Craver

One

Gun shots.

The first and only thing I can hear. Loud and scary noises of a gun, a real gun. This is nothing what I thought my life in the middle of an overpopulated city would be like. I never thought I'd find myself running to save my life, running so fast that my feet would scream for me to stop and my lungs wouldn't work properly at the time.

I felt myself collapsing at the middle of the concrete floor in front of a large building. I thought I was safe, but that's only what I thought. I had to take that thought out of my mind the second I felt a cold hand harshly pulling my hair and a deep, cold voice talking words I couldn't tell even if I tried. I had to take that thought out of my head even when I felt the same hair unwrapping from my hair, letting me go, to yet hear more gun shots, screams and prayers.

"I'll finish you, all of you." I think I heard a voice say.

And the next thing I know...Blood.

Blood was covering my white pencil dress and I couldn't make out to whom that blood belonged. Could it possibly be me? I feel no pain, at least no such pain that an open wound would cause. Maybe I was too numb and traumatized to feel the pain, maybe it would crawl in later, as the time passes, if I was lucky enough to survive. But yet again, I still wasn't sure. That blood couldn't be mine, and it was not.

I remember trying to convince myself I couldn't be safe earlier but that thought, that little amount of hope crawled back in my mind the second I heard many sirens coming to my direction, the second I heard voices and many orders, the very few seconds before my vision went blind and I couldn't hear a thing anymore, right when I went unconscious.

....

My eyes flush open just to shut closed a few seconds later by the bright shining of the room I was in. My neck, well, my whole body felt numb and it hurt as I tried to move. But that was only until I realized where I was. White clean walls, plain white sheets and the smell I would recognize in a heartbeat. Of course I was at a hospital room. But the question is why would I be in a place like this in the first place? Why would I be wearing that hideous hospital robe everyone wears for a reason?

Many visions of things I can make out cause my head to hurt. Way too much drinks and gambling, men in expensive suits throwing money as if it was nothing, women in fancy dresses, me and Charlotte included.

I remember Charlotte asking me to accompany her to some party her new married boyfriend was attending to at one of the most successful play houses in Seattle. I don't quite know how she dragged me in, made me wear my best dress and go with her, and yet again I don't quite remember why I left the place running like there was no tomorrow.

Minutes later a nurse with friendly eyes entered the room holding a folder, which I assumed it contained all of my information and stuff. Her eyes widened when she realized I'm now conscious but a warm smile covered her inappropriate gesture.

"Hello, I'm Alicia, your nurse. How are you feeling?" Her voice was low and kind.

"I'm okay, I guess. My head kind of hurts."

"Do you remember what happened?" She asks.

"Trying to do so gave me this obnoxious headache. I'd really appreciate it if you told me instead of asking. " My words came out rude but a small smile made it seem better.

"It's pretty complicated. I wouldn't want to take in so much information at the same time but basically you somehow got involved in some mafia issues, wrong timing around the bad company I suppose. It was pretty serious though, there were many dead people but you can consider yourself lucky that you got through with a simple concussion and a few wounds here and there, nothing too serious."