3 Grenades

I can't move. I'm stiff like the tin man from The Wizard of Oz. I drop the on. It thuds on the ground. I'm not sure what to do. I was told the day my dad left he had died in a car crash. They lied. They all lied. I crumple to the floor like a newspaper. I my hand hits the gun. I stop breathing. Surrounding the gun is a dark pool of blood. I can't even concentrate on my dad. I'm staring at the blood. I blink. I reach out and try to touch it but, it disappears.

Gunshots fill my ears and I spin around to see too men shooting at us. I glance at Sebastian and then grab the gun and start shooting back. I'm not usually accustomed to this but I have used guns many a time before -when dad was out I used to 'play'-. Sebastian grabs my waist and pulls me backwards. I turn to him. He laughs and starts to run.

"Catch me if you can, Milady!" he teases. I can't even believe him; he's joking at this time? Then I catch on; we're running from them. He tried to do it discreetly, he didn't manage. They are the enemy. Well obviously, they are the ones trying to kill us. I charge after him, all the while bullets are flying passed my head; none of them seem to hit me though. It's strange, as they've had a lot of time to shoot at me, but...

"Tiffany! Hurry!" He snaps, I'm fall back into reality. My ears are ringing, and I feel like I'm going to drown. My heart burns and I can taste blood at the back of my throat. Sebastian's just in front of me. He's standing at the garage door, looking frightened, but not even slightly tired. I run straight past him and glide through the garage door.

I don't want to think about what I did back there but it's the only thing I can think about. I try and catch my breath, Sebastian's looking at me, longingly, apologetically, he smiles and in that split second everything is like that haven I saw in his eyes.

"Who were they?" I say suddenly, still wheezing.

"They are the people who want your dad's payment..." his voice trails off and we both hear a small beep coming from the door, a red-light flash as the beeping gets louder and higher pitched, "run" he whispers.

Just then the door is swiped of its hinges. And in the doorway is my dad, "Tiff? You're here!" he looks at me lovingly as if he's been waiting to come and help me, like he loves me. Sebastian is looking anxious at me, and it scares me. I don't understand anything, when Sebastian said they wanted "payment" I thought that meant they wanted it because my dad was dead. I look at him, Sebastian is standing tall, stronger, and fiercer and his words echo in my mind 'I can't lose you again.' Again?

"You're not taking her away from me Mister Windsor, I love her, you know that, she's special," he pauses and looks at me. I am shocked, and crazy. Did he say 'love'? No one has ever said that to me before.

"That's not your choice," my dad replies, "She's my daughter. I didn't think you'd have the guts to come back. Eh? Maybe you should show me how much courage you've got?" he aims his gun towards Sebastian. I scream silently, my voice is too fragile at this point too many things are going on. My dad continues, "See you on the other side," he pulls the trigger.

I squeeze my eyes shut as the noise that ends my nightmares, a life, a world... perhaps. The bang screams through my ears and I run towards Sebastian. I won't let him die on me, not again. I stare at him he's fine, no blood or death. Tears flood my eyes like a river. Sebastian laughs, "You think that's going to get rid of me again? Try harder next time." My dad just smirks.