Once Upon A Thought

Another Day

Everything's in slow motion. The beat of my heart has now reached a new high, making it seem like it'll burst out of my chest. My breath is the only thing I can hear in these moments. This can't be happening. There's smoke everywhere and gunshots are being fired. I look to my left to find my co-worker Jessica under some of the debris from the bomb. Her head is bleeding and I'm afraid to move her on the fear that I don't know if there's internal damage. I take in my surroundings finally, allowing my ears to be filled with screams. I feel someone grab my arm, instinctively I jerk away, but come to find it was my other co-worker Lucas. "We need to leave," he tells me with panic in his eyes.

"What about Jess?" I ask while leaning back down towards her unconscious body. Lucas kneels next to her and checks her pulse. An unpleasant expression appears on his face. "There's nothing," he states with sadness. I can feel tears begin to collect at my eyes. Jess is dead. Lucas once again stands up and addresses me, "We need to leave Edith." I nod my head slowly and let him grab my hand to lead us away from here. However, once we turn around we find a gun in our faces.

"Where do you think you're going, beautiful?" the gunman asks while eyeing me up and down. Lucas steps in front of me and tells this monster, "Leave her alone." The gunman smiles at us and a malicious laugh escapes his lips. "Step away," he demands Lucas firmly. The gun keeps its stance pointed at our heads. The tears are finally falling down my face. "No," Lucas spits. Then jumps at the man. I hear a gun shot and feel a sharp pain in my leg, causing me to drop to the floor. There's another gunshot shortly after and I look to find both men on the floor not moving. The only difference is Lucas now has blood pouring out of him. The man with the gun is passed out, so I kick the gun far away and hover over Lucas' body. I now realize he was shot in the chest, I'm no doctor, but I know it's near his heart. I grab his hand and ask, "What do I do?" At this point I'm sobbing. "I don't know what to do Lucas. Please stay with me!" I beg.

Lucas gives me a small smile and goes to open his mouth to say something but begins to spit up blood. "Lucas!" I yell with desperation. I try to turn him on his side, so he doesn't choke on the blood, but he only screams out in agony. "It's okay...leave me...survive Edith," he gets out between breaths. I shake my head no and tell him, "I will not leave you. Do you remember when I first arrived at the company? Everyone was much older than me and could go out to drink, but I couldn't. You took me one night to get milkshakes. Remember? You said they were your favorite. You've been there for me since the beginning, so I will not leave you." He tries to laugh but ends up spitting out more blood. "I still remember the look on your face when you took your first sip," he tells me and gives another small smile. Then just like that his grip on my hand lets go and the smile's gone, along with him. "No. No please Lucas," I sob to his now lifeless body.

When I try to stand up, pain shoots through my body. I can't walk on my leg. I get on the ground and drag my body, I'm going to survive just like Lucas wanted me to. The pain in my leg is beginning to be unbearable, but I don't give up. My pace lessens and the want to scream out creeps up. There's all of a sudden another round of gunshots and screams. I'm terrified and stuck in place. They're going to find me. I never even had the chance to say goodbye to anyone. I can't move anymore, the pain from my leg is now moving through my body. I feel dizzy and weak. Fear takes over, if I pass out now I'm a goner. However, the pain takes over and I'm overcome by darkness.