There’s blood, a lot of it, but I don’t know who got shot. I don’t feel pain. All I can feel, all I am is the beating of my heart, pounding, pounding, pounding.
When the pops went off Vaughn jumped in front of me.
He jumped in front of me. I slide my hands over my chest and stomach. I still don’t feel pain. There’s just that buzzing white noise, and Chloe, she’s screaming. Not just Chloe, everyone. Everyone is screaming.
Matteo is suddenly above me. He’s dragging me, dragging me along the floor away from Vaughn. I kick at him and scream, and he pulls the gun up and points it right in front of my eyes.
“I won’t miss this time,” he mutters. “Chloe’s next, then that cunt Margaret.”
I watch his finger moveand brace myself. Click.
His eyes narrow.
Someone is still screaming behind me.
Click. Click. Click.
He’s trying to kill me, over and over. The gun isn’t working, it must me empty.
What if he puts more bullets inside, or gets it firing again somehow? I can’t let him do that. I’m frantic. Panicking. The gun went off and there’s blood. I see red and all I can focus on is not letting the gun work again.
I flail my arms in the air and grab the first thing my hands can reach—it’s a tray of coffee and fresh fruit. There’re splotches of blood sprinkled over it. I don’t give myself time to think about it. The fruit plate falls off and pieces of strawberries and mango fly everywhere. I swing the metal tray at Matteo’s face, hard. I don’t stop.
I don’t ever stop.
