All Your Fractures

Nine. (2)

Jesse used cried a lot back then.

"When I'm not here anymore. . . "

He'd cry so much.

"You have to keep telling him it's okay."

He would soak the white sheets with his tears and yell at you not to leave. And you'd smile. . . . you smiled? I've never understood you once. Why did you smile? Why. . .

“We are forever.”

3:38 PM

The bat hit Israel with enough force to knock him to the floor and give him a concussion. He cursed and hissed, touching his head which freshly throbbed with pain.

"Realize your moronity and leave already, you're starting to piss me off. " Jessika huffed, holding her cig between her lips. She swung the bat to rest on her shoulder. Israel noticed the traces of red on it. He brought his hand away from his hair, feeling the thick wetness on his palm before he saw it.

He shook as he looked back at her. Standing there fearlessly, hair dropping to her waist, shadows cast on her face at all the intimidating angles, crimson eyes glinting even in the dim light.

He gulped and shuddered as he breathed, saying, "I'm not leaving here without him." he slid his arm under Jesse's torso, pulling him up and putting his arms around his own neck from behind.

She laughed heartily. "You want to risk dying for that nasty piece of shit?"

"Try to stop me," He glared at her, grunting as he stood and pulled Jesse up with him, hunching the brunet's legs to lock them around his waist.

"I like your energy." Going to the table, she picked up a pistol and attached a muffler. Israel froze. "Here's a game; let's wager." She pointed the barrel to him. "If you fall before getting to the door, I keep him here and you'll never bother us again. But if you're able to get him to the door without faceplanting, kudos to you."

"Which door?" He wanted to be sure. If it was the front door he'd have to get the pistol away from her first.

She smiled. "I'm not cruel. Basement door, see not that far?"

He levelled her with his glower. "I won't bring him back."

"Confident are we?" She cocked the weapon. "Ready?"

He didn't get a second to react before the felt the searing pain in his left thigh. "Aagh—! "

A cling sounded as the shell casing fell to the floor. Jessika chuckled. "Set. Go."

Israel moved as quickly as he could in a random but careful manner, hoping to avoid being shot again. Or worse, a bullet hitting Jesse. He couldn't let that happen.

The second one only grazed his shin and that was just lucky. He was only a few strides away  from the basement door now.

"You're quick. Impressive."

He ignored her and reached his hand out for the door, just then the last shot was fired. As he grasped the knob, he waited and waited for the promised pain that didn't come.

Nothing. Israel quickly dashed up the basement stairs, leaving behind the door swinging on its hinges.

The last one had missed. Jessika shrugged, "Whoops, my bad. Oh well. . . "

Suddenly, a twitchy mess of a woman clambered down soon after Israel had left with Jesse on his back. The woman screeched, burying her nails so deep in her scalp, blood got in them by the time she took them away. "C-cst, Th-th-they're gone! He took him! t-took.. T-they're g-gone! GONE! "

"Noisy." Jessika tched. She exhaled smoke through her lips. "We'll have him back soon. He has to keep his promise. "

She took her cigarette from her lips and instinctively yearned to put it out like she usually did, but suddenly he wasn't there anymore.

"Pity. I'll miss watching his skin melt."