Footsteps

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When you've been hit over the head, the sound echoes through your brain until you taste blood. Morgan was pacing. His footsteps sounded like he had to pull his own body across the room. I mean, he had been shot after all. Elina lay there. Watching her best friend, her sister, bleed out on the floor. Morgan was looking for something. Even in his half dead state he wasn't gonna leave without it. It dawned on Elina that he was distracted and as soon as he went to search the bedroom, she would get up and grab the gun. She saw his shadow disappear down the hall and somehow convinced her body to get off the ground. Her hands reaching out for the gun shadowed by the man that was probably the key to everything. If she shoots him there will be no answers. But there was no time to think, to breathe. This man was going to kill her. She squeezed her finger but it misfired and he grabbed it from her. There was a thud, then a sigh and then pitch black.

It was probably 11 in the morning cause the sun was a little too bright, birds a little too wide awake. Confusion lingered in the air. It mixed with blood and stitches. Lina tried to get up but all she felt was hurt, everywhere. A woman walked in the room and looked over at Lina. She was immersed in old spice and menthol cigarettes. She lit one and blew smoke out from her nose. "This wasn't supposed to go like this Elina. You weren't supposed to get caught in the crossfires like this" Elina couldn't let herelf believe this. T didn't even smoke. All their lives, Lina was the one that had questionable morals, a skewed moral campus. Heck she hadn't even spoken to her mother in years. So how was it, that she was the one lying in a metal bed while her best friend stood over her, taunting. "T, wha.. what are you doing? What's going on?" "Listen Lina, I'm gonna need you to calm down and concentrate. The meds will kick in soon and you will be paralyzed but very conscious. I need the combination" T was cold, aloof, unrecognizable. "Ah, she's awake" a voice said. "Have you already started? I want to watch" Morgan was wide awake. He had a little limp but he had recovered, for the most part. "Get the fuck out Bill. I don't want anyone here for this. Close the door behind you or it will be you on this table next" T seemed to be in charge. She barked orders and they listened. This wasn't at all the girl Lina remembered. This was, someone else. Almost suddenly, Lina couldn't move her legs. Then waist, arms and everything else followed suit. "I wish I didn't have to do this Lina. I swear. But I'm running out of time and I'm done playing nice." She opened a small black bag that contained a small knife, a scalpel, a yellow and red pliers, an electric drill and a much larger knife. She pulled her necklace off Lina's neck and put it in her pocket and pulled out a blue cloth. Lina couldn't talk. Her eyes were bloodshot and teary. Then she felt like lightning was striking her knee slowly. The pain was unbearable. She wanted to pass out, to turn it off. All of it. Or to wake up and end the nightmare. But she couldn't. And at the corner of her eye she saw her best friend, smile through the horror.