After hearing that the national guard was activated, I lost myself in thought thinking about what's going to happen in the street, worrying for my friends and family all over the city. Then I felt something touch my hand grounding me to reality. I look towards my sister and pulling her closer to me, my need to protect her intensifies. My need to find our parents grew.
Without realizing it the sun was rising on a new day. With what happened yesterday and last night the weight of the station crashes onto my shoulders pulling me down beneath the surface of the waves that are my thoughts drowning me. But I can't let that stop me from getting rest and looking after my sister. I need to recheck all the windows and locks. "Hey, I'm hungry and sleepy, I know a lot is going on right now, but I am going to make some food then sleep for a bit" I heard Avery said and I nodded my head in agreement. I hear her laugh a little, trying to feel better about the station or to just understand what's going on.
After eating and doubling checking that everything was locked and secure my sister and I went upstairs for some much-needed rest. I crawled into be with my vest on and tact belt on out of habit. Closing my eyes I felt the bed shift on my right, feeling my sister cuddling up to me. I knew she was scared, and I knew she felt safe sleeping next to me and I felt safe sleeping next to her as well. Yelling, blood, black smoke raising into the air, blown off limbs, someone yelling medic and then a popping sound hitting the rock I'm taking cover behind, waiting for a moment to run out into the open and drag my fallen team members into cover and help them. I'm scared awake to a loud noise from downstairs. I think nothing of is assuming it was Avery but then I hear a shout and race out of bed with the rifle in my hands turning the safety off.
I race towards the staircase and stop seeing my sister behind held by someone in purple and blue. "Let her go!" I yell, hearing my sister whimper in fear breaks something inside me. He just laughed and pointed his gun at me instead "And if I don't want are you going to do you wannabe ass solider", he said.
"I'll put on between your eyes and see who's laughing now," I shout back aiming to kill this man. My aim is steady, and my breathing is slowed ready for anything to happen. This fool is nothing compared to those who like in a warzone tour country. He laughs again, tightens his hold on my sister, her whimpers and slightly cries is almost enough to make me lost my mind, but I keep my breathing steady.
"I'll give you to the count of three and I'll let the girl go but you stay to keep me some company," he said.
He smiles again and I ready myself for anything that can happen. He started to count painful slow. I read his body language and held my breath. Before he hit three, I pull the trigger hitting him in between the eyes while he got a shot off in my direction hitting me in the shoulder while he fell to the ground lifeless. I let out a ragged it breathe and grab my left shoulder as a flash of white-hot pain shoots through my body and the warmth of my blood seeps through my shirt and into my hand. Hearing Avery cry and rush up the stairs to me holding me. She tries to stop but I stop her and hold her closer and tighter to me. Promising to always protect her no matter what.
Gently pushing my sister away, I sit at the top of the stairs and feel around the wound. "Avery, I need to look at the back of my shoulder and tell me what you see, I know it's not what you want to see but I need you do to this for me," I told her softly, trying to not scare her even more. She nods with fresh tears running down her cheeks and I reach up to whip them away nodding, trying to reassure her that I am going to be fine. I hear her take a deep breath and look at the back of my left shoulder. I hear her whimper, knowing what she was looking at I ask her if she saw a hold in the back she said yes in a small voice, and I sign in relief. "That's a good sign," I told her. I know from experience that an exit wound is always a good thing, meaning nothing serious was hit and I will still have fun motor function of my shoulder and arm.
I think about the current reality of my city. The national guard is now active, what I can only assume as a gang member was breaking in and we still don't know what's going on. Our parents are safe, but we don't know where they are, and I've just been shoot. I close my eyes and remember was my drill sergeant once told me the first week of basic training. Dubois is you don't get your ass ready you will not get a second chance to regroup and reorganize yourself. I look at my sister seeing the worry and fear in her eyes. I reach for her again and just held her promising myself that I wouldn't let this kind of thing happen again.
We need to grab our bugout bags and leave here." I told her. "Listen I know you don't want to, and you want to wait for our parents but it's not safe anything, first there was one and then there's two and so on I know trust me," I told her. Getting up the pain in my shoulder screams at me to slow but I can't do that. I need to get my sister to a safer place. I shoulder the rifle on my good arm. I ignore the pain in the shoulder and wrap a small towel around it and tape it down. I shoulder my bag. I hear Avery getting ready in her room. I know she doesn't want to leave but we have to, staying in one place to long can do more harm than good. I took out some paper and wrote a quick note to leave in my father's office to explain why we aren't here and that we were headed north to Alexandria where our grandparents live. I explain what happen and why we left, and I apologize for not protecting my sister better and putting her in that kind of situation and I promise them that I wouldn't let that happen again.
Setting the letter down on his desk I left his office and closed the door one last time. "Please be safe," I say aloud. I head downstairs to find Avery staring blanking into wall. I sit beside her and give her a moment before I grab her hand and head for the front door stepping over the motionless body that lay before it. My shoulder explodes with pain, but I ignore it because I have other things to worry about.
We step outside through the door of our home one last time, stepping into the direction of our uncertain future but I know this much, I will protect my sister and kill anyone who stands in the way of that.