Gasp

They escaped into the brisk night air lost among the crowd. The stillness of the night was shattered by hundreds of people emptying into the street, giving the weekday night a sudden burst of life. After a block or so people started splitting off and they found themselves walking across the newly built plaza alone. Their ears were still ringing from the band they just saw so their voices were louder than normal. Hand in hand they walked, talking and laughing, running across a busy street to make the light. They turned off the main road and walked the last few shadowy blocks in silence until they reached the car. As he started the car and began heading home she pulled out her phone to look at pictures from the night. Ahead the light turned red and he eased the car to a stop. He checked the mirrors and saw a car pull up behind them. A man got out of the passenger side and ran over to his window. He made sure the doors were locked by the time the man got there, gun in hand, yelling at him to get out of the car. His mind raced and without much hesitation he accelerated through the red light, almost running the man over in the process, as she screamed in the seat next to him. At this time of night traffic was minimal so he thought he could get far enough ahead that they might just give up, but he saw the headlights behind him, getting closer and closer. He flew through the next intersection and aimed for the on ramp, hoping to lose them in whatever traffic there might be. The other car followed deftly, flashing their lights and honking their horn, never giving up the chase. Realizing there was a police station on the way home he knew he could lead them right to it.

Suddenly there were gunshots and the sound of breaking glass. Next to him she screamed again and he looked quickly to see she was fine, just scared. He accelerated faster, pushing the car to its limits, but they always seemed right behind. The exit was ahead and he veered quickly to the right and without a thought of slowing down, went through the stoplight. They fired again and he heard her gasp right before he turned and almost spun the car around completely. The police station was in sight and he knew they would be safe. A moment of relief came to him as he looked back and saw them slow and turn around. Outside the station he stopped the car, let out a sigh, and turned to ask her if she was ok. Before he could finish the question he knew the answer. Her grey sweatshirt was stained a deep red and her head hung down. Crying and screaming he rushed into the police station for help, not wanting to believe what he already knew. Multiple officers responded and ran outside where he pointed while another asked him what happened. Soon the entire scene was bathed in red and white light as the ambulance came to take the body away.

An officer drove him home after taking his statement and giving him all the information he would need. Thanking the officer he got his keys and opened the door in an automated motion. As he stepped inside he was greeted by their dog and he fell to the ground crying. The dog jumped at him, excited that he was home, and tried to lick his face, but he wouldn’t let it. Standing on the back porch while the dog sniffed around the yard he kept hearing her gasp. He thought it was because he almost hit something. He thought that maybe she was just bracing for the turn. He thought that he should have looked, he should have checked on her, he could have pulled over sooner or called 911 faster, or something, anything, to keep her from dying. Back inside he sat silently on the couch, her gasp replaying in his head over and over, dominating his thoughts. Outside a car door slammed close and the dog looked towards the back door excitedly, expecting her to come walking through any second, and he broke down again.

2019