pte

e's

old metal of the rifle seeme

obic, filled with tension, treac

of me, his eyes be

rifle down. Let

anted to laugh. Talk?

ance, arms folded and e

grin pulling at her lips, as if she was relishing ever

the gun i

li

came quieter an

a step

lled, elevati

st my ribs as I took i

rtips, a fierce pounding as my bo

," Alex muttered, hi

Ken wants y

hed bac

ion shift

omposed, too

d to be

precisely where he intended them to.

his act

whisper and subtle push. Ken was t

truths, who sowed the seed of doubt, nu

ex

ruly betr

ge of? A hollow, broken chu

aid quietly, my gaz

this." Ken's

m the wall, and her enjoyment fa

ely, it wa

ruck me like a

't only a

as abo

about c

the gun

mpse of alarm before he con

lized his carefully prepared

wrong,

avering despite my ef

it was supposed

another st

ase, just l

my fingers quiveri

y ba

yes blurring fro

a

e room, loud, and cutting thr

ute, no o

a g

, terrifi

one

oo

ng from my grip and striking

t as my gaze fell on the bo

o

The metallic scent of blood thicken

ove. I could

s,his eyes frozen in an expr

Betraya

lled the

ure if I had r

m was s

and doctors rushing i

en. More chaos. M

he gun from my t

ot brea

, time o

ees b

t supposed

my brea

cracked, drown

pering just for me

e O

t's whe

as

lling my bones more than the

was g

a flurry of doctors and nurses who al

chines had gon

I wa

my chest, a deafen

ading just enough to reveal s

ready planned

ath hi

! We're lo

the chaos, but i

o me, tiltin

lie," he murmured,

ou in

bile rising

from me," I

hed. "Stay away?

pulled the

ed lower, his

ne's going to beli

mach d

o

no

't my fau

ed the tri

up as Ken reached for my wris

re," he said, his voice fille

k, stumbling over t

h me!" My v

ushing through his hair, l

was the

him that

heard the d

of dea

d under the rin

was

looking at me

but then, another voic

should've bee

t," it

le in my b

n the roo

so, so

rned

art nearl

was supposed to be dead, was grip

hest

hot and dazed, l

th