Fourth of July - Amaya/Biromantic Bison

A random short story I wrote.

June 29th, 2021.

Warning: Violence & Death Megan was watching fireworks with her family in the park on the Fourth of July. She grinned when she spotted Shelby, her five-year-old sister, running amongst her young friends. Sparklers lit the night as the last of the fireworks disappeared.

The families that night smiled to each other as they walked along the long stretch of grass and toward their cars. Then they would return home and tuck their children into bed.

A startling BOOM came from the docks.

More fireworks? The show was over.

Boom!

A young man fell to the ground, his chest heaving as he clutched his bleeding leg.

Adults and children screamed alike. The children wailed as the adults gathered their children and ran.

Megan felt a tug on her shoulder and looked up to see her mother’s gaunt and pale face staring at her desperately. She stood up as her mother started following Megan’s father toward the cars and away from the gunshots.

People were screaming and some people’s screams cut off abruptly as more booms came. Children were sobbing, clutching their burnt-out sparklers tightly, and looking for their parents. Adults and children were lying on the ground: some with unmoving eyes, and some with closed eyes.

Megan felt a shock run through her body and pulled away from her mother.

Where was Shelby?

Megan looked around the park and past the unmoving bodies until she spotted a young girl lying on the ground, sucking her thumb, her body shaking. Megan ran over and picked up a still-shaking Shelby.

Megan started running back to her parents, who were desperately beckoning her to run faster.

Boom!

Boom!

Megan’s parents dropped to the ground, their bodies limp. Crimson blood pooled around their bodies. The smell of iron filled Megan’s nostrils.

Megan stopped, frozen, as she stared at her parents a few yards away. She slowly turned around to face the one who had fired the shots.

A cloaked figure with a polished silver gun stood in front of her. The figure reloaded the gun casually.

Click.

Click.

Click went the gun as the barrel switched slots. The barrel closed. The figure pointed the gun towards Megan, to where she could see down the barrel.

Boom!

Megan’s eyes closed, expecting pain somewhere on her body. Instead, she felt blood dripping down her shoulder. The shoulder Shelby was on.

Megan dropped to her knees and looked at a limp Shelby. Tears flowed down Megan’s face as she sobbed hopelessly, whispering broken words of heartbreak to her sweet, sweet sister.

Boom!

Megan finally felt the pain in her stomach. The pain that she had been waiting for. It was much worse than she thought. Much worse. She had nothing to live for, and so she let the pain overtake her. Her parents were dead. Her sister was dead. And she, she was going to die.

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Megan grabbed her sister’s limp hand and closed her eyes as the last bell rang.

Dong!