My Rival and My Friend?

“Salina, is everything okay?” Lumer asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, “I was just spacing out a bit.”

“No worries.” said Lumer in a sweet tone, “Isn’t this cool, we’re finally hanging out!”

“It’s great. How long have we been planning this?”

“Since forever! Do you know any of my friends?”

“Nope!”

“Okay well this is Jack”

“Hey Jack.”

“This is Peter, Dillon, Frank, Smilker, Swiss, Enoch, and finally Zeak.”

“Lumer, I’m not going to remember anyone’s name.” I say in a whisper.

“It’s okay. I’ll be here to remind you.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what’s up with the layout of your house? There are 3 garage doors for your 3 car garage, but there are only 2 bedrooms. How is that?”

Lumer laughed. “I don’t really know. I wonder the same thing! The guy designing this house must have been drunk.”

I laughed back, “Go home architect, you’re drunk.”

“Did you hear that?”

“Wasn’t it just one of your garage doors?”

“Well yes, but why is it opening?”

“Is your roommate home?”

“Maybe,” he grinned, “I can’t wait for you to meet him. He’s great.”

“Oh, dang it!” I quietly exclaimed.

“What is it?” Lumer quickly whirled around in his spinny chair to see what was wrong.

“I left my purse up stairs, and I need it to text my dad. I was supposed to let him know weather or not I’m staying in the city for the night. I’ll be right back.” I popped up out of my chair still a bit dizzy from spinning. I groped along the walls all the way up the stairs. I was still dizzy and it was dark when I got to Lumer’s room. Lumer made everyone put their coats, guns, and phones in his room so we could hang out free from distractions. He was a bit if a hippie that way. I tripped over someone’s coat on my way to the teacup chair that my purse was in. I fumbled around in it before reaching my nearly dead phone. I managed to send my dad a text saying, “I’m going to Chelsea’s after I dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow. ❤ you.”

I started to walk back down the stairs as one of Lumer’s friends, possibly Smilker, yelled, “Get the guns!” I rushed to the room and grabbed my little revolver from my coat pocket. I put it in my belt and began to lug some of the heavy guns downstairs for the battling men. As I walked passed a window I saw him. Crap! Why is he here? Why now? I saw him ordering his band of fiends around. He glanced up at me for an instant. He gave me a triumphant wink and pointed his gun at the closest man to me.

“Zeak is down!” cried Lumer. I knew why they came, but the guys did not. I went back downstairs with another supply of ammo and the last of the guns. I headed to Lumer to tell him why Cleshon was here.

“Lumer!” I yelled over the gunfire.

“Get back Salina!” he yelled back at me.

“No this is important. I have to tell you–”

“Duck!” He shouted as he quickly got us both into the kitchen. The others were not so lucky. The gas filled the living room. Three of us were left in the house. In just a matter of minutes both Cleshon’s and Lumer’s bands of men were demolished.

“Let’s sneak through the Easternmost garage door. It’s already partially open, and most of the fighting has been on the west side. Cleshon probably thinks everyone is passed out or vaporized. Lets take advantage of the moment.” Stated Smilker. Lumer, Smilker, and I were the only ones left.

“Wait! He’s only here for me. If I go he’ll leave you guys alone. Please let me go out and–”

“No, there’s no surrender to Cleshon. He’ll just have more reason to kill us if he know’s there’s a woman present.” Refuted Smilker. “We all go out the garage. I’ll go first and shoot any goonies guarding the exit then we all run till we reach the fence.”

They did not know the truth. I should never have gone there in the first place. There is nowhere to hide from Cleshon, especially in the city. Women are rare as it is. Men outnumber women 4 to 1 according to the government. (Actually, I’d say it’s more like 10 to 3.) They think I feel guilty cause people always attack for women, but it’s different. That’s not what it’s about. I should have told Lumer. He won’t listen now. There’s no use wondering.

“Okay, is the coast clear?” Asked Lumer.

“Yeah, looks good.” Replied Smilker after shooting down the last of Cleshon’s goonies. He turned around to look at us. Suddenly 3 more goonies came up behind him. I shot 2 down with my revolver then tossed it to Lumer to finish the job (because the third was out of my sight). We all cautiously stepped toward the garage door.

Pop!

Smilker was silently shot through the throat. Lumer screamed in deep agony whilst I ran to the kitchen door on the west of the garage. Cleshon stepped over Smilker’s body. Lumer ran to the other kitchen door. Cleshon, of course, had no interest in Lumer. He walked slowly and menacingly toward the door I had entered. His long black coat made the gothic gangster all the more menacing, the lock of my auburn-red hair still sewn into the pocket. It dangled out. I began to walk backward. I fell then crawled backward out of the kitchen into the living room. The bodies and furniture were all destroyed, but the blood stained the walls and bare boarded up floors.

He stared into my fear stricken eyes as I crawled away slower and slower. Lumer reappeared with my gun in hand and attempted to shoot him as he walked through the kitchen. Cleshon began to laugh as Lumer pulled the trigger, but Sleshon never looked away from my eyes.

“NOOOOOOOOO! Don’t do it! you can’t kill him!” I screamed as Lumer shot at Cleshon twice and both bullets ricocheted back at him. Cleshon smiled as an abusive owner does his dog. I want to run to Lumer, but I can’t do so without confronting Cleshon. Why this curse? I the only one who can kill him, yet I am the only one who won’t. I take a gun left by one of Lumer’s deceased friends. Still crawling on the floor I raise it.

I shoot with eyes closed then open them in time to see the bullet hit him above his right eyebrow. He began to shatter. A drop of blood came from the place the bullet was lodged in his cracking forehead. He never stopped looking at me. There was never a moment that he took his menacing eyes from me. The drop of blood his the ground, and simultaneously, his head shattered along with the rest of him. The only thing left of him was my lock of auburn-red hair.