Chapter 1

Startled from my sleep, my eyes flew open at the sound of a gunshot. Did I just hear a gunshot? Heart pounding, I lay still thinking about what I should do.

I get up from my bed to find out where the sound came from, it definitely came from the compound. I start thinking whether I should look out or not.

What if I get caught and the next bullet comes at me, it won't be a difficult shot as I'm on the first floor.

But my curiosity is greater than my fear so I peep out of my window to find a scene played out it front of me which looks right out of a thriller movie. There are two people dressed in all black clothes and masks which makes it hard to identify them and one of them holds a man, whose face I cannot quite see from my position. Another one of them aims a gun at the guy's head. I cannot hear what they're talking about but I definitely know it's bad. The man with the gun kicks the man being held and shouts something at him but he just shakes his head. The man with the gun takes a step back points his gun straight to his heart. My heart starts pounding.

Why isn't someone out there already stopping them? Didn't no one hear the gunshot? I can't be the only one.

I think about making a 911 call looking at my phone on the bed as another gunshot pierces the air startling me for the second time, making my heart beat faster than ever.

I look over to see the men in black run away from the body laying on the ground, blood pooling around him.

I don't think twice as I rush to my door and run to the body hoping i didn't just witness a murder. I really hope he's still alive and I won't have to report a murder.

Please be alive. Please be alive. I repeat to myself running towards him. When I reach him I look around thinking there must be someone around that will help me do whatever that is needed to be done but, when I find no one, I sit on my knees not caring about my clothes when there's someone shot twice in front of me.

"Hey? Can you hear me? Please don't be dead." I tell him. Fuck. What am I supposed to do? I don't even know how to check a pulse, so I lay my hand over his heart as I find a heartbeat very slow which is the complete opposite of mine. He startles from my touch and lets out a whimper. I apply pressure on his chest where I can see the blood coming from. He was shot twice, once in his legs and second in his chest.

"You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay" I tell him stroking his chest with my thumb. It will be too late till the ambulance gets here, so I call for Mr. Anderson who lives right above me and is a doctor.

He doesn't pick up the first time so I call again still applying pressure to the wound. He picks up and whispers into his phone in a sleepy voice "Hello? Is everything okay dear-" I don't let him complete and shout into my phone. "I don't know if you heard the two gunshots or not but there's a guy bleeding in front of me and you need to get hear right now Mr. Anderson. Please."

"What? Oh god, I'll be right there. Where are you?"

"Compound." I reply quickly.

"Hurry up please!" I tell him realising

I've started crying.

"I-" the man bleeding in front of me starts to speak as I put a finger on his lips. He tries to open his eyes but fails and I catch a glimpse of his green eyes. I've never seen eyes that pretty even if all I saw was a glimpse. Not just the eyes but his face I notice, was the most perfect face I have ever seen even when he's almost dying. I imagine how his face would've looked if it wasn't so lifeless. I sense a movement behind me. I turn my head to find Mr. Anderson rushing towards us.

He kneels next to me and checks for the man's pulse and tells me "We have to treat him as soon as possible and we can't wait for an ambulance, let's take him to my room." He starts to pick him up and I help even though I know I have no strength to even be a helping hand but I still try.

Mr. Anderson holds the man in his hands and I start to run to the elevator realising he doesn't need my help holding him. I press the button for the elevator again and again. The elevator arrives just when they get near. I enter after Mr. Anderson and press the button for 2nd floor. Mr. Anderson hands me his keys and I unlock his door. He puts the man on his bed, rushes to his closet and comes back with things that will be needed to treat him.

I just stand there feeling useless, wishing there was something that i could do to help him, but I also don't want to do something wrong so I just ask slowly, "Do you need me to do something?"

"Just keep applying pressure to his leg while i treat this one." he tells me without looking away from the man. I start doing as I'm told. A drop lands on my hand reminding me that I'm still crying.

"Do u think he'll make it?" I ask more to myself than the person treating him. I really don't want to witness a death today... or ever.

Mr. Anderson doesn't answer so I just answer myself and whisper "Least we can do is try and hope that he does."

~~

"He lost a lot of blood, but he's hanging in there. That right there, is a strong man." Mr. Anderson tells me when he finishes treating both his wounds.

"What do we do now, should we call the police?" I ask him. I think it's a pretty obvious thing to do.

" That, my dear I don't know. I helped you in the way that i could but the rest you would have to do on your own. Now I would like my precious sleep back , you can sleep next to him just avoid touching him. I will sleep on the couch." he starts walking away.

"But wha-" I start but Mr. Anderson interrupts.

"Worry about everything else tomorrow. Just go to sleep and let me sleep as well. Goodnight Sophia." he walks away.

He's right. I can worry about everything tomorrow and just sleep right now, but shouldn't I call the police and let them know about whatever that's happened. At least they will be able to catch those two men. But they would need a description and I don't remember anything except their black clothes and masks. Who were they and why did they try to kill him?

Only the person covered in bandages right in front of me can answer that, so let's just wait till he wakes up.

I lay next to him on the bed and try to sleep. I can't help but look at him. He has a sharp jawline, a straight nose and the lips that now has a little color than before looking even softer. He is magnificent. He looks straight out of a girl's imagination. Okay, maybe straight out of my imagination.

He was wearing a blue hoodie which is now red and soaked with his blood and when i look at myself, I realise I'm soaked in his blood too. I need a shower but i'm way too tired to even get up now. So i decide tomorrow, yeah everything will be done tomorrow.

I return my gaze back to his face and then lower it to the bandages that covers his chest. The wound is in the middle. If the gun man would've aimed a little more to the left, he would've been dead right now. I've never been so glad about someone's aim being bad. But he is alive and that's what matters right now.

I stare at the tattoo that is peeking from underneath the bandages, it looks like fire. Fire emerging from his wound. I run my fingers over it. I lower my gaze to his abs and my fingers follow them. He must work out a lot. I've never felt an ab before, more like i've never felt a man's skin before but i can't stop myself from touching him. I look away to find Mr. Anderson snoring, i know he told me not to touch him, but i'm not hurting him, am I?

Shit. What am I even doing. I should just sleep. I turn on my right, away from the man and close my eyes shut, and find the fire tattoo run in my head. Why can't I turn my brain off? I turn back to him and stare at him as if he was a magical creature that was yet to be found.