I quickly joined Eric by the window. “What is it? What’s going on?” I whispered once I finally found the courage to speak up. Eric looked at me grabbed my arm and pulled me into a closet. “It’s my stepbrother, John. He absolutely hates me, he always has and he always will. The worst part is he is looking for me………….and he has a gun.” Eric told me with a serious look on his face. He quickly put his hand over my mouth which muffled the sound of my voice that traveled three octaves high. “You can not be heard, or seen. Once John sees you he will figure out that you and I are together. Since he hates me he will do anything he can to hurt me even if that means hurting you and I don’t want anything to happen to you.” I nodded slowly, taking in everything he had just said. The tears that were filling my eyes slowly streamed down my cheeks. Eric pulled me into him and held me tightly to his chest. I wanted so badly for this moment to last forever. He kissed my forehead and then he slipped out of my grasp. The last thing I saw was Eric slipping quietly out of the closet, closing the door behind him, and leaving me alone in the darkness.

Trying to make as little noise as possible I rested my ear against the door trying to hear what was going on. I heard someone step inside the house. My heart raced inside of me, the tears had stopped but the worry had just started. I couldn’t hear what was going on, I wanted to open the closet door just to see what was happening. I grabbed the door knob with sweaty palms and turned. The door opened just a sliver but that was all I needed. I peered through the crack and there was Eric standing in the center of the room his back to me, facing the guy I knew was his stepbrother John. “Get out of here John.” Eric said, it wasn’t a suggestion it was an order. John laughed and then gave a snarl. “I am not going anywhere until this is over with once and for all.” John said glaring at Eric. I looked at John, he was wearing a black jacket, baggy jeans, and that’s when I saw it…….the gun. It was sticking out of his pocket, he could easily grab it in a couple of seconds. That’s all it would take for him to shoot Eric, just seconds, I winced at the thought of that. Unexpectedly I heard a car door slam which made me instantly think…………it’s my mom. “Aha who’s this?” John asked staring at Eric. “It’s no one.” Eric answered staring right back at John. “So… you wouldn’t mind if I did this.” John said. I saw him reach for the gun, then not thinking at all I leaped from the closet. “Skylar!” Eric shouted. “Mom get out of the way!” I screamed right before she stepped into the house. John pulled the trigger just missing my mom, but hitting the door shattering the glass window. I quickly ducked down trying not to get cut by the shards of glass. I felt a sting on my arm and I put my hand over it, then I realized it was sticky…..blood. I kept my hand on the cut not wanting to see the blood. I looked at John, his hand was still on the trigger, he was about to shoot again when Eric jumped on him. I couldn’t remove my eyes from the scene, John hit Eric’s head with his gun knocking Eric to the ground. “Eric!” I couldn’t help but scream, and I quickly ran for cover. The image of Eric just lying on the floor kept popping up in my head while I was trying to stay very quiet. John started shooting randomly, he shot most of the windows until I heard sirens. I was relieved when the police pulled into our driveway. The neighbors probably heard the gunshots and called 911. I tiptoed out of my hiding spot and peeked around the corner where John had last stood. He wasn’t there; he wasn’t in the house; he had run away. I glanced out the window and I saw some of the police heading toward the door. The others were outside asking my mother questions and trying to calm her down. Eric walked slowly toward me, embraced me and kissed me on the lips. The kiss was kind of salty, salty from the tears filling my eyes and flowing down my cheeks to my lips. Once the police came through the door I pulled back from the kiss but Eric and I still stayed huddled together. The police searched the house and asked us some questions. We answered them as best we could. The police asked us where he went and we told them that we had no idea where he was going or where he could possibly be. The Officers reassured us that they would find him, and soon. They walked out of the house to start the search for John, leaving Eric and I alone. We were still standing very close to each other, Eric’s arms around me and mine around him. “Are you okay?” I asked him while staring at the bump that formed on the side of his head from John’s gun. “I am alright, it’s just a little bump. Are you okay?” he asked noticing the cuts I got from the glass window. “I’m fine.” I said removing my hand exposing the cut on my arm which was still bleeding, but just a little. “Let me look.” Eric said pulling me over to a chair. “It’s fine just get me a band aid. The first aid kit is in the closet” I said. I sat there and watched Eric walk over to the closet pulling out the first aid kit. He walked toward me with some kind of gauze, with ointment on it. Once he saw the way I looked at the gauze he said “If you don’t put the ointment on it, it will get infected.” I couldn’t argue with that so I didn’t even try. After he cleaned the cut and wrapped it in the gauze I glanced at the clock. It was late and I was exhausted. “Com’ on I’ll take you to your bedroom.” Eric said taking my hand. Once we got upstairs and I was done changing into my pj’s, I got into bed. Eric sat at the end of the bed just talking to me while I was laying quietly on my pillow just listening. I wanted to stay awake so he wouldn’t leave but I was too tired to fight my eyes. It was a long day so I let my eyelids close and I fell asleep listening to the sound of Eric’s voice.

I was running but it felt like I was moving in slow motion. I knew I wasn’t fast enough but I still had to try. I saw John pull the trigger shooting Eric……. I quickly woke up startled by that horrible nightmare. “Are you alright?” Eric asked moving closer to me and rubbing my arm. “Oh Eric it was so horrible.” I cried and then buried my face into his shoulder. He held me close to him occasionally patting my back. I finally got control of my sobs and looked at Eric with my puffy red eyes. “Do you want to go back to sleep?” he asked me with a look of concern on his face. I thought about what he was asking me and then answered truthfully. “I don’t know if I can.” I said shyly avoiding looking into his eyes. I didn’t want to see the pain or sadness in his eyes because of me. “You can rest your head on my shoulder. I will be right here. I won’t leave I promise.” he said lying back. I laid down and rested my head on his shoulder. “Will you stay up until I fall asleep?” I asked looking up at him with curious eyes. “Of course.” Eric answered smiling down at me and kissed my hair lightly. The kiss was so light that I could barley feel it. I laid there for a while feeling the heat from, Eric’s shoulder and warming my cheek. I could feel Eric’s every intake of breath and I concentrated on it’s rhythm. After a while of watching Eric’s chest move up and down, I slowly and cautiously let my eyelids fall, surrounding me in the darkness, for the night.