Absolutely, Positively, No Harry's Allowed// H.S

Chapter 35

Memphis POV

    Have you ever heard someone say things moved in slow motion, or 'time stood still'? I've heard it, and thought maybe I understood it or had even experienced it before in my life.

     One time when my brothers and I were kids, we were riding our bikes through the neighborhood and a truck ran a stop sign and almost ran Nash and Bristol over. My life felt like it stopped while I watched this truck come towards them and didn't know if he would stop in time.

And while that experience was still scary as hell and I've never forgot about it, it has no comparison when next to this.

I know what gunshots sound like, I've heard them plenty on movies and even in real life before. But I've never been this close to gunshots going off, and I've never had to wonder about where the bullets were being aimed either.

The sound of popping starting going off though and I didn't even realize what they were. Harry and I were sharing a kiss and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to go home and lose myself in him, in the happiness we now shared together.

"Get down, he's got a gun!" Someone screams form the audience, and not even seconds later, the shooting starts.

I pull my lips away from Harry, having been startled from that sound and the screams that were now surrounding us. I didn't even have time to truly process what was happening before I felt my body being pushed backwards and falling towards the ground.

I hit the wooden floors with a thud, and I'm instantly kicked in the face by people scrambling and running around me. I feel someone pushing my body from behind, but I can't even see straight now and there's a ringing in my ears.

"Memphis get up! We have to take cover!" Harry yells, his body laying over mine and mouth right next to my ear. "Hurry, crawl over towards the bar!"

I do what he says but it's like my body is in autopilot, or like I'm a puppet and someone has their hand inside my chest and brain directing where I'm going.

I feel the heat of Harry at my back urging me towards the bar where we can get behind the thick slab of wood. Finally after a couple seconds, my mind catches up to what is happening and the panic sinks in inside my chest and I feel like there's a rope around it, causing me to not be able to breathe.

"Harry..Harry, what about my..brothers." I never had asthma before but I could swear right now I had just developed it in this amount of time. It doesn't matter what I do, I can't get enough oxygen in.

"I'll get them, I swear I will Memphis. But I have to make sure you're safe first. Cmon baby, be my tough girl and keep going. We're almost there."

I hear him and I try to do what he says, but it's like I'm unable to function anymore. My bones have all gone stiff and I'm locked up. I can't move. I feel like I'm seconds away from passing out.

Suddenly I'm being lifted, and the next thing I know I'm being placed down behind the bar, my back pushed up against the wood. I can still hear the sounds of screaming and gunshots going on around me, and there's a strange smell in the air, I can't even describe it. I've never smelt it before.

Harry grabs my cheeks with his rough hands and forces me to make eye contact with him. "Memphis look at me baby, Okay? I need you to focus. You have to focus on your breathing and calm down." He says it as if he's talking to a toddler, and I guess in a way that's how I'm acting right now, unable to control my emotions.

I try to do what he tells me, and focus on my breathing. I feel my rapid heartbeat and try to slow my breathing down to help. Going in and out slowly.