Exiles

What about a world where there are no good guys?

I laughed, smiling at him

What is the point of thinking about that?

Step back five years...imagine

Step back ten years

Sydney comes up the stairs drink in hand

You almost felt them when they were coming up over that hill. Four cars and a lot of trouble. Bruce tried to put the Ford in reverse but there was no going in reverse quick enough at that point. "Fuck this. I'm not going down this way" Richard yelled as he started to open the passenger door even though we were moving and moving pretty fast. I kept holding on to the rifle in the back seat, my father's fucking rifle that I found in the garage when he died, even though my hands were almost too weak now to grip. 

The beach was unbelievable that day

Streams of people with blankets and coolers

I was touching your hair with your head on my chest and you were looking out at the lake

All while mumbling quietly under your breath creepy like at some old time school house

Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down.

The first shot hit Bruce right in the forehead. His blood and brains blew out all over me and the car's cabin like some vile crimson mist. The car was still moving backwards but Richard was almost out hanging on to the passenger door low with one hand while trying to aim with the other.  But it didn't work and the last thing I saw before I hit the car floor was him falling face first into the gravel road. He cried out but I could no longer see him. I heard more shots. Four. Maybe five. Couldn't tell if any were his. 

I saw it

I saw all of it

The announcement was over the PA system and told us what we were dreading

Drew was actually holding his head in his hands and almost sobbing

That day when they tell you you will have to go but you have nowhere to go to

Our car finally stopped when it plowed into the trees at the end of the road. I didn't know if they had seen me at all. I had no idea how close they were but I reached up and opened the back door a little and slid out leaving the rifle behind. I was crouched and heading into the bushes but the bullet hit me before I even heard it.

She was out for the night

Richard at the Formica table in the kitchen by the screen door

Talking intensely at me empty beer bottles like cathedral spires at the center

What choice do we have anymore...no one is going to get hurt

The phone starts ringing on the wall right beside my head but I just can't answer it