NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It was my own scream, echoing eerily in my eardrums, that brought me plummeting back to Earth. And when I finally hit the ground, it was fast... and it was painful.

I fell to my knees with a thud, the sobs welling up within my chest, the heaves wracking my body. My heart thumped rapidly, my ears ringing from the explosion they'd only just been subjected to moments before.

I couldn't quite process the sight. I couldn't quite process the sound. I knew where I was... what was happening... but I felt like everything was going on around me. I felt like I was living outside my own body.

I gathered what little strength I had left in me, clamboring wearily to my feet as the metallic taste of blood settled on my lips and the scent of sweat and death assaulted my nose. Weakness washed over me and a dull ache made itself known in the front of my skull.

My mind raced with a million thoughts...

His family. His friends. His life.

My family. My friends. MY life.

What had I done? Oh my God... what in the hell had I done?

My brain told me to run, but my feet wouldn't follow its orders.

"Get out now!" The voice inside my head screamed.

My body refused to budge.

"Don't just stand there! For Christ's sake call someone!"... I reached behind me, absently grabbing for the phone that I knew lay just beside the register.

My fingers refused to dial the numbers.

Too sick. To scared. Too guilty.

Too... I don't even want to think about it.

I stared down towards the floor where he lay, willing... no forcing my eyes to focus on the silent figure slumped there below me. Blood surrounded him now -- oozing steadily from the wound on his neck -- taunting me as it trickled its way onto the cold, hard, tiled floor and puddled there before seeping slowly along the cracks and spreading out beneath my feet.

Hot tears poured down my cheeks at once. I never meant for this to happen. Never planned for this at all. I never intended to kill him. I never wanted to kill him.

Never.

His family. His friends. His life.

Gone because of me.

Just gone.

I stood there for what felt like an eternity just watching as he bled into the aisle.

The candy aisle.

Aisle number five.

I'd never forget it. His heart had long stopped beating. His chest no longer rose and fell. Death was ugly... I knew this now. I couldn't move... or didn't move. I never called. I never did anything but stand there watching as he died there on the floor.

The nightmare that wouldn't end.

I heard the door then. The sound of the chimes as it was swung open by an unsuspecting customer. The howl of the icy wind as winter air came rushing in -- nearly enough to frighten my out of my shock... just nearly. I rose my head and locked eyes with the stranger.

I knew those eyes. I knew that face. I knew him.

He stared at me. I stared at him. Neither of us spoke. He looked at my face and then down... back up again and he stopped in his tracks. He quickly raised his hands into the air.

I couldn't move.

He didn't move.

Why?

I glanced down and gasped at the sight of the gun, still there in my hand... now aimed at the man. I lowered it quickly, dropping it to my feet before I held up my own hands in a gesture of innocence.

"I'm... he's... it's not..." but I couldn't go on.

He lowered his arms but didn't move. I followed his eyes to the figure on the floor, watching as they scanned the body. That face - still covered in it's black mask. The puddle of blood - now completely surrounding the body. The metal baseball bat - still clutched tightly in the gloved fingers of his right hand. His expression changed, his face softening as his gaze came back up to meet mine.

His realization.

My desparation.

He pointed towards my head and spoke his first words since entering the store... "you're uh... you're.." but he couldn't quite get them out.

I reached up with my hand and felt for the first time what he was pointing to.

Warm liquid. Hot pain. Red fingers.

I looked towards him again and shook my head. The dull ache became a throbbing split. The room spun and then dimmed around me. The last thing I saw was him moving towards me... and then I was falling...

Bright lights. Familiar voices.

They were heralding me back to life.

My mind spoke again -- or was it them?

"Open your eyes" -- my brain refused to let my body obey. Pain shot through my head repeatedly. Hot pain. White hot.

My eyes slowly opened. I could see shapes at first, but no figures. Then figures without detail.

"Try to focus", I heard a voice say.

I tried.

"Are you with us?"

"Not really." But I was slowly getting there.

They were coming into focus now... the two of them.

Two of them?

Two familiar faces.

Two sets of beautiful blue eyes.

My thoughts -- "I must be dreaming." "Thank God this can't be real."

They were clearer still now, looking down upon me, worry written on their faces. I'm sure mine echoed back a similiar sentiment.

"Hey," the younger one said after a few moments... "you're okay?"

"I guess," I nodded.

"I'm Nick," he whispered.

"I know."

"We called the police... they should be here soon." And I remembered suddenly. It came spilling back in a huge wave of emotions.

That guy. That gun.

The shots. That body.

The police?

My life was over.

"Everything will be okay," the older one spoke now, reaching out and taking my hand in his. I doubted he was right but I nodded and tried to smile.

"I'm Mary," I'd finally gathered the courage to talk. I had nothing intelligent to say.

"I guess you know I shot him." I motioned awkwardly to the body lying on the floor only a few feet away.

"I'm Brian." He smiled weakly. "From the look of things I'm betting you had your reasons."

I heard the sirens. My heart nearly stopped. There was his hand again, warmly taking mine and holding it tight.

I tried to sit. To quick I guess. The world spun around me and I wretched loudly, the two blondes jumping swiftly out of the way in attempt to avoid the mess that thankfully never came.

I laid back down as Nick wiped the hair away from my eyes.

Pain again. Red hot pain. I gasped and felt another hand.

"Hold tight, they're here."

I was lifted gently onto a stretcher and taken out the doors into the cold January night and to the waiting ambulance. I watched from the back as they wheeled the body out to the coroner's van. Blue and red lights flashed in the distance. My mind still blurry. My head still throbbing. My heart... still broken.

They were there beside me. The two of them. They said they wouldn't leave until they were sure I was fine. I wasn't so sure I'd ever be 'fine' again.

They were very sweet... and very helpful. I owed them. If not for Nick walking in when he did, I would still have been standing inside holding that gun, staring down at that body... that blood... my murder.

They signed autographs for fans as they waited outside for the police to finish questioning me.

This certainly wasn't how I'd ever anticipated meeting my idols.

I was finally done. Finally free.

No prison.

Just awful, horrible memories.

"You sure you'll be okay?" Nick asked before boarding his bus to head off to another place and another time.

"Not sure forever... but okay for the moment."

He hugged me gently.

I smiled. Grateful.

"I'm glad we were here," Brian leaned over and touched my bruised cheek gently before giving me his own sweet version of a bear hug.

"Me too."

They boarded their bus and drove away. Away from all of it. Leaving my alone again.

Alone.

Five months later.

An empty gas station convenient store.

Aisle five.

Blood stains barely visible in the cracks of the tiled floor.

Now only memories...