The Night Tears Fell
Its another stormy night as I walk down an empty and desolate road with a bottle of whiskey in hand, though my drink was running low and I wasn't even drunk yet. I've been drifting from place to place for so long now that I can't even recall what day it is, not like would care anyway. Drinking away my pain and misery seems like the only thing I do now a days and I can't honestly see myself doing anything else with what's left of my life. I know its been years since I've returned from my duty overseas, and the pain from my past continues to haunt me to this day, its becoming more difficult to sleep without experiencing night terrors. Yet, despite all this and there being no reason for me to continue living like this, I can't bring myself to end it, trust me I've tried.
With one final swig from my bottle of whiskey, I toss the now empty bottle over my shoulder and continue walking as I spot the lights of a little gas station that's still open at this hour of the night, my lucky day. Entering the store, a soft ding chimes out from the door notifies my presence, a quick look around showed that I was the only other person here, so I just make my way to the back of the store where the alcoholic beverages are held. Yet, when I see my reflection in the glass door to the cooler fridge, I take a moment to observe my distasteful appearance; dark shadows hung under my bloodshot eyes that my long and messy hair covered, a thick and rough beard clung to my face, and my clothes were tattered and filthy. I'm truly a hollowed echo of my past self.
A loud commotion from behind me snaps me from my thoughts as I feel something cold and metal pressed into the back of my head, a glance through the reflection in the glass door confirms my suspicion. A man wearing a mask has a gun pointed at the back of my head and starts barking at me, telling me to get down on the ground and not try any funny business. What's funny is that he sounds young enough to be my son and is dumb enough not to have turned the safety off. I swiftly spin around, placing my foot on the back of his leg, I then slam his head into the glass door hard enough to knock him out cold and shatter the glass. Tossing him to the side, I reach down and retrieve the handgun to eject the mag and pull the slide back before tossing it away. Without missing a beat, I reach into the cooler fridge and pull out a cold bottle of Jack, which I open up and guzzle down with gusto as I hear yelling from the gunman behind me. Turning around, I look at the gunman who looks a bit older than the last one, but he's still the same as the other one, his hands are shaking in fear; I continue to guzzle down my drink while walking towards the scared gunman. He frantically starts yelling, probably telling me to stop, but I can't hear him over the buzzing roar in my head as I continue to advance on the trembling gunman. *BANG*
I suddenly stumble back after feeling something hot and heavy pierce through my chest, my ears ring as I look down at my chest to see my shirt slowly staining. Touching the wet stain, I pull my hand back to see my fingers drenched in a crimson red liquid, blood, my blood. That little bitch shot me, HE ACTUALLY SHOT ME!
"Heh.... hehehe.... heheheHAHAHAHAHA!" I erupt into uncontrollable laughter as I throw my head back.
At that point, time seemed to slow as my instincts kicked in as my laughter stop; I then launch the bottle in my hand at the gunman and quickly rush him as the bottle shatters upon his face and staggers him. Out of panic, the gunman fires off several blind shots, the first two miss, the third grazes my ear, the next hits my left shoulder and kills my arm, three more miss as the next hits me in my right side and another grazes my leg. I reach the gunman and swiftly grab his gun wrist before driving my knee into his elbow and breaking his arm, I then grab him by his shirt collar and slam my head into his face. I ignore the blood running down my face and slam my head into his face again, completely breaking his nose. I toss the gunman to the ground and watch him fall to the floor in agony, his face covered with blood and his right arm bent in an ugly angle.
I suddenly puke up a torrent of blood and fall to my knees as my adrenaline wears off and the effects from my blood lose finally kick in. The cashier, a fairly young girl, rushes over to me and gently lays me down while calling for help, I take a moment to focus my vision to have a look at the girl watching over me. My eyes widen in utter shock at who I'm looking at.
"Haley.... is that.... you?" I ask softly as my throat burns and my lungs feel like lead. She looks down at me and hold an equally shock expression when she realizes who I am.
"B... Bro... Brother?" she pulls me into her embrace as she weeps into my shoulder and I gently place my right arm around her in return. As my vision begins to fade with my strength, I use the last remnants of my life to pull my head closer to her ear and whisper my final goodbye.
"I love you, Haily."
