7 Days of Darkness

Chapter 13 - One shot

Night 7

Justin:

I couldn't move. I couldn't see. I couldn't talk. I was trapped under the rubble that used to be a home. A crossbeam has fallen on my back, and I couldn't feel my legs. I have been lying on the ash covered floor for hours, and I wondered if I should even try.

Do I even want to attempt to break free? Risking more of the ceiling to collapse? Or do I sit on the floor and let the life drain out of me. After everything I have done the past week I didn't think I deserved a second chance.

I had killed multiple people in my endeavour to save my friends. I had made the decision on who lives and who dies simply by either staying home or going outside.

I wondered about death. Was it painful? Did it come fast and swift like a light turning off, or was it slow and painful like a battery losing its life? At the moment it seemed to be the latter, and I am ready to accept that. I've made my decision, and I'm not going to get more blood on my hands. There is no one left in this world who cares about me...

I closed my eyes and my life started flashing before my eyes. It started with my grandpa in the hospital bed. Grasping my hand and speaking to me. I felt sad.

Then it skipped to the day when I left my city and met John. I felt happy thinking about John, but then I remembered that his body was buried beneath rubble just like mine. I felt sad once again.

My vision moved ahead to when I arrived at Mournstead. Eating and Chatting with all those people. I remembered Travis, Austin, Cheryl, Rachel and the others. They all moved on to a better place now.

And then it flashed to last night. Victor and John fighting to the death, and neither coming out on top. And then I remembered my grandfather's rifle. I opened my eyes and there it sat, not two feet in front of my.

The setting was dark and I couldn't see very well, but I could just barely make out the words that were etched into the handle. "Forget the pain, remember the love."

"Remember the love." I thought. After a partial second my mind came to a conclusion. "Chloe! She's still alive! And who else...Tanner!"

I knew Chloe well enough to know that she wouldn't start the fire on top of me. I could tell she cared about me, and I still cared about her.

"I need to save her." I thought again, trying to lift the scorched crossbeam off my back. My thoughts were cut off by the searing pain in my back and the lack of movement from my legs, but I needed to break free.

I glanced at the rifle once again and started reciting the message. "Forget the pain...remember the love" as I choked out the verse I slowly grew strength in my back.

"Forget the pain..." the words came out hoarse and filled with ash "...remember the love." The crossbeam was slowly getting higher and I could finally get my arms under my body.

"Forget the pain!" I yelled with my last breath "Forget...the pain!" And with one final push I lurched forward and let the beam fall behind me creating a cloud of ash and smoke that enveloped my body.

Coughing and choking I managed to grab the rifle and escape the building. My legs still did not have the strength that they did before, and I could see now that a large burn and formed on my outer thigh. I was not in good enough condition to fight against Tanner, but what choice did I have?

I could walk but just barely. The crossbeam took most of the strength out of my body and I don't think I'll be able to use my left leg any further. I'm going to need prosthesis done...the burn is way to sever.

I hobbled down the street and to the town square. The ashes and fog made the gallows look haunting and intimidating. I stopped in the center and looked around the town. No sign of Chloe or Tanner. I noticed that two other houses had been burnt to the ground and the ashes clouded the sky, they couldn't have been in there.

As I studied the wreckage, I noticed footprints in the ashes next to a long trail of bare cobblestone. The obvious circumstance had to be that Tanner had knocked Chloe out and then dragged her away, and as I followed the trail, it led into the siblings' house.

I couldn't go through the front door, I'd be too obvious. They both think I'm dead and I need it to stay that way until Chloe is safe.

Opening the chamber of the old rifle, I saw that I only had one shot. One shot to kill—no. I wasn't going to kill anyone else. I thought about my plan as I walked around the house. I only had one shot to finish this torture and and escape Mournstead forever.