Where am I? Who am I? I couldn’t remember anything, and all I had was a raging headache. There were two burly men dressed in black behind me. I started out at a brisk walk but it escalated quickly to a jog and then I started sprinting. They were following me. I didn’t know why, but I knew I had to get away. I ran through the doors of a building, they were getting closer. I took the stairs three at a time, trying to get away. Bursting through the doors, I stumbled out on the roof. There was no way out, it was a trap. I ran to the edge of the roof. It was a four story drop into the crashing waves of the ocean below. Their heavy breathing behind alerted me of their presence. I heard the sound of a trigger being pulled back. It was time. Without turning around, I stepped off the edge of the building the same time the blast of the gun went off.
The wind was ripping at my clothes as I fell. Was I shot? I couldn’t tell. I felt nothing, my body was numb from adrenaline and the icy air of winter. Three seconds, Two seconds, nothing. The water was dragging me under. I needed air.. now. My arms and legs were kicking and fighting, looking for something solid to grab onto. There was only water. This was the end, everything had been in vain. I went limp and my limbs hung useless by my side as I waited for the waves rock to me into a deep sleep. But no, it was not my time. I found the sudden will to live and used the last of my strength to break through the surface. I gasped and gulped the air greedily. The icy air stung my throat like I was swallowing shards of glass but with each breath of fresh air in my lungs, I grew stronger. I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was how the fading sun turned the sky into wildfire, casting an orange glow on the the water. There were angry, dark clouds in the sky, but I didn’t care. Then I noticed was that I was not far from shore and started to propel my weary and stiff body to shore.
It took me only a few minutes before I reached the docks and hauled myself up. I immediantly collapsed in exhaustion. I had only rested for a minute when I heard shouting. It was the men who shot at me. They were back to finish the job. Using the last of my energy, I ran onto one of the fisherman’s boats tied up to the docks. The men started running towards me, but the knot wouldn’t come undone in my frozen hands. They were ten yards away when I finally untied the knot and started the small engine with a few tugs. It sputtered a few times before it lurched into the choppy waves. The men arrived at the docks and cursed.
For a brief moment, I thought I had escaped death a second time. In one glorious second I laughed, but then realized the strange men had climbed into another one of the boats tied up. They sped after me and were gaining quickly. It was a game of cat and mouse and the cat always catches the mouse. There was little light left from the setting sun. A clap of lightning lit up the sky and I saw the evil grin on the men’s faces as the gap between them grew smaller and smaller. The ocean and sky looked like oil and his only light was the brief flash of lightning. The boat was giving me all it had, but there was no way they could outrun them.
My little boat started to cough and sputter and I was slowing down at an alarming pace. Only when I looked down and saw the gas gauge pointing towards empty did I feel complete dispair. The boat came to a complete stop and they soon overtook me. Their cruel laughter rang out as they pulled their boat pulled up alongside mine. I stood helpless as one of the men stepped onto my boat, with his gun drawn. The man pointed the gun at my chest but at this instant a huge wave crashed upon them. The impact knocked the man who was on his boat, into the inky water and he didn’t resurface. I was lying flat on his back, having the air from my lungs slammed out of me. My body was bruised and frozen, but there was still one man left. I got to his knees and noticed a gun tangled in the rope beside me. The other man paced around in his own boat, peering over the edge, waiting for his partner to resurface. Realizing this was not going to happen, the man turned his attention to me.
He seemed to say something but the roar of the ocean blocked his words from reaching my ears. But I didn’t need words to tell he was in the mood for murder. The man drew his gun and aimed. The waves had drifted his boat farther away but I was still within shooting distance. My boat was too small to take cover, so I stood there, brave yet a coward. He did not notice or maybe he didn’t care about the gun in my own hands. When I raised it, he threw his head back in a laugh. The wind howled and thunder rumbled. A shot rang out and for a split second, I didn’t know which one of us had taken the first shot. Only when I looked down at the growing stain blossoming on my shirt did I realize it was him who had shot. I placed my hand on my stomach and it came away sticky and warm. And yet, I felt no pain. I took a deep breath, and the weariness left me. The ocean and sky went silent, as if taking a breath too. I steadied my hand and aimed. He kept laughing, he knew I was as good as dead. I pulled the trigger and time seemed to slow. The smile on his face froze and his eyes widened in shock. A perfect red circle appeared between his eyes. A bullseye I thought. He took a step back and tumbled into the water below. Without warning, rain started to pour down. I spread my arms and let the water wash away the the blood still flowing from my body. I still didn’t know who I was or why the men had wanted to kill me, but it no longer mattered to me. I had won, yet I had lost.
