Burning Impulse

Ricochet

 Duress impacts relationships in one of two ways. It either tears people apart… Or strengthens their connection, binding them tightly in a common objective.

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When the plane comes to a hault on the runway a sense of urgency flushes over me.

I want this to be over, all of it. I want whats left of my family. I want a family of my own. I want a home.

I want friends. I want to be safe. My life is filled with I wants. But I need to focas on finding my dad, my brother. I need to regroup, remember want I came here to do, and focas on that.

But what is that ezactly?

Im brought back to reality by a light tap on the sholder.

"Hey its time to get off the plane" He smirks as he stands up from his seat. I look around the room and come to realisation that every one has gotten off of the plane except us two.

How long have I been dazed off? And why has he been so patient? Why does he care so much?

Those questions and thoughts flood my mind as I force myself on to my feet. He places his hand on my back for  supportive. He points towards the door. We both stop when we hear "What about me?" It was the guy that tried to bom the plane.

"Get a life," I say as I walk out of the plane.

I hear Aiden chuckel as he grabs our lugage. I smile in satisfaction.

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We walk around town looking for a warm place to stay. We pass at least five or six abandoned burnt buildings. A couple still smoldering. After much search we find an abondoned apartment building; its not in good shape, but its standing. We silently agree on this one.

We both investigate 3 rooms each; looking for food and supplies. We settle on the best looking room. It has one bathroom, one bath, a living room, and kitchen. We set down all of our bags on the couch and lie on the bed. We stare at the sealing for what feels like forever. "what are we going to do?" I ask feeling hopeless. "Aiden, please tell me what ims suppose to do." I say letting out a breath I didnt know I was holding.

"Taylor I wish I could tell you the awnser, draw it out like a poem make you belive it. But the truth is, I dont know. Im tierd of lieing to myself, acting like its all a dream. But now, I feel like everything I touch is glass. Cracking under my finger tips like fragile ice." He says in his comfortable British accent.

"I dont really see how that helps me though..." I giggle causing him to smile.

We both get up. He walks over to the window as I walk over to our bags.

"What time would you say it is?" I ask. "I'd say around  5:30(pm) the suns is pretty low in the sky" he says.

"How long till dark?" I ask setting out a meal, dinner.

"I'd give it two hours, most."

"Well tomorrow, we need to go hunting this is the last if our meat. All we have left is the old cans of food from all the apartment rooms." I tell him while taking a mental count of the cans of food and dividing it by a weeks worth of needed food.

"There's still some rooms we need to look through. but yea we'll go hunting." He says.

I sit on the floor and go through out or weapons. I lay out every thing from our knifes to my bow.

When I'm done, we are left with the following: my hand gun, his hand gun, 40 rounds of ammo, my bow, 27 arrows,  and two four inch pocket knifes.

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                             ~the next morning~

   "Here, you take your pocket knife, your pistol and 30 of the rounds." I say to Aiden as were about to leave to go hunting.

"Wait, that's not fair we need to spilt the ammo 20, 20." He argues pushing the ammo back to me.

"No, it is fair, I have a bow remember." I say pushing the ammo back to him, and turn around and walking into the hall way.

As soon as we walk on the street we feel the vonerbility, at any moment they could take us but we dont care. because if you surviving but not injoying life than what is there to survive for? so many queastions and unsertantys flood my mind. But I keep moving, my heads under water but im breathing fine.... A scream snaps me from my ghaze. I fall to the ground and a filtered figure moves to cradle my head. I feel a slight pressure on my stomach. all i can do is stare in it blue orbs. "its me, ok this is going to hurt but youll be ok... ok?" Aiden panics.  "no" i wisper "no" I say louder. "no, it dosnt hurt." i say as i reach down to were hes applying pressure and its wet. I reach my finger up to me and see red. blood red. " Aiden, AIDEN!" I say trying to move from his grasps

"calm down, calm down, im here and im not going any where, I promise." He says shedding a single tear "stay with me, PLEASE! I cant lose you" he crys.

my eyes close my eyes in realisation that I have been shot. I Reopen my eyes and look around for my shooter but see nothing but darkness.