oh God,” I moaned. “Emilie…” I walked as quickly to her as I could, and sank down beside her on the mattress. “Em,” I sobbed. “Oh God no. Em, wake up!” I flinched when I heard a gunshot from outside.
“Don’t shoot me!” screamed Sadie. “You have no right!”
Her words were followed by another gunshot, followed by Nathan cursing.
Susan and Gus were already beside me. I was kneeling over Emilie’s body, my head on her chest. She was so incredibly still, and already so very cold. I had no idea where Boggs and Nathan were. At the moment I didn’t care. I knew already that the strangers were all dead, unless there were more hiding.
Someone was crying and I was growing irritated. The sobbing was hurting my head, and then finally I realized it was me. I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder and knew by the feel it was Gus. His hand was trembling.
“Emilie, wake up,” I moaned. “Wake up, please, wake up…Emilie…wake up!”
“Zoe, darlin’, she’s gone. She can’t wake up.”
“No, Gus. No. No. She has to wake up. Please, Em, please! You can’t go…”
Gus placed his other hand on my remaining shoulder and gently pulled me up and away from Em’s body. I turned into him and let him hold me.
“She can’t be gone, Gus,” I groaned loudly. “What happened? What happened to her?”
“That first bullet must have hit her, Zoe. She died instantly. She didn’t feel any pain.” He also had tears streaming down his face.
“Noooo,” I wailed and shook my head. “Not Em.” I closed my eyes, willing my head to remain free of any spark beautiful Emilie might cause in my mind should she wake. I couldn’t bear losing her twice.
“Gus, I can’t do it if she comes back…” I let my thought trail off.
“She won’t be coming back, Zoe. The bullet that hit her already took care of that. She’s at rest now, with her
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