A Step Further
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Some weeks later..........
He knew there was something wrong before he even put the key in the lock. There was no noise coming from the other side of the door. Ria usually had Laila at this time of day, and she was usually screaming and fighting with her. Or rather, Laila was usually screaming at Ria while Ria tried to reason with her. His wife had assured him that the young girl was making progress, but he couldn't tell if she was.
He swung the door open and stopped. His heart lept into his throat and his feet became boulders that he couldn't even imagine trying to lift. Caroline and Frederic were in the kitchenette, Ailleen cradled softly between them. Laila was at one end of the apartment, facing Ria who was at the other. The young girl was aiming a gun at his wife. Luka found he could do nothing but watch, afraid that any move he made or sound he made would endanger his family even more.
"Laila, put the gun down" Ria instructed softly and slowly, "You don't want to shoot me, you're just angry."
"Damn straight I'm angry you fucking bitch!" Laila spat, "You people say you're trying to help me but all you're doing is fucking me up more! While you try to cram fucking peace down my throat and up my ass my sisters are out there dying in the fucking streets! But you wouldn't know what that's like, you prissy little bitch, safe with your fucking doctor and you're fancy ass apartment! Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone?" She advanced menacingly toward Ria who suddenly looked very small and fragile to Luka, but still he dared not move.
"Laila, hurting me or anyone else is not going to help your 'sisters', and it's not going to give you a leg up in life. It's not going to teach me a lesson, all it's going to do is ruin your life even more than you've already done." Ria spoke softly with an authority Luka had never heard her use before. She was completely focused on Laila and the gun. Luka could see the reddness of the girl's eyes and her out of focus expression and realized she was high on something. He wondered if Ria could tell too. He watched as Laila started to lower the gun under Ria's intense gaze and managed to suck in a breath. But then he saw something in her expression change, and knew what was going to happen.
"NO!" she shouted and even as he moved Luka knew he was too late. The bullet pushed through Ria's right shoulder and she went down. Blood gushed onto the floor and he heard her head hit the hard wood with a sickening smack.
"Ria! No!" he shouted and rushed to her side. She was out cold. Ailleen started wailing and Caroline shrieked. Luka examined his wife who lay unconscience on the floor.
"No! NO!" Laila shrieked. Luka glanced up and saw salty rivers carving pathways down her cheeks and the wild look in her face.
"She's not dead! She's okay!" he shouted at her, but it was too late. She raised the gun to her head and fired.
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Some weeks later..........
He knew there was something wrong before he even put the key in the lock. There was no noise coming from the other side of the door. Ria usually had Laila at this time of day, and she was usually screaming and fighting with her. Or rather, Laila was usually screaming at Ria while Ria tried to reason with her. His wife had assured him that the young girl was making progress, but he couldn't tell if she was.
He swung the door open and stopped. His heart lept into his throat and his feet became boulders that he couldn't even imagine trying to lift. Caroline and Frederic were in the kitchenette, Ailleen cradled softly between them. Laila was at one end of the apartment, facing Ria who was at the other. The young girl was aiming a gun at his wife. Luka found he could do nothing but watch, afraid that any move he made or sound he made would endanger his family even more.
"Laila, put the gun down" Ria instructed softly and slowly, "You don't want to shoot me, you're just angry."
"Damn straight I'm angry you fucking bitch!" Laila spat, "You people say you're trying to help me but all you're doing is fucking me up more! While you try to cram fucking peace down my throat and up my ass my sisters are out there dying in the fucking streets! But you wouldn't know what that's like, you prissy little bitch, safe with your fucking doctor and you're fancy ass apartment! Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone?" She advanced menacingly toward Ria who suddenly looked very small and fragile to Luka, but still he dared not move.
"Laila, hurting me or anyone else is not going to help your 'sisters', and it's not going to give you a leg up in life. It's not going to teach me a lesson, all it's going to do is ruin your life even more than you've already done." Ria spoke softly with an authority Luka had never heard her use before. She was completely focused on Laila and the gun. Luka could see the reddness of the girl's eyes and her out of focus expression and realized she was high on something. He wondered if Ria could tell too. He watched as Laila started to lower the gun under Ria's intense gaze and managed to suck in a breath. But then he saw something in her expression change, and knew what was going to happen.
"NO!" she shouted and even as he moved Luka knew he was too late. The bullet pushed through Ria's right shoulder and she went down. Blood gushed onto the floor and he heard her head hit the hard wood with a sickening smack.
"Ria! No!" he shouted and rushed to her side. She was out cold. Ailleen started wailing and Caroline shrieked. Luka examined his wife who lay unconscience on the floor.
"No! NO!" Laila shrieked. Luka glanced up and saw salty rivers carving pathways down her cheeks and the wild look in her face.
"She's not dead! She's okay!" he shouted at her, but it was too late. She raised the gun to her head and fired.