sunshine // joel miller

FOURTEEN

Chapter Fourteen
Supposed to Die

"Run!"

You could hear the trucks approaching before you could see them, the tight hold Fran had on both kids faltering as she looked to Henry in pure fear - the man reciprocating her look.

She heard the bang of Joel's shotgun, lights coming to her vision as a truck pierced through the cars in its way, heading straight to them.

"Go, go go!" Fran yelled to them, starting to run. Sam by default had been lifted by the woman, holding on tight around her neck as she ran with the added weight.

Ellie was behind her, shooting back random shots in hopes of hitting one of them. Fran's eyes frantically looked up to the window above, too dark to see Joel inside.

Fran was praying for a miracle.

"Fran!" The yell of Ellie made the woman turn, Ellie having fallen over.

"I got him! I got him!" Henry practically tore Sam out of her arms as Fran ran to Ellie, pulling the girl up as the truck raced towards them, barely ten feet away.

"Are you okay?" Fran in her panic yelled to Ellie, the girl nodding as quickly as she could for an answer.

A gunshot was heard, the shot hitting the driver of the truck as it went veering off to the left, crashing into the house.

"Come on," Fran pushed Ellie in front of her, not waiting to see the outcome of the disaster. She was forcing the younger girl along, both trying to take cover.

She was suddenly blasted towards the ground, just pushing Ellie out of range as her head hit the floor hard.

Suddenly it wasn't like she was in Kansas city anymore, but back in New York, waiting to turn and see her dead father on the floor.

"Fran!" Ellie cried to the woman, her voice sounding foggy as Fran's eyes got caught on the fire. She quickly ran to Fran's side and tried to help her up, Fran's mind completely clouded as tears fell. The woman staring at the wreckage as Henry came to them.

"Come on," Henry was fast with his words, helping Ellie get Fran on her feet and to the safety of a hidden spot.

When behind the car, Fran fell to the floor, back against the rusted metal and panting breaths coming out faster than any could try and get in.

Sam, noticing her distress along with the thick line of blood now falling from her temple, was quick to give her a hug.

"You okay?" Henry asked the two girls, Ellie nodding frantically as Fran held Sam close. Thanking the lord he wasn't still in her arms when it had happened.

"We're okay," Fran mumbled out, cheek against Sam's head and spare arm around Ellie, "we're okay."

"Dead end, Henry." A new voice was loud as she spoke, Fran only guessing it was Kathleen, "Gonna step on out? Save us some time?"

Henry looked to Fran, hoping she had an answer on what to do, Fran quick to shake her head. If he went out, he wasn't coming back.

"No? That's all right. Doesn't matter." For a woman full of vengeance, her tone was weirdly kind, almost off putting.

Henry looked to Sam still tightly held in Fran's arms, looking between the two with a sad look.