Footsteps

Insert 2

"Holy Shit! Is he dead? what the fuck was that?" Elina was at the brink of insanity. Her voice was filled with pain and fear. Her lips purple and trembling. "Calm down" Taonga said grabbing Elina's hand. "Geez, you'd think you've never seen blood before" She ran across the room and picked the shell casing. Then rushed over to Morgan and checked for a pulse. "You just won't die will you?". Elina felt her entire body shut down and grabbed onto the first thing she found. "Ok. you need to get a hold of yourself iwe. Breathe. Go to the bathroom, clean up and start the water. Close the door behind you and keep the kids distracted. I need to clean this mess before the neighbours start gathering". Elina dragged her body to the bathroom and found her feigning strength. Looking in the smudged mirror she wiped her face and then filled her mouth with water and spat. Her mouth tasted like, like regret. Regret and remorse. But not for Morgan oddly, for herself. For her battered body. For her nightmares that she was sure were coming. She felt a pull on her chitenge. "Aunt Lina. What time did you get here?" Lukundo was the oldest. She was in a pink frilly night dress, a small smile appeared on Elina's face. She had bought Lukundo this nightie last time she visited. Of course it was shorter now. Children grow up so fast. "Hi sweetie. I came when you were sleeping last night. Where's your sister? lets get you ready for school yea" Lukundo looked up. "Today is a holiday Aunt Lina. Did you forget?" Of course, it explains the empty streets. People had traveled. "Is that so? I forgot love. Ok. Aunt Lina is taking you and Mabel for a fun day. What do you think?" Her eyes beamed. She was looking right into Einas' eyes. Her gaze was soothing. It felt like hope and innocence. Elina had no children of her own so her best friend's children were like hers. Heck she pulled them out herself. After the girls were ready, she grabbed Taonga's keys and went through the back, put the girls in the car and clicked the seat belts. She almost felt normal again. "I'm coming, I left my purse". She rushed back in the house and walked in on a patched up Morgan laying on the floor. "Guess we could still use him after all" Taonga said wiping her hands with a maroon cloth. Elina felt all her fear rush back in. "What the fuck T? shouldn't you take him to a hospital?". Morgan was unconscious but still alive. "Nah I stopped the bleeding. He'll live. Get the kids to my mothers and then come right back" Elina did as she was told. She had to give her best friend the benefit of a doubt. 21 years is too long to not trust a person. She was there and back in 30 minutes. Aunt Maureen was always happy to babysit. She tried the door handle a couple of times before it finally opened. And there on the green carpet, was a body. Elina couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Her throat was dry. Her eyes were bloodshot. When she finally part her lips to talk, all that came out was a gasp. She fell to the floor. Or, was she pushed? And then everything went dark and there she was on the floor, laying next to her best friend, who was bleeding. FAST.