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They’re back!
I yank the door open and rush from the restroom with a smile on my face, my heart fluttering wildly like a hummingbird on crack as I pass the threshold of my bedroom door. Suddenly, there’s a loud pop like the sound of a Fourth of July firework going off inside the apartment. I duck on instinct, covering my head with my arms as my ears ring loudly. The smell of gunpowder invades my nose harshly and fills my mouth with a grimey metallic taste. I press as close as I can to the wall, my knees pulled up to my chin as I peek down the hall. The sun in the living room windows casts shadows on the floor, showing me the silhouettes of two men fighting.
What the hell is happening? Are Vincenzo and Juny fighting? My mind feels like it’s lagging, like an old computer trying to keep up with the pace of the user but falling horribly behind. I watch the silhouettes fight, fists flying and legs kicking, but I still can’t tell who it is.
I scurry backwards and spin on my heel before bolting to the bedroom and locking the door behind me. I quickly shove the dresser in front of the door then jam a chair in front of it before rushing to the bed and snatching up my phone.
I dial Luce, the first person in my recent calls. As the line rings, I rush into the closet and search for the weapons Gio keeps in here. I find a long gun box and try to open it, but it requires a key. Just as Luce answers, there’s a banging at the door, like someone is trying to break through my makeshift barrier. It won’t hold for long.
“Miss me already, sweet–”
“Someone is in the apartment, I heard gunshots, but I couldn’t see who it was. I'm in the room with the dresser in front of the door, but whoever it is, is trying to break in now. Where are the guns?”
I speak in rushed tones, running through the room and looking for a damn gun in the drawers.
“Fuck!” Luce yells as the car speeds up in the background. Gio barks into the phone, “In the closet at the bottom drawer there’s a handgun, it’s a Desert Eagle so it’s going to kick back real hard. Are you hearing me?”
“Yes!” I tell him while trying to contain my scream when the door rattles with a loud bang.
“Okay, good girl. Now, when you shoot, I want you to hold it out in front of you with tight wrists. The gun will cock back and hit you if you don’t hold it tightly. You will also lose your hearing, baby, okay? Don’t freak out though, it’ll come back.”
I find the gun Gio is talking about and gasp at the sheer size of it. Handgun my ass! This thing looks like it could take on the Terminator. I pull the shiny nickel plated gun out of its foam casing and stand. I push the button for the clip and find it full, so I slide it back and load one round into the chamber.
“I’m going to shoot through the door.” I tell the guys on the phone.
“Okay, baby, just set your feet, one a little more back than the other and slightly bend your knees. Don’t lock your elbows but keep your arms tight, wrists to shoulders. You got this, baby.”
I move out of the closet and set myself in a stance that I’m comfortable with. All my instincts tell me to just shoot and fuck everything else, but the last thing I need right now is to hurt myself because I didn’t think clearly. The door bangs and rattles roughly like someone is repeatedly jamming their shoulder into the wood. I hear a crack in the wood, and I know my time is up.
I breathe in deeply as I aim for the door before exhaling and pulling the trigger.
The gun jars me like nothing else. My hearing is gone, and the world tips sideways, but I maintain my stance and will my eyes to stay still. I can’t hear anything except for a loud ringing in my ears, it’s frightening not to be able to hear especially with a home invader in my sanctuary. There’s a giant hole in the center of the door, but just for good measure, I shoot once more. This time, I drop to my knees and hold back the nausea that turns my stomach. The spinning worsens as black dots dance at the edges of my vision. I reach for my phone that I dropped on the floor, the blackness takes hold and consciousness leaves me.
