in the ends // jaq

10

The next morning, I was back around at Shelley's shop, helping her and Naomi set up for the day. I was planning on chilling there for a while, too."You want me to sort these beads out, yeah?" I asked, coming out from the bathroom. 

"Yes, please," Shelley said.

Then the door of the shop opened and Naomi gasped. Shelley and I turned around to see two figures wearing ballys, all black and holding machine guns. "Get on the fuckin' floor," The one in the middle said. Curtis. And I'm guessing the woman was his sister. Why am I not surprised. "Get on the fuckin' floor," He repeated, motioning with his gun.

I shuddered a breath before following Naomi's lead. The three of us slowly edged down to the floor on our knees. I let out another shaky breath and eyed Curtis with caution. "I want Lauryn," Curtis said, quietly, coming close to me and pointing the gun in my face. "I want her, now,"

I looked down the barrel of the gun and then to the floor.

I didn't say a word.

I didn't speak.

I didn't make eye contact.

All I could feel is fear.

Tears balanced on my eyelids but I couldn't cry. I held it in, squeezing my eyes shut.

Then, Curtis and his sister lit up the shop.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The loud pops of the machine gun bullets came one after the other. I covered my head and squeezed myself together, tightly. I kept my eyes closed. When faint sirens could be heard, the two ran out of the shop.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't think.

I could hardly breath.

My only breaths were shaky and small.

Shelley was speaking, asking if we were okay. I could hear the sound of Naomi's faint reply. "I'm okay," I said, my voice small. It was faint to me and I could hear it echo. I'm not even sure if Shelley heard me.

I'm not even sure if I said anything.

———————

We were stood outside the shop a small while later. My face was covered in ash and I was still shook up. The police were here and trying to get answers but I just stood there, pretty cluelessly,  while Naomi spoke.

Soon enough, Dushane, Sully, Jaq, Kieron and Romy came running onto the scene. Dushane went over to Shelley and Jaq looked around before her eyes fell on me. She jogged over and pulled me into a hug.

"Are you all right?" She asked, still holding me tight. I didn't reply. "I promise you, they're not coming back. We're gonna sort this out, you hear me?" She said and pulled out of the hug, "You hear me?" She repeated.

"Mm," I mumbled, folding my arms across my torso.

She glanced at the officer Naomi and I were speaking to and then pulled me away from him. "Was it Curtis?" She asked, in a pretty quiet voice so the officer couldn't hear.

I nodded and she sighed, "It was him and his psycho sister," I explained, "And there was someone else, in the car outside," I said, "He came right at me, pointed his gun right in my face and then said he wants Lauryn."

"Fuck," Jaq hummed, "This guy is fucking dead," She said, firmly, and then pulled me into another hug. I hid my face in her chest and she rested her chin on my head.