No longer having the strength to stand, I knelt on the deck and the gun fell from my hands. I could feel the life and warmth draining from my body. The rain had stopped and the clouds parted. I rolled onto my back. My last thought was how how beautiful the stars looked tonight. It made me smile.
The wind was ripping at my clothes as I fell. Was I shot? I couldn’t tell. I felt nothing, my body was numb from adrenaline and the icy air of winter. Three seconds, Two seconds, nothing. The water was dragging me under. I needed air.. now. My arms and legs were kicking and fighting, looking for something solid to grab onto. There was only water. This was the end, everything had been in vain. I went limp and my limbs hung useless by my side as I waited for the waves rock to me into a deep sleep. But no, it was not my time. I found the sudden will to live and used the last of my strength to break through the surface. I gasped and gulped the air greedily. The icy air stung my throat like I was swallowing shards of glass but with each breath of fresh air in my lungs, I grew stronger. I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was how the fading sun turned the sky into wildfire, casting an orange glow on the the water. There were angry, dark clouds in the sky, but I didn’t care. Then I noticed was that I was not far from shore and started to propel my weary and stiff body to shore.
It took me only a few minutes before I reached the docks and hauled myself up. I immediantly collapsed in exhaustion. I had only rested for a minute when I heard shouting. It was the men who shot at me. They were back to finish the job. Using the last of my energy, I ran onto one of the fisherman’s boats tied up to the docks. The men started running towards me, but the knot wouldn’t come undone in my frozen hands. They were ten yards away when I finally untied the knot and started the small engine with a few tugs. It sputtered a few times before it lurched into the choppy waves. The men arrived at the docks and cursed.
For a brief moment, I thought I had escaped death a second time. In one glorious second I laughed, but then realized the strange men had climbed into another one of the boats tied up. They sped after me and were gaining quickly. It was a game of cat and mouse and the cat always catches the mouse. There was little light left from the setting sun. A clap of lightning lit up the sky and I saw the evil grin on the men’s faces as the gap between them grew smaller and smaller. The ocean and sky looked like oil and his only light was the brief flash of lightning. The boat was giving me all it had, but there was no way they could outrun them.
My little boat started to cough and sputter and I was slowing down at an alarming pace. Only when I looked down and saw the gas gauge pointing towards empty did I feel complete dispair. The boat came to a complete stop and they soon overtook me. Their cruel laughter rang out as they pulled their boat pulled up alongside mine. I stood helpless as one of the men stepped onto my boat, with his gun drawn. The man pointed the gun at my chest but at this instant a huge wave crashed upon them. The impact knocked the man who was on his boat, into the inky water and he didn’t resurface. I was lying flat on his back, having the air from my lungs slammed out of me. My body was bruised and frozen, but there was still one man left. I got to his knees and noticed a gun tangled in the rope beside me. The other man paced around in his own boat, peering over the edge, waiting for his partner to resurface. Realizing this was not going to happen, the man turned his attention to me.
He seemed to say something but the roar of the ocean blocked his words from reaching my ears. But I didn’t need words to tell he was in the mood for murder. The man drew his gun and aimed. The waves had drifted his boat farther away but I was still within shooting distance. My boat was too small to take cover, so I stood there, brave yet a coward. He did not notice or maybe he didn’t care about the gun in my own hands. When I raised it, he threw his head back in a laugh. The wind howled and thunder rumbled. A shot rang out and for a split second, I didn’t know which one of us had taken the first shot. Only when I looked down at the growing stain blossoming on my shirt did I realize it was him who had shot. I placed my hand on my stomach and it came away sticky and warm. And yet, I felt no pain. I took a deep breath, and the weariness left me. The ocean and sky went silent, as if taking a breath too. I steadied my hand and aimed. He kept laughing, he knew I was as good as dead. I pulled the trigger and time seemed to slow. The smile on his face froze and his eyes widened in shock. A perfect red circle appeared between his eyes. A bullseye I thought. He took a step back and tumbled into the water below. Without warning, rain started to pour down. I spread my arms and let the water wash away the the blood still flowing from my body. I still didn’t know who I was or why the men had wanted to kill me, but it no longer mattered to me. I had won, yet I had lost.
No longer having the strength to stand, I knelt on the deck and the gun fell from my hands. I could feel the life and warmth draining from my body. The rain had stopped and the clouds parted. I rolled onto my back. My last thought was how how beautiful the stars looked tonight. It made me smile.