Lost My Legs

“Get out!” That was the last word I heard as someone dragged me out of the car before hearing gunshots firing. The thought to be safe was the only thing on my mind so much that I literally forgot I was on blinds and started running until someone pulled me to the ground and forced me to stay down. But I was still panicking, shaking and frightened to death. It would be better to be dead than to be that scared, with all my body vibrating as I laid flat on the floor crying and screaming not knowing what next would happen to me, whether or not I would be alive to witness the next day.

“Shut up!” I heard a voice that sounded quiet familiar, but I could not pinpoint whose it was. Then the firing stopped, but I was still shaking and on the floor. The shooting was not for too long, but for me, that was like for eternity. I felt a hand grab me and pulled me up. That was when I started to find my feet, only to realise that I had lost my legs to fright. No, not literally. I just could not stand properly on my ten toes. I was literally weak and shaken, so even when the blindfold was removed from over my eyes, I still refused to open my eyes. Maybe I didn’t want to see, or maybe I just felt blind and thought there was no reason to open my eyes when I won’t even see a thing.

“Beatrice! Beatrice‼” I felt a light slap on both my cheek twice, causing me to open my eyes to reality. And the reality in front of me was Clara standing right in front of me without her hair on. It made me realise she was wearing a wig all along at the party. We had not even moved out of Clara’s property, not even by an inch. And even though that should not be my first thought, the first question I asked Clara when I finally realised myself was where was Michael.

“Mi.. Michael! Where is Michael?” I cried trembling, hot tears rolling down my face and kissing my lips after greeting my cheeks. Clara tried to calm me down but I pushed her away. I know it is odd! Clara could have been my saviour there and then while I was being tied to Michael by a contract I would never had want to sign if not Michael’s deceit, but then, Michael was still the only person I knew. So I ran around searching for him. I kept running around in circles searching for Michael whilst crying and calling out to him, my voice barely reaching my very own ears. I saw the car, Michael’s car filled with bullet holes and I got even more scared, my limbs shaking like they’ll fall off. I tried to take a step, but I could not walk. No! It was scary, the thought that Michael could be dead or had been kidnapped.

Someone pulled me backwards, forcing me to turn around. It was the Tony guy. The one who was talking to Michael about what I believed to be a business deal.

“What happened here?” he asked, his eyes critically staring at mine as though my eyes would inform him of what happened. But instead of an answer, I just kept shaking my head and muttering Michael’s name.

“Hey! Come to your sense! What the f**k happened here? Who were those people that started the shooting?” he asked me. But I didn’t know. I had no idea what happened.

“She wouldn’t know! Look at how shaken and clueless she looks, does it seem like she can give you the answer you need?” Clara stepped in and placed a hand on Tony’s hand which he used to grab my arm ever so tightly. Then she used her eyes to signal him to let me go, which he did. Then she hugged me.

Some would say a hug at this point would mean a lot, but to me, it was nothing but just too bodies at proximity. I didn’t feel it, no! The pit of my stomach felt like it was being dug out. So I gathered all the strength I could and pushed Clara off me. I tried to find a corner where I could throw up, but I was too weak and lazy to run, so I ended up spewing vomit everywhere.

I noticed Tony hiss, while Clara rushed to me. She sounded like she truly cared when she asked me if I was okay, and when I did not answer, she just came to rub my back. But who would be okay after such an experience?

“You should call the police! Everyone inside is panicking, if you don’t involve the police now, things might get out of control,” Tony said out of the blue. His words were directed to Clara.

“No! We are not involving the police. That’s the last thing we should be thinking of. I’ll take care of the guest and make sure everyone goes home with a lost memory,” Clara said. It made me wonder what exactly she was going to do to her guest. Then she asked Tony to take me inside.

Tony held me roughly and dragged me with him. I tried to keep up, but I could not help but look back. Why was I not seeing Michael at all? What could have happened to him? Who were those that were shooting at us? Did they take Michael? What really happened?

A tear dropped from my eye, followed by another, and then there were floods of tears erasing Michael’s touch on my face. It was not that I cared about his touch so much, he was hurting me when he grabbed my jaw like that, but then, it was the only thing I had of Michael’s feel, the only thing aside from the dress which Clara said she had picked.