Page 60 of Not Her Day to Die

The hum of running vehicles.

“Darius, go!” Veronica turns and pushes him. “Do whatever you can. Rescue her. Save our fucking town and our goddamn souls. You’re the only ones who will!”

Darius doesn’t wait, he twists and sprints away. Even in the night, his body is innately telling him how to avoid the fallen logs, when to duck, when he needs to turn.

His soul is chomping at the bit. It is suctioning him closer and closer to its missing piece.

It is directing him to Sunday.

“No!” William’s shout reaches his ears followed by Veronica screaming.

Darius falters in his stride but doesn’t stop.

His heart hurts for them both. He understands why William was so desperate.

It is the same reason he is. Protecting someone he loves.

And Darius’s love for Sundayisfire and gunpowder. And he is willing to do anything he possibly can to allow it to ignite.

29

October 6th

Bang!

A distant gunshot causes Luna to startle, for her grip to loosen.

It is all I need, I buck up from below, wriggling against her as best as I can.

Luna isn’t large, she’s small and malnourished and clearly weak.

With her off balance, I manage to flip us until I am on top of her.

My hands find her wrists, pinning her down.

It is the wrong move to make–before, Luna was a dead-eyed girl, but now she is a wild creature.

She screeches and shakes, her panic overwhelming her system.

I jump off of her, my back hitting a wall, knocking my breath out of me.

Panting and coughing and heaving, it takes me a few minutes before I can finally get a grasp on what is happening. On Luna in the corner, arms wrapped around her knees as she rocks herself.

“Luna?” Confusion and uncertainty splice in my gut. I want to go to her, to comfort her. I want to run from her, to never see her again.

My empathy wins out.

“Are you okay? What’s going on? What do you mean one hundred lifetimes?” I think I know the answer. But I need her to say it. To confirm.

Luna remains silent for so long, I almost expect her not to speak at all. My ears hyper fixate on all the other sounds instead. I expect more signs of chaos after the shot went off, but it’s silent again, save for the fan above us.

A single jolt in an otherwise still chest.

Finally, she stops rocking, unwraps her arms, and unsteadily makes her way to her feet.

I stiffen, my hand attempting to find the razor in my pocket. I don’t want to hurt her. But I will if I have to.

Except it isn’t there.