Conversations With The Moon (Bruno Mars One-Shots)

No Apologies

The lights go out for five seconds. They come back on and there's a piece of paper stuck to window. I climb out of bed and pull it free of the glass. Written on it is one word.

"Run."

My eyebrows furrow as I turn the note over. There's nothing it but the word, I lift it to my nose. No scent. No tares. I set it aside and climb back into bed and lie down.

That must be a mistake. Run? Run from what? 

Suddenly there's a crash, followed by complete silence. I just up out of bed and look around. The lights flicker again. I open the window push out the screen and climb out onto the roof. Crouched down, I walk to the edge of the roof and jump off. Surprisingly I land safely in a sprinters position: left leg bent right knee on the ground and my hands on the ground at my sides.

 A few blocks down a figure looks at me then sprints down the block. I follow closely behind. As I round the corner of the fifth block I lose the person I'm pursuing. I look left then right but there's no one around. The neighborhood is just as quite as it is on any other fall night. I pick up the pace again and round the next corner when I'm grabbed from the sidewalk. I fall backward landing squarely on my ass. A woman peers at me with yellowish-hazel eyes. She's is dressed all black; black leather jacket zipped down to her chest, tight back pants, utility belt and black boots. She has dark brown hair that is secured in to a tight ponytail behind her head and symmetrical facial features. She looks familiar but not enough for me to call up a name from my memory. It's as if it on the tip of my tongue but down the back of my throat at the same time. 

"Who are you?" 

"Bruno be quiet, they're looking for us." 

"I don't know you." 

"You do, you just don't remember." Her eyes look dark and pained but full of adrenaline and slight panic. She pulls me by the shoulder further into the thick bushes. I push her hand off of me and grab her wrist. 

"Who are you? Who's after me?" 

"I don't have time for this." She grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. "Come on." She books it across the yard, jumps, grabs and climbs over the fence in one swift motion. She reaches for me from the other side, I jump grab her hand and helps me over. Once I land she takes off again. I follow. After ten more blocks she slows down. 

"Who's chasing us?" 

"You know who they are just as well as you know that we can't let them catch up with us." 

"What the hell are you talking about!?" 

"Bruno, I don't have time to explain all of this to you right now. We need to get to somewhere safe."

"They're after you, aren't they." I back away from her and stand straight up."

"You did something." 

"Look, you know I've done things I'm not proud of, but you also know I would never do anything to hurt you. I came back for you just like I promised. You just don't remember." 

"You're just covering your ass. You did something and you're taking me as a hostage so they don't come get you. I'm innocent. I didn't do anything." I back away from her and glance over my shoulder. No one seems to be there. Suddenly the branches in the tree above rustle but when we look up no one is there, just a bird sitting on one of the branches among the leaves. 

"Aright fine, you're right. They're after me but not for the reason you think. They've been watching you for months thinking that I would eventually go see you but I didn't. But then they changed tactics--started threatening you and I couldn't let them get you." Tears form at the seams of her eyes but she angrily wipes them away. I have the sudden urge to embrace her but I step further away instead, my heart rate picks up.