Runner (Completed)

Day-Off [A]

Yes I am a little late on this post. I was tied up in conditions that were deemed...critical

Next part would be posted or made by the upcoming week

Enjoy!!

It wasn't until noon that I finally woke up. The sun was already high up in the sky and the street outside were no longer filled with cars parked in front of their houses. Everyone's gone off to work, and here I am with Cassie awaiting orders from Sergeant Doe for our next mission. We haven't given him the report on the last mission, but if we had to, we would skip the little detail of my half-day disappearance.

The phone never rang. It just sat there near the table lamp on top of my study. We both kept waiting, and by the time I finished making our dinner, Sergeant Doe called to tell us that today was a day-off. I didn't know why I laughed, but I did, like my humor has a will of its own. Its already evening and he just told us to have a day-off. This is more like a night-off. I hung the phone and looked to Cassie. She was thinking of saying something, but she seemed like she couldn't find the words to say it. "Go on, just say what's on your mind," I told her "There has to be a way to go through this day off from Sergeant Doe, even though it's almost the end of the day. What do you have in mind?" I thought about what she said, and then it hit me. "How about dinner? We could just go outside, because my cooking is not going to be satisfying. I know a place," I suggested "Sounds like a date to me," she chuckled, "But alright, pick me up in 10 minutes?" I smiled to myself and told her to get ready. Within the next hour we have arrived at a restaurant located at Lower Hudson Valley

Cassie's arm was looped through mine as we walked through the wood clad walls and red carpet covered hallways. Cassie was staring at the interior with awe. Both of us were left speechless when the huge mahogany doors slide open.

In the middle of the dim lighted room, a small table with a delicate arrangement of candles and a bottle of chilled wine awaited us. I led Cassie to her seat, where I carefully managed to pull her chair out for her. As I sat on my own chair, my eyes landed on the most breathtaking view I have ever seen. A vineyard intricately adorned with juicy grape vines seemed to stretch on for miles. The milky glow of the moon illuminated its neat rows, as the stars seem to dance in collaboration with Cassie's eyes as her mouth was agape and her eyes seem to twinkle.

A butler then came in with our first tray of appetizers, which ranged from small cakes to various kinds of fruits. As Cassie took her first bite, she sighed in content as she grabbed my hand and squealed in delight "This is amazing!" A grin slipped onto my face as I looked at our intertwined hands. The moonlit sky was filled with dancing stars, while we started to dig into our cakes and fruits. This night wouldn't get any better.

The butler then came with hot plates containing beefsteaks with assorted vegetables. The tender meat sizzled as black pepper sauce was poured on it, and the aromatic smell dispersed throughout the hall. I lifted my fork and knife and took a slice. Fireworks started to go off inside my mouth as I ate the beefsteak. It was heavenly, and I could tell that Cassie thinks that it is too. There was a moment of silence as we enjoyed our meal. Then came the desserts. Ice cream topped with tiny slices of different varieties of berries. The smooth and creamy ice cream cooled both our taste buds while the berries kept us awake as we go deeper into the night. After finishing our dinner, Cassie and I went for a walk around the valley.

"Thanks," I told her "What for?" she asked, "This," We looked at each other's eyes for a while then she turned her eyes away and gazed into the valley. "Isn't it beautiful out here?" she asked, I replied, "It is but it isn't as beautiful as you are," And yet another moment of silence, but I could feel the connection happening. She gets closer, and I reach out for her. If I could stop time as well, I'd stop it right here right now, as I put my arms around her. Everyone only saw us as a sweet couple, and there's no denying it now. She wants to stay in this moment too, to be able to let go of everything. It was the only moment where we were being normal. There was nothing extraordinary, just us and that's how I want life to be, as beautiful and as normal as it can be.

We kept holding hands as we started to make our way back to the parking lot. As soon as we get back to our homes, this moment dies, but a spark has been ignited and all I have to do is keep relighting it. As I reached for the car door handle, I heard a gunshot and immediately after I felt immense pressure on my chest. I fell down right after. I was shot at the chest, I could feel my heart beating but I didn't know if the bullet had hit it. I heard Cassie calling 911 and a few minutes the ambulance arrived.

According to a medical examiner at Texas, as long as my heart was still beating by the time I reach a hospital, i have a 95% chance of surviving a gunshot wound. The only problem is that my heartbeat rate was slowly decreasing as I arrived at the hospital. It would take a miracle for me to survive. I could still feel the paramedics carrying my body onto the gurney as they hurried across the hall. The last thing I could identify was Cassie's voice as she asked me to stay with her. I try to tell her everything would be fine, but before I could do so, I passed out.