Sealed and Silenced (Watty Awards 2012)

Sealed and Silenced: Chapter 22

| This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Emma, who's always been there to brainstorm, unblock my writers block, and take me on walks when needed! Thank you so much for helping me complete my first book! |

Someone realises an ear splitting scream. I fall to my knees, tears streaming down my face. Billy cackles like the madman he is. Pain starts at my heart and rips its way through the rest of my body.

“You stupid kids!” I hear Billy from a distance. My hearing seems to have tunneled again. All I hear is my shallow breathing and Mia’s shocked cries. I feel my breathing rattle through my chest.

“Help!” She pleads with me with big round wounded eyes. She grasps my arm before she goes down. The blood from both wounds pours out onto the filthy pavement.

The men are silent. Carter glares at Billy and if it weren’t for the 45 millimetre Glock trained at his chest, I know he would go after that cocksucker. Natalie stares at the air, where a few seconds ago, Mia was standing alive and whole.

I drop down to my knees, clutching Mia’s hand in mine, her face a canvas of fear. Her hand feebly lies over one of the two gunshot wounds, attempting to stop the spurting blood.

I run through everything I know about gunshot wounds. Put pressure on them and, and...

My brain stalls as my eyes glance down at where the blood flows freely down Mia’s body, soaking her shirt and mating her hair.

Billy hit her square in the chest. My brain tells me there will be no chance at recovery. My heart doesn’t want to believe it.

Tears glisten at the corners of Mia’s eyes, threatening to spill.

“Mia, sweetie.” I soothe through my salty tears. She whimpers on the ground, pain shaking her eyes, her lip quivering with shock. 

“Ada-”

“Shh, baby girl. It’s going to be okay.” My voice catches in my throat. “I’m right here. Everything is going to be fine.” It physically hurts me to say these words. It hurts me to sputter these lies. It hurts me that I know Mia is dying and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

“He shot me,” she says. “Adalyn, he shot me.”

“I know. But it’s going to be okay. I’m going to help you, okay? We have some supplies, I’ll –” she raises a bloodied hand to my lips, silencing me.

“Adalyn, listen to me, okay?” I nod. Taking my free hand and running it through her heavy, blood soaked hair. “You – I mean, once I’m gone, you run, do you understand?” Mia knows just as well as I do, she’s not going to make it. My heart breaks, I feel the rip throughout my chest.

“You run so far from here, you run with Carter and you find the police. They will help you. Arrest Billy. Then you have a happy life, my girl, okay?” Tears flow heavily from my eyes making my vision blurry.

“No, Mia. Don’t leave me. I can’t do that without you.”

“You have to, do you understand? I’m going to a better place now. Like you said, I’ll be fine.” I stroke Mia’s face now, my hand shaking.

“Okay,” I nod furiously; blinking the blurriness from my eyes, but it won’t go. “But you stay awake as long as you can. We will come back for you. I swear.”

“I know. I love you, Adalyn Rose. You don’t forget me you hear –” She takes a raspy breath. Her hand falls slack in my hand.

I take a moment, registering that she’s actually gone.

“NO!” I scream, banging my fist against the pavement. “Mia, stay with me! Don’t go! I’m not ready, damnit!” Burying my face in her chest, I pound my fist against the ground crying out for her. For the big sister I never had. For the protection I never got.  For the best friend I found in hell.  “I’m not ready, Mia!”