“What the
hell happened to you?’ Derek asked as I came through the door.
“I'm
fine,” I said sitting in a chair, “Where’s Cole?”
“On the
roof,” Ken said coming up to me, “Who shot you?”
I shrugged
hurting my shoulder.
I flinched
at the pain.
I took the
bloody handkerchief off my shoulder then I took my shirt off and Ken handed me
an aid kit.
“I’ll go
get Cole.” Derek said getting up.
“You
okay?” Kyle asked from the couch.
I nodded.
I cleaned
out my wound with alcohol.
“Lemme do
it.” Ken said taking it from me.
He cleaned
my wound and then started stitching it up.
“What
happened?” Cole asked coming in with Derek
“I'm bleeding
welcome.” I said.
“You know
what I mean.” He came up to me, “Ken stop stitching it.”
“Why?” Ken
asked.
“The
bullets still in there,” Cole said grabbing a knife from the so-called kitchen.
He lit a
candle and held the blade over it.
“What’re
you doing?” I asked.
“Hold’em.”
Cole said to Ken.
“Cole?” I
said.
Ken took
the stitches out then held me down.
“Bite on
this,” Cole said putting a metal rod in my mouth.
Then he
put that scolding blade around the edges of my wound.
I bite
down as hard as I could, thinking the rod would bend.
“Almost
done,” He said.
Then he
took the blade and dug into the wound for the bullet.
“Got it,”
He said taking it out.
I spit the
rod out, “Ouch.”
Ken
re-cleaned my wound then stitched it up.
“There.”
He said twenty minutes later.
He just
finished putting the bandage on.
“Thanks, that
was terribly…Painful.” I said.
Ken
smiled, “Anytime.”
He put all
the stuff away.
“Joey your
brother called.” Cole said from the couch.
“What’d he say?” I asked.
“He asked
if you were alright, Said that he was on the phone with you when it happened,”
he said.
I nodded,
“Yep.”
I got up
and walked to the couch and sat next to Kyle.
“Sorry you
had to take a bullet for me.” He said.
“What’re
you talking about?” I asked him.
He looked
at my shoulder.
“Oh,
this?” I asked, “This was just from an old hag, I tried to help her across the
street.”
He smiled.
“Look kid,
it’s no big deal, I eat bullets for dinner.” I said smiling.
“It is for
me, I never had anyone stick up for me.” He said.
“Don't
your dad or your brother?” I asked.
He shook
his head, “No my dad’s not in my life no more, It’s just my sister Rose and I,”
I smiled,
“You’re like her dad.”
He smiled
and nodded.
“I know
how you feel kid,” I said, “I really do.”
I looked
at Cole, looking at me.
He half
smiled and looked down.
I groaned
and sat back, “My arm is killing me.”
I got up,
“I'm lying down for a bit.”
I went
into the back room and lay down on a bed.
I ran towards my only exit, I looked behind me to see if anyone was following.
My heart raced, a masked man ran a foot behind me, I ran
faster.
It seemed as if there was no end.
I ran and ran; every time I looked back the masked man was
always a foot behind me.
It made me run faster, but was I?
I saw the end of the path I was running; bravely I stopped
and turned around, facing the masked man.
Within seconds, he was in my face. Holding a gun to my
heart,
I looked him in the eye, “Who are you?”
Then he pulled the trigger…
I
immediately sat straight up, my heart racing.
It was
night.
I looked
at my watch, 3:27am.
I sat in
the edge of the bed and ran my hand threw my hair.
I sighed
and stood up.
I walked
clumsily into the other room.
Every
light was off except one.
I walked
over to the window and watched Kyle outside on the roof.
“Reminds
you of someone doesn’t he?” asked Cole coming up behind me.
“What do
you mean?” I asked not taking my eyes off Kyle.
“I know
why you helped them.” He said standing next to me, “It’s not because you felt
sorry, because when you looked at him you saw yourself.”
I looked
at Cole.
“You’re
trying to give him what you never got.” He said.
I looked
down then back outside.
“But what
I don’t understand is that he has a mom, who doesn't care, a dad who hit him
when he was young, A little sister who he would kill for,” he said.” But he
don't have an older brother.”
I looked
at Cole, “Exactly.”
I walked
back into the room and laid back in bed.
I woke up
the next time and the sun was finally out.
I sat up
and saw that my brother was sleeping in the bed next to me.
He must have spent the night, I thought.
I got out
of bed and went in the other room
Ken was
awake talking to Kyle and Derek.
“So I was
like, ‘you have got to be joking.’ And he said, ‘when I'm dead.’ So I pulled
the trigger.” Ken said.
I walked
to the fridge we had and opened it, “You telling them another one of you sex
stories?”
Kyle and
Derek laughed.
Ken looked
at me and smiled, “Nah, I was telling them about the time you had your first.”
I shook my
head taking out the orange juice and drinking from the carton.
My cell
phone rung in my pants, I took it out and looked at the caller ID, Michael.
I quickly
answered it.
“Yeah mike
what's up?” I asked
“Joey
there's something going on in that house you told me to watch,” he said.
“What do
you mean?” I put the juice down.
“There are
some men inside and I heard a gunshot.”
“How
many?”
“Three or
four,”
“You still
there?” I asked.
“Nah man I
left when I heard the shot go off.”
“Ight man
thanks.” I hung up and started for the front door.
“What’s up
Joey?” Ken asked.
“There are
some guys at Kyle’s house.” I said putting my shoes on.
“Rose.”
Kyle said getting up, “I'm coming.”
“No you’re
not stay here.” I said standing back up.
“That’s my
family!” he said.
I stopped
and looked at him, “Kid, I swear I will not let anything happen to them.”
He nodded
and sat back down.
“Ken,
come on.” I said walking to the door; Ken got up and followed me out to my car.Copyright
Author Taylor Evans
2/27/2013 9:42 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment