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Something felt off right from the beginning.
It wasn't the situation. You've been here before, and always came out victorious in the end. It was more the circumstances. In the back of your mind you can feel all the alarm-bells go off.
Maybe you should be wiser, should tell her to back off, or hell, stand behind you for cover. You've always felt the overwhelming urge to protect her, even though she would never have any of it. It's part of why you love her so much, but you never told her. It's probably why you didn't tell her to get back to the car, to get out of harm's way. It's not like she would listen anyways.
You thought that, when people mentioned a tough situation seemingly going in slow-motion was always an exaggeration on that person's part. Cliched even. But that's exactly what's transpiring right now.
It's her of course. Her distraction. Your weakness.
Else you would've seen him raise his gun. Else, you would've seen the dangerous glint in his eyes, the grain of madness within, the tinge of fear of a cornered animal that saw no way out but to lash at everything that was preventing his escape.
So it's slow-motion. The trigger being pulled. The gun being fired.
And in the back of your mind, you know. From the corner of your eyes you've seen. But your mind refuses to accept what you just witnessed. But you know you'll have to anyways. Your decision is made, and you bathe in the sweetness of the momentum. It's easier than to mourn her loss, it's easier than to be confronted with your failure every last remaining day of your life.
So you turn, and look. And watch. And as the gun is fired again, you smile. At least she's the last thing you'll ever see before everything goes dark...