Broken Glass [h.s.]

twelve

Dove

Styles grasps my arm hard and pulls me towards a street on the left, not looking back to see if anybody is following us. As soon as we round the corner he pushes me against the wall. "Be quiet and don't move" he whispers, before glancing around.

The first thing I notice is that we are completely alone. I can hear the sound of gunshots ringing through the air, but we must be well hidden from view, because none of them is too close. The guards are nowhere to be seen.

"Are we even sure they were attacking us?" I ask him, and he pressed himself against the wall next to me.

"We can't be completely sure, but I sure as hell am not going to go out on the road and see if they shoot me" he replies, "We need to find a better place to hide, like this, they'll find us in no time."

On the other side of the road, opposite to where we are, there's a building. Differently from all the others on the street, it seems to have light coming from inside. It takes me a few seconds to realise that nobody is actually in there, and that the light I'm seeing coming from the windows is none other than the light of the moon above us, because the house doesn't have a roof.

"Styles" I whisper, getting his attention. "There's an abandoned house on the other side of the street. We can hide there."

He looks in that same direction, but shakes his head. "Not gonna happen, we would have to run there without a cover."

"Do you have a better idea, then?" I ask him snappily as another gunshot reverberates through the air, this time way closer than before. "I'm not gonna die because you can take a minimal risk."

He looks at me hesitantly, and I understand that he's actually considering my suggestion.

"There's no other option!" I tell him as the gunshots get even closer, on our right. "Besides, I think they're on the opposite street right now."

He nods and slides against the wall towards the corner, checking the street. "It seems empty" he whispers turning to look at me. "We have to be fast but silent."

I hear the sound of steps coming closer, almost about to turn the corner on the opposite side. "Now" I whisper back, giving him a light push.

He hesitantly takes a step out on the street, and when no gunshot is fired, he moves, his fingers wrapping around my wrist to make sure I'm right behind him, the other hand taking his gun out, without taking the safety off in worry of the click being heard. We make it to the opposite side and, after opening the door, we slide in as silently as possible.

"Pay attention to the floor, it might creak" Styles says glancing at it, wooden and old. "Let's hide behind that wall, we'll be close enough to the door to hold the fire if they come in" he adds, pointing at a small wall between what probably used to be the kitchen and the living room.

I sit behind the wall, my back to it, carefully listening to any eventual sounds coming from outside, but there were none. I stand up to check the house to make sure nobody else is inside, and hear steps outside. Instantly Styles pulls me down next to him, taking the gun from his belt once again and pointing it at the door in one fast move. I touch the place where I knew my gun was, just to realise that my belt wasn't there.

"I lost my gun" I whisper as he kneels behind the wall.

"Stay down then, I don't have time to make sure you don't get hurt as well" he replies, and I do exactly as he tells me, not wanting to argue with him in that moment.

All of sudden the door opens, and I hear the distinct click of the safety of the gun being taken off next to me before another sound covers it.

"Don't shoot."