Freaks

21(Continued)

He looks at his dad with bulging eyes. Here they stand while the murderer has a gun. No one's even trying to stop her. Immediate protective instinct takes Malakai by the head and has him leaving Harper's hug and pacing towards Luka. But Raymond holds him back before he can, holding both of his shoulders.

"We're not doing this." He says to him and Aster, pushing him back to the room, "You are not leaving."

Paul comes out of nowhere, "Get your hands off of him." He takes them off himself, Raymond stares at him confusingly, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"We are getting on that plane. We'll leave right now if we have to." Raymond replies.

"Look around you!" Paul's face is blistering red, "It's over! We're not going anywhere."

Their bickering continues. Malakai slips away from the argument and on towards Luka, he gently shoves him out of the aim of the gun while Alice stares at his every turn. Malakai grabs the gun still in Alice's hand, she clutches it tighter thinking he's about to take it.

But he puts it to his chest.

"Do it." His other hand holds her wrist.

Her eyes pierce him, wide-eyed and scared. Struggle starts to wash over her face. She has no words to emit.

"C'mon Alice, this is what you wanted...isn't it?" He says as she stares blankly at the gun.

She hears memories playing in the back of her mind. Some of those "bad guys" would plead her not to shoot the gun that her daddy had put in her hand. "You know it's wrong." They'd say, but some others would also beg, "Do it, little girl! Do what your daddy tells you!" They wanted to die, they wanted their lives to end and be over with and they wanted it quick.

Everyone in the room is watching her carefully. Paul stares Malakai down, "Alice, put that down, now."

She turns and gives him an evil glare. He starts to move but she threatens him by tapping the trigger. Everyone flinches, everyone except for Malakai.

"We're all right here." He says to her with a smile that's gruesome like hers, "What's the holdup? Do it. Kill us all. Do it in front of my dad. Do it in front of my friends."

Harper looks at Aster, nearing her, "I'm gonna get from behind her, take the gun." She whispers, Aster nods.

She flees behind Paul and Raymond who watches before them with fright. As she takes steps quietly, she hears Alice starting to cry.

Malakai raises his voice, "Do it! You did it to your dad, what's the difficulty with me? Because I'm standing here...telling you?"

Harper gets a glimpse of her across the room, her head is down and her hair covers her face. Harper stands still for a minute, also watching as Paul and Raymond do. Soon she sees Luka has found her, he's watching her instead. He looks at her like he did at the library, beyond fearful, angry that she stands where she does.

Then, Alice jerks the gun, and everyone shakes again. But she's taking it away from Malakai's grip, away from his chest. She looks back up right at Malakai, eyes seeping, a frown that holds in sobs. He can only seem to stare as she points the gun underneath her jaw, straight up towards her brain.

"Nobody loves me." She whines, so quiet that barely anyone hears it.

They all hold a surprising look. Harper takes it as an opportunity to run and get behind her quickly, Harper goes for her arms, pointing the gun away from her head, Alice shoots it and it blows to the ceiling. Aster easily takes the gun away from her as she falls back on Harper.

Harper tries hard to keep her standing, but Alice isn't focused on that, she cries in loud, ear-ringing wails. Aster holds the gun in her hand towards the ground, watching the tantrum.