The Parade

Chapter 1 - End of "The Parade"

In the movies, when the gun goes off, there is a sudden look of shock on the victims' face before they look at the wound, go numb, fall, and wait for the indescribable pain. This depiction is very accurate. Acho was having this revelation, real life.

The last thing he remembered, he was running and the noise which sounded like thousands of firecrackers going off at the same time, got louder and would not stop.

"Don't leave my hand!" he screamed at a frightened Millicent who clutched his hand tightly as they made their way through the pandemonium. Tosh, in his white t-shirt, was in front running ahead of them, still holding his placard "Say no to Vaccine Apartheid", the thick red text written in big font on the white cardboard read.

"Acho! You're hurting me!" Millicent screamed, but he didn't care, in fact he could not, he dare not release his clutched hand from hers even though his palm pressed her iron bracelet tightly, bruising her. It was life or death, he had to keep her close.

The quick pace of the over one thousand twenty-something-year olds was no match for the speed of the .50 caliber bullets from the soldiers' guns. And soon, with each cracking sound, someone fell. Then two. Three. The dropping continued.

Acho felt a burning session on his thigh but he could not stop running, he was holding Millicent. But from the numbness that followed, he knew he had been hit. He let go of Millicent's hand "Keep running" Acho told her. But before she could reply, the crowd covered her within seconds, she was out of sight. He heard another firecracker sound, this time another burning sensation on his back then the numbness that followed. Then black out.

When he opened his eyes, he took a few seconds to remember where he was. However, the fresh pain on his thigh and back quickly reminded him he had just been shot. Also, he could make out he was in a gutter, somehow, he ended up in a deep gutter.

"Pop!" Acho heard the loud cracking sound some distance from him. "This one is still alive, finish him up!". Then another "Pop! Pop!" he heard above him. Acho remained still in the gutter, careful not to move, he even measured his breath. He thought about Millicent and bit his lips to control a wail that may expose his hiding place.

The gunshots continued to fade into the distance and he remained still. His back, his thigh and his mind were seriously hurting. Then from a distance Acho could hear a defiant sound "Shoot me! Go ahead shoot me if you are a man...are you a coward? go ahead you jabbed bastard and shoot", then a loud "Pop!" followed. Then there was silence, a long silence.

A cold chill passed through Acho's body, he felt numb again, then black out.