One bullet that’s all it takes. One stupid bullet and I’m dying. It wasn’t meant to be me. That much I know. It doesn’t matter now anyway. What’s done is done.
It’s funny, I thought dying would be painful, but it’s not really. I mean, I can feel the pool of blood seeping through my shirt and it’s getting harder and harder to breath, I’m numb, but I’m not in pain, not really.
It doesn’t have to end now does it? Someone will find me, gunshots aren’t exactly known for their quietness. I don’t want to die now. If die now I’ll never get to travel the world or go sky diving or even go to university. It’s not fair.
I can hear the sirens now, but they’re too far away. I can’t tell whether I’m crying or if it’s the damp grass beneath my cheek. It’s quite nice here. I use to come here when I was a kid. Climb the trees and pick flowers and all that stuff you do when you’re a kid and you don’t yet know of the horrors in this world, care free and innocent.
I feel like I’ve been here for days, weeks even. But the sun hasn’t even risen yet. Dying takes forever. The pool of blood is getting really big. I don’t know how I’m still alive.
Someone’s calling my name now, but I can’t open my eyes. I hear them collapse next me, sobbing. And I know that it’s my sister Beth. She’s saying sorry over and over and I realise what I missed before. The bullet was for her. Oh Beth, what mess did you get yourself into this time?
I can hear the sirens still. They’re closer yet further away. It doesn’t matter though they won’t be here in time, we both know that. Beth lies down beside me holding my hand to her face I can feel the tears dripping down her cheeks. I squeeze her hand as hard as I can, hoping she knows I don’t blame her.
I’m glad it’s me lying here and not her. This may not be fair but I’d rather it be me than her. Later people will say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time but I would disagree. To me I was in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. No regrets.
