Dont say I didn't warn you.

Deaf

A sudden burst of gunfire erupted, echoing through the dimly lit garage.

Startled, Camron stepped back from me, and dropped the saw. Bill, Gustav, And Georg all started shooting at Camron. Tom came running towards me, I felt a warm liquid spray onto me. As tom started to untie me i looked towards my side, Camron falling to the ground taking hundreds of shots to the chest, legs, face, and arms. As a shot went through his head, it bloomed open like a big red flower. My eyes widened and my lips parted, i wanted to scream i did. But nothing came out.

Tom swiftly picked me up from chair, cradling me protectively as the chaotic scene unfolded around us. He ran us out to the car, he placed me in the backseat and he crawled into the drivers seat. The rest of them ran out and get into their cars. And we all drove away.

My mind struggled to process the graphic scene, the vivid images searing into my memory.

The warm liquid on me became more apparent, and I realized it was Camron's blood, staining my clothes and skin.

The whole car ride I stared down at my blood covered hands.

His blood is on your hands, Cathrine, you caused this.

Before i knew it we were already back home. Tom parked and took me out of the car, carrying me in the house like a baby.

I could hear him saying things to me but my ears kept fucking ringing. I couldnt hear shit. He carried me into his room, and into the bathroom. In the bathroom, the harsh light flickered overhead as Tom gently placed me on the edge of the bathtub.

Tom knelt beside me, his concerned eyes searching mine for a flicker of understanding. His voice, a distant echo, gradually became apparent amidst the ringing in my ears. "Cat, we need to clean you up. Are you with me?" he asked. I managed a shaky nod, the weight of guilt settling heavily upon me. He turned on the bathtub. He slowly removed my shirt, bra, jeans, and panties. I just kept staring at my arms and hands.

The warm water from the tap mixed with the stains, making it a weird orange red color. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks, their salty trail mingling with the water and blood. Tom's hands were gentle. He was saying things, but I couldn't hear.

He helped me out of the tub and he wrapped me in a towel, he closed the lid of the toilet and sat me down on it. He left the bathroom for a second, and I watched as he left. Then he came back with clothes in his hands. He stood me up and took off my towel, he dressed me in comfortable clothes. I looked at my hands again. Still blood, tears flowed down my face, i showed him my hands. I knew i was talking, but i couldn't hear myself. He looked at me confused, i read his lips "there's nothing there!"

I kept saying things. I dont know what i was saying. He grabbed my wrists and he pulled them under the sink, he grabbed the soap and rubbed it against my hands. I rubbed them together getting all the blood off. I run them under the water. And the blood washed off.

Tom held my face, his thumb brushing away tears, and he mouthed reassuring words I couldn't comprehend.

Tom led me back to his room, he laid me down, then he laid next to me. He put his arm around me and i laid my head on his chest. As I lay beside him, the weight of the night's events pressed upon my chest, and the images replayed in my mind like a haunting film. Tom's fingers traced soothing circles on my back. I closed my eyes, attempting to escape the haunting images that lingered behind my eyelids.

Tom's presence beside me, his arm wrapped protectively around me, became a fragile anchor in the storm of my thoughts. His thumb continued to brush away tears, and though the ringing in my ears cont, a wave of calm began to settle within me.

As I lay there, feeling the rise and fall of Tom's chest beneath my head, the weight on my shoulders began to ease.

Tom's embrace, a fortress against the haunting echoes, allowed me to drift into a slumber, seeking protection from the storm within.