The Purge ➵ a.i

18

Annalise

6:58 a.m., precisely one minute and twenty-seven seconds until the end of the second annual purge.

"I can't choose who to kill first," the woman says. Michael and I are sitting on the floor. Michael is holding my hand, my head is on his shoulder.

Out of all the things that happened to us, this by far is the worst. I mean, yeah, P.D killed my brother, but I think this chick could do much more damage, way worse, than P.D ever could. I think my dooms day is tonight.

"I love you, Anna," Michael says. "I love you too, Michael," I say, and look at him. "Yeah, yeah, mushy mushy. That was the last time, you love birds will be saying 'I love you'," the woman says. "We aren't dating," I say looking at the woman. I could never look at Michael in any other way than a best friend.

"Whatever. You two seem like it," she rolls her eyes. She points the gun at Michael, but before she could shoot, the man that crashed his car into Ashton's house, slits her throat. She accidentally shoots as it happens. I don't know how she did it, but the bullet hit Michael.

It seemed like everything went by so quickly that I didn't even see it until after it had happened. It was then, when I started crying. Either way, with or without the lady dead, Michael dies. This night was not a good ending. Or a good beginning in that matter. This night is the night, I'll dread for my entire life.

Ashton awoke from the gunshot, when he lifted his head up, he closed his eyes and put it back down. I can only imagine the pain he's in.

Then there goes the siren. The siren that lets everyone know that it's 7 a.m and officially the end of the annual purge. I'm glad it's over. I lost a lot of people. I need to get the ICU before I lose another. I can't lose Ashton. I can't lose the love of my life.

I stand up, and go to Ashton and help him up. "Ashton, I'm not strong enough to hold you. You need to help me," I say, crying and sniffling between words. "Anna. Am I dead?" he mumbles. "Ashton, no. You will be if you don't help me," I say. Ashton weekly walks out of the house and to the car that the woman was driving, the one that didn't crash.

"I'll get you safe. You'll live, I promise. I won't let you die if my life depended on it," I say. He slightly looks over at at smiles. He grabs my hand and holds it. "I love you," he says. I look at him, and then back on the road ahead of me.

"Say it back, baby," he says, his voice is raspy and when he said 'baby', he sounded sweet. "I love you too, Ashton," I say. "Do you mean that?" he asks. "Of course, I mean that, asshole. I've loved you since we were kids. Since I barely knew what love was, then you helped me and kissed my cheek. My entire life was evolved around you since I was nine. I've never had a crush because the only boy that's ever been in the picture was you. Then you cheated, and I never got over it. To this day, it upsets me. To this day, I still think of you every second. I love you, Ashton. I fucking love you," I say.

At this point, Ashton was crying. When I stopped at a red light, he leaned close to me and grabbed my shirt. I look at him. He kisses me. When he pulls away, I realize that I want it to be longer, but I realize the only reason he pulled away was because the light was green. "I never stopped loving you either, you know," he says.

"What about Myah? Hannah? Janice? Frannie. Kay. Wen. All the other girls you dated during those two years we were apart?" I say. "None of them meant anything to me. None of them felt the way I felt and feel with you," he says.

I pull into the ICU parking lot and get out the car. I help Ashton out. "One more kiss," he says. I kiss him. This time he pulls me close. My body on his. This how I want it to always be.