Brown Eyes
BANG!
I watched the faintest trail of smoke roll out of the end of my gun. Or rather, Jake’s gun. I had never held a gun in my life. Until that moment. The first time I did and I fired it.
It was louder than I thought it would be. That along with the shock of pulling the trigger, was making my head spin.
Everything around me felt slow and far away. Screams as if they were being thrown into a pillow, the cut out holes in my mask were taking my peripheral visión out of commission and all I could see was the gun in my shaking hand, and the body on the other end of it.
She was barely an adult. Her dark hair displayed around her head like a halo. Her skin was pale and decorated with freckles and a few blemishes around her jaw line. Her big brown eyes wide open, staring absently across the room.
In that moment I was confused, I didn’t know why she was on the ground. I remember she was talking to me, her hands up and reaching towards me, telling me to lower my gun. Reminding me that there were children here.
When she mentioned kids, she had me. I thought of the two I had at home, sound asleep, not even big enough to wipe themselves and the echos of kids crying became more apparent.
But I lowered my gun, so why was she on the ground?
I looked around her body and saw two feet away, a small hole in the ground. There was no telling where the bullet landed, but I had shot the ground.
Why did I shoot the ground?
“Hey!”
A hand gripped the fabric of my shirt and jerked me closer, “Get it together man. Don’t let a chick make you forget why you’re here.”
I looked over and saw Jake, looking back at me, anger fuming behind his mask. He let go of my shirt and pointed the gun back at the girl, who at this point had a lot of blood decorating the marble floor of the bank. Her dark hair mixed with the crimson pool and I suddenly felt my breakfast at the base of my throat.
“Wait-”
BANG
BANG
I flinched both times and the screams felt louder this time.
I looked around me and everyone who was on the ground had made themselves even smaller, pushing their faces further into the ground. Kids cried harder and all I could hear were my little ones.
My eyes landed back on the girl, her brown eyes still wide open. Two more holes adorned the front of her shirt, right below her sternum.
“Why?”
Jake looked at me with squinted eyes, “She was in the way. And you obviously need to get your priorities straight.”
He walked away and before I knew it, my gun raised, aimed at the back of his hand, and without hesitation this time, I pulled the trigger.