Big, Bold and Beautiful

Chapter One

"If you dare lift your head I won't hesitate to shoot you!"

The loud and terrifying baritone of the unfamiliar man carried all the way through my hallway to the entrance of my large apartment. The twisting gut feeling I had been feeling since I had set foot into my apartment building wasn't unwarranted. I quietly proceeded all the way to my living room where I could hear dull sounded shuffling. With my heart in my throat I quietly and hesitantly peeked into my living room and there in the center was Matt sprayed out on his stomach with his hands interlined on the back of his head.

And he was crying.

Snort was running down his nose and I could tell from the awkward angle at which his leg was rested at it must have been broken. Despite only being able to see his side profile never before had I seen Matt so small and vulnerable. His jet black hair was damp, unruly and his light grey t-shirt was darker in some places and sticking to his back due to all his perspiration.

"Please" his voice broke after the one word. My gut churned and I wanted to vomit. I knew I had to act fast but the bone deep fear had rendered me immobile. I couldn't get myself to move, I feared that if I so much as breathed too loud the assailant would shoot Matt. My heart began beating so hard I could feel it at the base of my throat and I couldn't get myself to think straight.

Overcome by a sudden surge of courage I slowly backed to my apartment door. I quietly shut the front door behind me once I was out in the main hallway.

Never before the main hallway seemed so deserted.

I shockingly managed to pull my phone out of my pocket without dropping it considering the substantial shaking of my hands. I quickly dialed the authorities and informed them of my address. Despite trying my very best to be clear with my message to the operator I couldn't suppress the quake in my voice. The operator quickly informed me that the police were on route and would arrive within the next five minutes.

I quietly stepped back into my apartment and headed straight for my kitchen where I grabbed my largest knife from my counter. It twisted my gut furthermore knowing that all had to wield against the invader was a butchers knife.

The shuffling from my living room had suddenly stopped. I feared that the stranger in my home was aware of my presence.

Despite my best efforts to be quiet, when I stepped into the living room the invader had his gun aimed directly in my direction. How he had managed to know I was even in my apartment in the first place and was going to enter my living room with that specific entrance and not the other one on Matt's left side blew my mind.

I couldn't discern the intruders face due to the large hoodie covering his face and the dim light present in the room. Only now was I realizing that the only light entering the room came from the hallway and balcony lights.

Matt's face however I could clearly see. He looked horrified. His mouth hung open and I spotted some blood trickling out of his mouth. Blood steadily flew from his hairline from an unseen source all the way down his face onto his chin where it eventually fell in slow drops onto my formerly cream carpet.

"You truly are remarkable" the dark figure said in a poorly suppressed whisper whilst looking directly at me. Despite my inability to look the intruder in the eye his gaze was intense and made me very uncomfortable. The gun that the intruder had previously aimed directly at my head lowered somewhat after his grip on the trigger loosened. He then proceeded to take a bold step in my direction then his head tilted sideways as if to regard me better. His attempts to get closer to me suddenly brought on a dizzying wave of nausea. I was incredibly disturbed and terrified but I was glad that his attention had been directed away from Matt.

Had he been expecting me? Why was this man here and especially with Matt? Was it I he was after and Matt had simply become collateral damage? Who on earth was this man?

Suddenly his head snapped to the other entrance to my living room. I couldn't tell what had encouraged the sudden movement seeing as there was nothing present in the dark hallway behind that entrance. The only people present in the apartment where him, Matt and myself. He then proceeded to point the gun directly at Matt's forehead. The movement was so quick I barely managed to catch it. The knife that had formerly been held limply at my side was now aimed directly at him. I couldn't lose Matt.

"Drop your gun!" my voice was surprisingly strong but the invader didn't bother glancing my way. His focus remained trained toward the dark hallway. Without bothering to turn his head toward me the invader pressed the trigger. The loud gun shot that rang through the room managed to make my ears hurt. Only then did the intruder turn his head in my direction in an almost lazy fashion. He seemed prepared to come over to me but he was immediately halted.

A second gun shot rang out through the apartment and the intruder went down. My gaze trained on Matt's body. From the corner of my eye I acknowledged two police officers stepping out of the hallway I had thought to be empty with their guns aimed at the assailant.

Before Matt got gunned down he had been staring directly at his assailant. Gone were the tears but instead in his gaze lay a stubbornness I was very familiar with. The bullet shot directly into his forehead. Part of me hoped that Matt would release a sigh of relief. He didn't stand to come and engulf me in his arms. Instead he lay there.

Lifeless.

At first I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I wish I had cherished those few moments of numbness. The sudden pain that then tore through my heart was greater than anything I had ever experienced. . All I could do was continue looking at him. I felt as though I couldn't breathe. I wanted to run towards him and hold him in my arms but I felt drained, weak and I couldn't get any of my muscles to move. Never before had I felt pain of such depth. Pain so pronounced that I felt it in the pit of my stomach and made the bottom of my feet tingle.

Oh God make it stop!

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-I hope everyone is safe and sound during this quarantine period.

Stay Home and Stay Safe

-The picture I have included above is how I visualise Matt but everyone is free to visualise any of the characters in whatever manner they wish.

Lots of love