Water's Wild Power

The bullet hit the water in a hiss and spray. The first one hit the ground near my feet, splashing mud and dust up to my knees.

The next two clipped off the top of my head and the bottom of my neck.

The third bullet flew past my ear, so close I could feel it's hot wind and smell the powder as it went by. The last two bullets flew right over me, hitting the water almost point blank. The bottle dropped out of my hand and into the mud, where it shattered and spilled onto the ground.

I was dead. There was no doubt about that. I had nowhere to run, I'd just wasted all of our water on some stupid bottle, and now we were going to die thirsty while they drank what I could have given them with ease. But somehow I started running through the mud anyway, like there was somewhere else to hide that wasn't right in front of them. And somehow that made it worse because they were taking their time between shots, aiming for all kinds of different things as I ran:

Legs - for slowing me down

Shoulder - for making me drop or throw whatever I was carrying

Head - for killing me

Belly - for crippling me so I couldn't run anymore, then killing me after they'd had their fun with me

My shoulder burned and stung as one grazed my shoulder blade, sending a shockwave up my neck and down my arm, numbing me instantly from fingertips to elbow before re-igniting in white hot agony that kept growing until it felt like someone had set fire to the inside of my body. It didn't hurt enough to slow me down but it hurt enough for them to know where I was hurting least and aiming for that next time. God dammit why did I ever think this was a good idea?

Two guys came out from behind a ruined car just ahead of me so I ducked into an open doorway on the left side of the street. If they'd been expecting me, they would have moved their cars around the corner or shot through the doorway at any second, but instead they got out of their cars to see if there was anything interesting back where I'd been hiding.

I waited until they were both looking down the street toward where I had been running to jump up behind them and shove them both back against their cars before they could even turn around.

"You don't want him." The shorter one said as he struggled against my grip on his shirt collar and belt buckle. "He's no good."

"Are you kidding?!" The taller guy shouted over his shoulder at me while he tried to break free without getting in range of any fists or knees from either one of us."You want *this* piece of shit?" He used his chin to point at himself while trying again to get loose from my grip on him. "Just let go!"

I squeezed harder on his collarbone until he grunted in pain and stopped struggling against me.

"No," he whispered in a harsh breathy voice as he looked up at me pleadingly with red eyes that swam with tears threatening to fall if he blinked too hard or shook his head too much. "Please." He begged quietly for just a moment before turning his face away from mine as though ashamed that he even thought about begging anyone to spare his life when he'd just tried to kill someone else's. "Just... Let go." He whispered again more quietly than before when he turned back toward me with watery eyes full of fear and regret as though begging someone not to beat him up instead of not wanting them to kill him when what he really meant was that he didn't want *me* beating him up when what he really meant was that he wanted someone else beating him up instead because *he* hadn't earned it, while what *he* really meant was: "Please don't touch *me*."

I released his collarbone which jerked him forward slightly as it popped back into place before letting go completely so he could straighten himself up properly again once more.

He rubbed at his collarbone tenderly with one hand while wiping tears away with the other until finally finding an acceptable level of sobriety long enough to look into my eyes once more with a pained expression etched across every line in his face that seemed like it should be familiar somehow but wasn't quite yet.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered softly at last before turning away from me embarrassed by what he wasn't allowed to say about himself or who knew how many other things besides for having failed whoever or whatever had taught him better than this despite having known him long enough for all kinds of things about him not being good enough to matter anymore although maybe they did matter after all only not so much as everyone else might expect or hope except maybe him because maybe this mattered most after all especially if you wanted everything else you supposedly deserved including your life while not having done anything worthwhile enough lately despite what everyone expected you do without asking you whether or not you wanted anyone else doing those things for you even though no one seemed very happy about those expectations not being met except maybe everyone except maybe you who wanted something else entirely except maybe not expecting anyone else knowing how badly you wanted something else entirely while no one seemed willing enough able or interested enough otherwise especially considering how badly everyone else seemed wanting everything else entirely including your life when maybe nothing much has changed since even yesterday except possibly maybe something everything entirely including your life but who knows about today except maybe God-damn well fucking sure everything will tomorrow especially considering how no one has lived today yet so far besides for you yourself because here you are living today already living tomorrow already living today already living tomorrow already living today already living tomorrow already living today already living today already living tomorrow already living today already living tomorrow already living today already living tomorrow already live--

 "Hello?" A voice interrupted suddenly from somewhere nearby above us. "Is everything OK?" It asked softly after a pause during which we continued staring silently into each others' eyes while ignoring whoever might be watching us wondering what we were thinking now especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyway especially considering how embarrassing this must be anyways--

 "Everything's fine!" The taller guy shouted suddenly interrupting our staring contest with some kind of forced cheerfulness that didn't seem like it would make anyone feel better but still made us both smile regardless because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other instead which felt better somehow because now we were smiling at each other--

 "Oh great!" The taller guy shouted again louder than before interrupting our staring contest once more after looking around nervously before seemingly remembering something important and pulling himself back together again suddenly realizing there was something more important than whatever either one of us might have been thinking about then yelling towards where whoever might have been listening earlier might still have been listening even if only pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen specifically towards whoever might have been listening earlier but pretending not listen--

 "Alright! Alright! We're coming!" The shorter guy shouted over his shoulder after giving us a quick look over his shoulder before starting off through the wreckage carefully picking his way through twisted metal bodies crushed beyond recognition until reaching somewhere safe on higher ground farther away from who ever may still be looking for us down below wherever there may still be someone left alive left alive somewhere besides here beside--

A low whistling sound sent dirt flying into our faces and a sharp crack split the air behind us followed by a loud thud louder than anything heard since forever ago drowning out every memory screaming louder than every thought drowning out every thought screaming louder than every word drowning out every word screaming louder than every regret drowning out every regret screaming louder than every vision drowning out every vision screaming louder than every hope drowning out every hope screaming louder than everything