Freeing Clara

1. Surprise

Clara paced back and forth in the living room, so much so that she was sure she'd left indentations. Her head was far off into the unknown and like so many times before she started creating scenarios. As she turned around to pace across the living room for the millionth time, Carter decided he'd had enough.

"I'm bored. Let'a go get something to eat," He growls standing up.

Carter tosses the rubix cube - he'd found on the bookshelf in the back sitting room just minutes ago - he'd been toying with for a while. Carter begins to walk to the front sitting room and foyer but stops by the sound of the door swinging open and slamming shut.

Carter reaches behind him, pulling the gun from his back. He readies the pistol, pulling the safety off and slides back the hammer. He aims it at the floor, and glances over at a scared Clara.

The girl is shaking as she almost cowers.

"Get behind me," Carter whispers. She is hesitant due to the shock but only for a second.

Carter'a finger hovers over the trigger, ready to shoot whoever comes through the threshold. A moment of agonizing silence passes before he hears heavy footsteps.

As the figure moves in the archway, Carter begins to pull the trigger.

"Wait!"

Clara reaches over Carter's shoulder and places her good hand over Carter's hand near the edge of the gun. She pushes down near the hammer at the same time as the loud bang reverberates throughout the home.

"Fucking hell!" Carter yells as he pulls the gun away from Clara's grasp. The sound of her scream is heard as well as the curses and mumbles of Flint.

"What the fuck!" The scottsman growls in a furious rage as he enters the room.

As the three of them breath heavily with adrenaline they assess the situation. Carter looks around Flint to see where the bullet struck. To everyone's relief the bullet hit the wall but it was extremely close to the large boxer.

As Flint's mind settles back to reality his eyes scan Clara imediately. He rushes fast to his girl, pulling her close to him. He asesses her body for injuries. There are none.

"Jesus!" Carter exhales. "Out of all the places to grab my gun - which by the way was a stupid thing to do - you chose to grab the top?"

"He's right, Clara. What were you thinking? Never, ever grab a gun especially from the top," Flint scolds.

"He was going to shoot you! I'd rather have a bloodied hand than a dead boyfriend!" She yells.

Carter sighs, he disarms the gun before putting it back behind him. He walks over to the wall where the bullet hit, examining the splintered wood and chipped paint. The bullet barely sticks out of the wall.

"You were supposed to, announce your presence," Carter says mockingly.

"I know... I got sidetracked and... I'm not used to having to anounce my arrival when I come home."

Clara, still shaking, runs her hands around Flints waist until her arms stretch around him. Flint's attention is taken by her, his eyes move from Carter to Clara in a milisecond. His hand runs up and down her back, calming her; his head lowers to give her a chaste kiss on the forehead before changing his attention back to Carter.

"I am done for the night. I'm going the fuck home!" Carter announces.

He is quick to walk to the foyer but stops himself in the archway.

"Think your neighbors heard the shot?" Carter asks as he slowly turns around.

"I don't have any neighbors. If the cops come by I'll tell them what happened."