Under His Roof

chapter twenty-one

"Kill me then."

Freddy faltered, "What?"

Julian looked at Kimberly with wild eyes and she could feel him looking at her but she didn't look up to make eye contact. She knew that if she did, he would most likely convince her to take back what she had just said and she didn't want to. She had made up her mind. If she was going to die anyways, she wanted it to be with at least some semblance of dignity.

"Kill me," she repeated. "because there's no way I'm letting you fuck me. Not while I'm alive."

Looking from her to Julian, Freddy laughed uneasily. "Fiesty," he commented, wiggling his eyebrows. "I like it."

"Enough to let me live?" she muttered.

Freddy chuckled, feigning sadness as he shook his head. "Sorry," he said, lifting up his gun and pointing it at Kimberly's head. "But no."

Julian watched in horror as Freddy cocked his gun and Kimberly dropped her head to the ground, accepting her fate. Without his own permission, Julian's brain woke up his legs and before he knew it, he was charging at Freddy despite the bullet in his thigh.

The next four gunshots seemed to go off simultaneously to Kimberly.

First, Lucas, as he was ordered, saw Julian running towards Fred and shot at him again, but, unable to hit the moving target's heart, ended up shooting Julian in the same thigh again. Second, Freddy, startled by she shot and sudden movement, swerved his gun around and shot at Julian, but missed since he didn't have enough time to aim properly before he turned his gun back to Kimberly. Third, Julian reached Freddy and ran him through, but as they were falling, Freddy shot at Kimberly, hitting her in the chest making her fall to the ground. Lucas couldn't shoot at Julian anymore because he and Freddy were moving so quickly and he was afraid the bullet would hit Freddy. So, fourth, Julian took the opportunity and grabbed Freddy's second gun out of his holster, aiming up at Lucas and shooting him right in the head.

By some miracle, Julian's bullet seemed to be the only one that landed where it was intended, and Lucas' gun fell from his arms as he dropped from the staircase, landing right beside Kimberly, a lifeless pile of bones and flesh. Kimberly was laying on her back with her hand over her chest, holding closed the bullet hole as best she could as she gasped for air. She felt like she couldn't breathe, as if she were underwater, and every breath she took in was full of liquids. She couldn't see Julian, but she could hear him, fighting Freddy and by the sounds of it, not doing as well as he could have been.

Julian was straddled over Fred's body as they threw punches back and forth. Julian wrapped his arms around Fred's neck, stealing his earlier move and tightening his hands to strangle Fred. Fred was gasping for air, trying to pry Julian's hands from his neck unsuccessfully. Just as he was getting ready to give up, his eyes flashed down to Julian's leg and he reached for his thigh, pressing a finger into each of Julian's bullet wounds.

Julian's arms let go of Fred's neck as he let out a scream, falling to the ground shaking as Fred's eyes narrowed and he pressed harder into the holes. Julian's eyes were wide, he had lots to say but couldn't make any sounds other than screams as he looked Fred right in his bloodthirsty eyes. By now Julian's body was shaking and he felt his vision getting blurry, the pain of the wounds too much to bear.

Finally Freddy let go and Julian let out a labored breath that he had been holding in. He was weak, and there were black dots muddying his vision, but he still brought a hand to his leg and whimpered silently as he dragged himself across the floor to where Kimberly laid, gasping for air.

There was a path of blood following Julian's leg, and a small puddle of blood beginning to form under Kimberly's body. Julian wrapped an arm around her, using the other one to hold her head up. She looked at him, but didn't say anything. She couldn't find the air for words but at least he knew she was alive. The wound didn't seem to be as fatal as he had feared it would be. Freddy had missed her heart and shot the other side of her chest in his confusion.