Gone in an instant

Chapter 22: Saturday, 8:14 PM

The man fell. Clutching his heart, which my bullet had just gone through. The crowd gasped. I spun directly behind me and punched the guard there in the face, smacking the one that was on my right, but is now on my left, across the face with my gun. And then I spun, kicking the one on my right, who was on my left, in the ribs. He stumbled, but never recovered because my fist connected with his face. All three men lay unconscious as I charged for Charlotte, several bullets tearing into the carpet where I was just moments ago, one hitting one of the men I had downed.

She looked shocked, but slightly relieved. I grabbed the rope and began to untie her, the rope fell and she hugged me, and I hugged her, but spun her and me to my right as a bullet smashed into the pillar. Then I grabbed her hand and led her out a door, shooting blind shots behind me. I slammed the door shut, we were in a theater of some sort, and the exit was just 50 feet ahead, I slammed through the doors just as several guards poured into the hallway. I began looking in cars, searching for one that had keys sitting somewhere. After about 15 cars I found one, a grayish green Toyota Corolla. I smashed the window, unlocked the car, and opened the drivers side door. “Get in! Hurry!” I said to Charlotte. She jumped in the passenger seat and I started the car, speeding off into the street and away from that awful place. I heard a gunshot but the bullet never hit us.

“I'm sorry for putting you through that. And all of this. I should have never taken you. I'm so sorry.” I said to Charlotte. “It's okay, I would have much rather gone through this with you than without you.” She said, smiling slightly. I couldn't hold it back any longer, “What happened to my family?” I asked desperately. A sad look came over her and she said without looking at me, “They're gone. I heard 4 gunshots in the room next to me last week, the room they were in. I never heard or saw them again. And they weren't taken out of there. I'm sorry.” I pulled over at a park, it was pretty, with green trees, and green grass, and a little sidewalk with flowers around it, at the end of the side walk there was a bench that looked out over the rest of the park. I got out of the car and walked to the bench, Charlotte caught up with me and her hand grasped mine. “I'm so sorry.” She said again, a tear stinging her eye. But at this point I was past tears. Past any expression at all. I just sat on the bench, staring blankly out over the park as the sky darkened.

Charlotte sat next to me. I distracted myself, “Three years. We're 19 now.” I said somewhat unenthusiastically. She smiled a bit, “Yup. You look so much older.” She said. “So do you. Way older. And way more beautiful. She smiled again, and looked me in the eyes, “Thank you.” She semi-whispered. “I missed you so much.” We said at the same time. And we both laughed slightly. I was looking into her eyes, they were the most beautiful I'd ever seen. Light brown with a small little black ring around them, and little dark brown flecks every here and there. I was leaning forward, and so was she, and then our lips connected and my arms wrapped around her, and hers around me. I felt so safe and loved in that moment. And so happy. We stayed that way for several seconds, and then we just hugged on that bench. I felt wonderful again. Absolutely wonderful. And I knew everything would be okay.