𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 {𝑯.𝑺}

Chapter Five | An Attack

It was crazy how much excitement could cloak people's ability to be alert; to look for red flags.

Excitement could completely divert someone's attention. Maybe that was the reason why this was happening right now, because it would make sense to shoot someone while they were distracted for a better chance at escaping. With all the chaos that was occurring in this group of fangirls, it was easy for the important things to go unnoticed.

But I noticed.

I saw the sickening glisten of a black pistol, the way that the hooded figure stood behind the mob of fans.

I caught the way that their hand trembled; the way that their gloved-finger hovered over the trigger.

With a racing heart, my gaze snapped back to Harry; horrified by the way that he was hugging a crying fan. The way that his smile was stretched across his features, eyes sparkling with joy and his subconscious completely oblivious to the fact that he was being gunned down.

My breath hitched in my throat, heart dropping down to my stomach. Bone-chilling fear caused my blood to turn ice cold. Every vein in my body ached with terror; alerting me to run.

But it was hard to run when I was the only one that seemed to notice what was happening.

Didn't these people realize the danger that was about to occur?

Before I knew it, I was ducking to the ground, crawling through an empty space between two bodyguards.

Unfortunately, they noticed.

"Hey!" One called. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a burly man reach out for me; to try to stop me from advancing towards Harry, but I was too short-too light on my feet.

"Harry!" I screamed, dodging a bodyguard. My legs picked up speed as a blood-curdling, "Run!" Fell from my lips. It burned my throat. My lungs heaved for air as I glanced to my right, noticing the very same black pistol. It gleamed against the street lights and the arm holding it froze; the person behind the firearm realized that I saw them.

"Ma'am, you can't-" Another bodyguard reached for me but I ducked, leaping for the curly-haired Brit that had his eyes set on me with apprehension. He looked horrified, not knowing what to do as I collided into him, attempting to shove him out of harms way.

I could practically see the way that Harry's face twisted into fear, the way that the headlining news story would construe the entire night: "Crazy fangirl attacks rockstar, Harry Styles." He was completely terrified.

But if only he understood that I wasn't trying to attack him; but trying to save him.

A gunshot sounded in the air-loud and piercing.

It stopped the chatter and crazy fangirling. Instead, screams of delight transformed into shouts of fear-complete and utter fear.

Then another gunshot sounded.

In the back of my mind, I knew that my body was on fire. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. But my adrenaline did it's job in numbing the pain as I cloaked Harry with my body.

"Where the hell are-" This time, my voice was drowned out with another sickening gunshot. "Harry, you've got to get out of here."

His features morphed into realization-all of this chaos occurring in only a matter of minutes.

I could hear a group of advancing bodyguards now. They were trying their best to find him in the crowd of chaos; attempting to do the job that they had absolutely failed at doing.

Another gunshot sounded. This time, it was followed with more shrieks.

I was trying not to freak out-attempting to remain calm after the batshit crazy decision that I just made.

But it was hard not to freak out when all I could hear was terror. Gut-wrenching, unforgettable terror.

The gunshots stopped. I tried to wrap my brain around all that just happened-a total of four bullets had been fired.

But soon, it was hard to think straight when mind-numbing pain began to consume me. The next few minutes were filled with cries, bodyguards appearing and shoving me to the side, adamant on saving him. But they didn't need to because they were too late. He had already been saved-by me.

"Mia, you dumbass!" Then I saw a flash of Alice's face, which was filled with tears and runny makeup. "Someone call 911!" She screamed, hunching over me.

"No, I'm not fucking leaving. We need to help her." A rounded English voice ordered. "I'll go inside after we help her."

It became harder to blink, eyelids feeling heavy as exhaustion began to take it's toll.

My body slumped, body burning in excruciating pain as people tried to pick me up.

"Find the gunman...call security..."

"Oh god...she's bleeding out..."

"Mia, please. Don't do this." It was Alice. She was sobbing. "Just stay awake for me. Stay alive."

But fading away seemed far too enticing in this moment. I blinked one last time before closing my eyes, succumbing to the pain that was pulling me under.