Ominous

N I N E

Matt

I take a deep breath as the officer parks the car on the pavement and turns all of his equipment off.

He gets out of the car. "Stay here." He instructs me. I nod. The team of officers grab their guns and run up to the building, kicking the door in and entering all at once.

I wait anxiously outside, next to the parked car as they infiltrate the inside. They are grabbing Annie right now. Someone is pulling her in for a nice hug to calm her as her captor is placed in cuffs right in front of her. I just know it. Everything is going just as they planned it.

Now I am just waiting for them to bring her out. She is going to walk out of there and see my face and be filled with joy. I can't wait for the moment she jumps in to my arms and I can hold her again.

I stare at the ring in my hand and smile. I have been waiting for this moment my entire life. Sure, I wanted to propose over a nice dinner at home after an evening of wonderful conversation, but this will have to do. Annie needs to know she is my one and only forever and always.

I listen closely as shouting erupts inside. Annie? Is she okay? Annie?

I drop my hands to my sides. What is going on in there?

I take a step forward and stop as I see a paramedic rushing inside with a gurney.

I shake my head. That son of a bitch hurt her. I'll kill him! How dare he touch her! How dare he! I'll teach him a lesson he will never forget!

The officer walks outside and paces the front dirt area, what I assume was once a bed of flowers when people actually occupied this place. He talks on the phone. I can hear him talking but I can not make out the words.

Who is he talking to?

Another Medic runs inside with a bag of supplies.

"Annie?" I take a few steps forward. Shouting inside startles me. "Annie!" I shout, taking off in the direction of the building. I have to see if she is okay. I have to make sure she is okay.

"Matt, Matt-" The officer hangs up the phone, shoves it in his pocket, and intercepts me before I can even get close to the door. "You can't go inside." He tells me.

"I have to. Annie- I, I have to. Annie!" I shout, trying to get past him and inside the house.

"Matt, I need you to calm down son." He shakes my shoulders. "This is not going to get any easier with you freaking out like this."

I nod. He is right. I need to be strong for Annie.

"I'm sorry." I mumble, realizing I don't have the ring in my hands anymore. I just have dropped it somewhere back there when I was running.

"Now son, listen," the officer begins. I look up as two paramedics struggle to get the Gurney down the steps. A black bag sits on top of the device. I know that there is a body inside. "Matt? Can you hear me? Matt?"

No.

Deep down in my heart, I know Annie is inside that bag. But no matter how much I know that, I hope it is the son of a bitch that took her away from me.

"Tell me it's not Annie." My muscles relax, my eyes glazed over.

"I can't, son. I'm sorry."

I drop to my knees. My world, shattered. I hang my head, my chin pressed against my chest. This can't be real. This is just a bad dream. A terribly bad dream. A bad dream that will never end no matter how hard I try to wake  myself up.

Annie is dead. And so am I.