this is what falling in love feels like

robbers

The sun shone down in a near excruciatingly warm spotlight on indiscretions. Clouds had long since abandoned the sky. The rush of the breeze blew through their open car windows as they fled from the confines of a small town life. Music bellowed from the stereo, and even still, her cheers flowed from the vehicle. They were free and carefree while he drove them towards a new life. Or so they believed.

They drove passed me with no acknowledgment, flying passed me with no knowledge of what lies at the end of the road. I hovered over them, inconspiculously following them in their flee.

The road flew beneath their tires, an endless highway guiding them towards endless possibilities. They passed car after car, taking each turn with ease at such a heightened speed. There were no cops on the road to slow them, not that they would have cared. They cared of nothing but each other, neither knowing how dangerous that actually was.

She instructed him to pull off the road, pointing towards a near-by, seemingly abandoned, gas station. Doubt and curiosity crossed his features, though he doesn't bother to verbally question her interruption in their flee. He simply flicked on his blinker, turned into the parking lot, and claimed one of the further spots from the entrance. The moment he shifted the car into park, she began rummaging through the bookbag she had placed at her feet, and it is only then did he address his concerns.

"What are we doing here, babe?" he asked.

"You'll see," she said with a dazzling smile that melted away his defences and reservations immediately. "Here, put this on."

The patterned fabric landed in his lap softly, and he stared at it in utter befuddlement, even more so when he looked back at her and saw her tying her own around her neck. She baffled him, as she always had, but he went along with her shenanigans, as he always did, and I watched them, as I always  have. He fastened the bandana around his neck, and instantly, she moved to escape their means of escape.

I propped against the doorframe, knowing of the upcoming transpirations even before they crossed the threshold without even bothering to glance my way. I watched as they rose their bandanas to shield their features and stepped into their future.

The clerk behind the counter was sat on his stool, scrolling mindlessly through his phone, only the audio from the videos they watched sounding through the small store. They were unacknowledging of me as well, though I was not there for them yet. Glancing up only at the signal of the bell hanging from the entrance handle, they considered returning back to their scrolling as they often do, but the pair immediately piqued their interest. Rather than strolling throughout the aisles for their desired goods, they approach him bearing an aura of confidence and trouble.

"How can I help y'all?" the clerk asked the new arrivers, the only other occupants of the store.

If only were it not covered by the fabric of the bandana, he would have seen the way her dazzling smile grew tenfold. She skipped over to the counter, and while her actions and tone exuded innocence, there was undeniably something devilish about the young woman.

"Hi!" she greeted. "I'm the new hire. I'm supposed to start training today."

The clerk looked at her with the same befuddlement he bore. They spoke calmly, unamused as they said, "We don't have any new hires."

"That's interesting," she said. "Steve assured me I would be training today and start next Tuesday."

"No one named Steve works here," the clerk said.

"Are you sure? Maybe I have the wrong location," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What's up the bandanas anyhow?" they couldn't help but inquire.

"We're practicing for a pandemic!" she said, and they were almost confused by her genuine nature.

Unamused, yet still incredulous, they asked, "Really?"

"No," she said bluntly. And, just as quickly as her innocence had appeared, it dissipated with a simple command of "Now, open the register drawer."

His eyes widen at the statement, at the sudden realization as to her intentions behind the spontaneous interruption in their escape. Occasional, under-the-radar thievery was their thing, was how they met. He has attempted to pickpocket her and had almost missed her pickpocketing him. But the blunt, aggressive manner with which she spoke shocked his core. And yet, he took a step closer to her.

The unamused expression failed to leave the clerk's features, the only ones visible of the group of three. His boredom flared when he asked, "Why exactly would I do that?"

Left colorless of all but his black bandana, he watched as she pulled the gun from her jean's waistband and aimed it. Cloaked in horror, in bafflement, in concern, yet still, he took one step closer to her, lightly laying his hand on her lower back.

He failed to anticipate the transpiring of the events since she asked him to pull over, but neither anticipated the brash laughter on behalf of the clerk.

"Bless your heart," they said before reaching underneath the counter.

Without hestitance, he retrieved his own revolver, still nestled safely in it's holster, and fixated his own aim. Without hesitance, she removed the safety. I smiled.

"You don't have the balls to shoot that," she mocked with a hint of almost laughter. "Now, open the goddamn drawer."

A single shot rang through the store with an immediate bloodcurdling scream. Then, a second shot for good measure followed.

She collapsed, him fighting to catch her. The gun clattered to the ground, and I took a step forward. With a red stained mind and blood stained hands, he held her on the dirty tile floor, clutching her to his chest. I took a step forward. He whispered to her, pleaded with her, told her all the things he could never say before. I took a step forward. Finally, he looked up at me, acknowledging me for the first time in his life.

With blood shot eyes and blood stained hands, he uttered a single word. "Please."

I walked around their crumbled composures, kneeling down beside her. He shifted his gaze back to her, fixated solely on her closing eyes. Over and over again, he mumbled the single word as though it had become his mantra, as though such would change the outcome, change my mind. I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned down.

With a simple kiss on the forehead, I bestowed my affections, and I took her.

"No!" he screamed, his voice sending a vibrato through my bones. "You can't take her. Not without me."

I nodded, understanding, forever understanding the desperate pleas of a desperate lover. I glanced up to the clerk and offered a nod. Whether they saw me or not, I was not quite sure. Nevertheless, two more shots overwhelmed the small convenience store located right off the highway. Much in the same way, I took him as well.

And, just as they wished, they were finally free of their small town confines.