Dear Austin...

"Head down to the basement. Please, I'll come down in a few." I begged Austin and Alan. I knew mom and LP were out on for the first time in a while. They went to get some flowers to put in pots for the fall season. I'm glad they weren't here for now.

"Ok." Austin took my hand in his as I crept into the house. Peeking around the corner, I heard my dad in the kitchen, riffling through the fridge. Austin and Alan barely made a noise heading downstairs. To help cover up, I made a big deal of closing the door and walking down the hall. It wasn't angrily, but it was enough to cover up the sound. My father turned around.

"Where were you?" He snarled as the door slammed shut. He was drunk off his feet again. I stood in the middle of the hallway that connected the door way to the kitchen. A panic rose up in me.

"I was just at percussion practice, dad." I trembled slightly, but gained my composure. If anything were to happen, I was just glad that Lily-Pearl and my mom weren't around to witness it.

"Stop lying to me." He growled again. He took a few stumbling steps towards me. I backed up to the door to get out of his space. His lip curled into a sneer again.

"Who were you with? Was it James? He's hiding in the garage, isn't he?" My dad spat out. I could barely contain myself.

"I wasn't with anybody!" I screamed back at him. I was tired of always being put down. He may have been blood related, but he sure didn't act like a father.

"Shut up you worthless girl!" He barked. Shoving me into the door, I slid down the wood frame in a daze. He stumbled out of the house and into the garage. I followed him as a tight knot formed in my throat. His direction confirmed it.

My dad picked up our BB gun and loaded it with our 'special' bullets. They were an extra sharp, expanding pellet. As soon as they embedded itself in the target, they expanded to three times the size. His clumsy hands loaded the gun and swung it around the garage, screaming for James to come out.

"Stop dad!" I yelled to him. I managed to push him half way down my drive way, near his truck's door when he swung the butt of the gun at me. As much as I tried to block the blow, he knocked my off my feet. The blow to the head made the world spin, and i looked up to my dad's raged face. I scrambled to my feet and back up to the garage car doors. The trees finally righted themselves as two guys crashed through the door. The ginger princess and singer had come.

"Stop, Mr. Croft." Austin commanded in a firm voice. My dad stood his ground, dumbfounded. Both of them stood in front of me, trying to create a shield. For their valiant efforts, I had to applaud them. But then the dream came back. Tears leaked down my face.

No. This couldn't be reality.

NO!

"So you've been with these two boys for the past week! How much did you pay them, a hundred?" My father yelled at me. He swung the gun's muzzle around like a wicked tool. It may have just been a BB gun, but i was more afraid of the expanding pellets and other ammo he held.

"Mr. Croft, set down the weapon and we'll just all go back inside." Alan tried to reason with him. The barrel of the gun was suddenly pointed to Alan. My heart froze.

"Austin, move!" I pleaded to him. It was if they fell on deaf ears. If I tried to get past them, they blocked me. Austin's hand snaked around to grab my arm protectively. I collapsed behind him. All I could see was his bloody form lying on the ground, with Alan next to him and a man screeching in the distance.

"I should just shoot you all to be over with this." He spat to them. I saw his finger move to pull the trigger.

In a swift motion, I slammed Austin and Alan out of the way so that they stumbled to the side. moving forward, I took the bullet for them.

Pain, swift, unending, and unfailing agony swept through my body. No sound escaped my mouth, but a breath was stuck in my throat. Looking down, my legs shook as I saw the blood pool from in my right ribs. A car door slammed and tires squealed away from the house.

"Rae!" A voice sobbed from both sides. I collapsed to my knees and fell to the cement. I could see Alan pick me up. Austin, tears streaming down his face hovering over me, he was trying to say something, but my brain couldn't focus. All I could give him was a blank stare.

"Raelyn, stay with me." Austin begged for my consciousness. Looking at him, I lifted one hand to gently touch his cheek. It was wet and salty from the tears. He hopped into the car, and settled me in his lap, trying for me to be comfortable. Alan hopped into the driver's side, pulling out of the street and going to the hospital.

"Austin." I whispered, trying to breathe past the wound that caused so much agony. He leaned closer to me so I didn't strain my voice.

"What is it, honey?" He choked up. I paused for the moment, trying to speak.

"Please end the pain." I begged him. It was tearing me apart. The burning of the bullet, the hot metal searing my flesh caused me to gasp. All I could mouth was help, help me, please help. Over and over I asked him.

"We'll be there soon, sweetheart." Alan tried to explain, but I was already starting to pass out. The darkness cooled the wound. I gladly let it overcome me. At least I was safe in Austin's arms. If I were to die from the blood loss, it would be in my own safe place.

Notes

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