heathers one-shots

hello // mix

The first gunshot was deafening and I can't remember if I screamed or not. In the absence of sound, sans a faint ringing in my ears, something came to me.

Has no one told you?

I recognized the voice immediately and I gripped my head in a feeble attempt to make it stop. But Heather kept speaking, her voice echoing in my head.

She's not breathing.

With that, I was jostled back to reality. I took in the sight before me. My thirteen year old daughter lay in a puddle of her own blood. She was completely motionless, entirely still. I rushed to her side, shaking at her and spewing nonsense.

After that, the noise surrounding me came back. I could hear my eight year old shrieking in fear, begging the assailant of her sister not to turn on her. You shouldn't have to hear your children beg for their lives. Not when their father, who had finally fully snapped, was the gunman.

I looked up at JD, who now had the gun pointed at our second child. I let out a gutteral cry, rushing towards him and tackling him to the ground. I had won this fight before and now I had to do it again.

After an eternity, I had the gun. I scattered to my feet, keeping my hands steady as I pointed the gun at my husband.

"You aren't going to shoot me." He snorted at this concept.

"I have before." I reminded him, which he had to agree to. "But I'm not taking a finger this time, JD." I added and he sighed.

"Chloe." He barked at our living child. "Go to your room, you don't need to see this." He went on and she just cried harder, wrapping her small arms around herself even tighter.

"She's traumatized beyond belief. Frozen in fear after seeing her sister die." I said to him. "This is the end, JD." I informed him.

"What a game." He replied humorlessly. "I never pegged you as the winner." He said, another little jab at me. I was used to it by now.

"Even with your life in my hands, you can't treat me with respect." I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Hey." He called at Chloe. "I love you, okay?" He told her.

"Close your eyes tightly, baby." I said to her and she did.

"Our love is god." He smiled at me. "I guess you're still a killer, V." He added.

"Beautiful last words." I said facetiously. "Say hi to god." I directed him, the humor faltering as I pulled the trigger.

I didn't scream but Chloe did. I dropped the gun and ran to her, pulling her tightly into my arms. She only asked why this had happened. I didn't have those answers. She clung to my side as I walked towards the phone to call 911. I dialed the number, held the phone to my ear.

"911, what's your emergency?" The female operator asked me. "Hello?" She questioned when I said nothing, unsure of how to describe the shit we'd just gone through.

"My daughter and husband are dead." I said as my voice cracked, deciding that I'd only ever say this much. No one besides the police, and a therapist for my daughter, needed to know how this all transpired.