[TWs before you read - Alcohol, Gun, Sexual innuendos, Sexual assualt, Almost rape, Hospital, Drunk person, Puke, Pistol whipping, Passing out and food mention]

I downed the last of my Daiquiri, nearly breaking the glass when I sat it back onto the counter. Whoa. I should probably get some water, I definitely don’t want a repeat of our last bar outing. The bartender started to make another, but I waved her off. She’s very lovely, I should buy her a drink and let her relax with me. Hey! Where’d my glass go? I shifted in my seat and felt a familiar pang of uncomfortability. I looked over to the line for the bathroom, it went on for miles. Yeah, no. I’m just gonna take this conversation with my bladder to the side of the building. 

Whoa, I didn’t know this club could spin. 

I could feel something grab my arm, catching me from falling, “What are you doing Huegs?” I tried yanking my arm away, but the grasp was strong. I heard a quick uttered apology, it sounded like Daniel? That makes sense, he’s always forgetting his strength. 

Wait, did he ask me something?

Oh, right! “Gotta pee,” Wow, that was hard. “Going out back.” That was really hard.

“You want me to go with you? Mels is over there with an old friend of hers and William is making out with that biker guy I was flirting with earlier. I can watch you real quick.” 

Aww! He cares so much about me! He is adorable!

I shake my head at his offer and mumble something close to ‘I got it!’ As I walked, more like stumbled, towards the door, I could hear him tell me to be safe. He’s sweet.

I made it to the alley! Yay for me! I go behind the dumpster to do my business, Y’know, for privacy reasons. I’m surprised no-one's back here with me. That bathroom line was pretty crowded. I can hear one of my favorite songs by Selena playing through the wall. Ah, just as I started peeing too. I sing the song quietly to myself, maybe getting a little loud at times. Volume control is kinda hard.

I finish up and shake a few times, enjoying the feeling of my own hands. Ugh, I gotta find someone to take home tonight before I get too drunk to function. Pulling my skirt back down, I hear someone kick a trash can behind me. Huh? Maybe they realized how long that stupid bathroom line was? Maybe that can be my ‘Take out’ for tonight too? I giggle to myself then turn to face the person, preparing my best pickup line, but before I could even get a squeak out, I see a barrel pointed between my eyes.

“Oh~ You’re a pretty one, aren’t you?”

I looked past the gun to see a person with a mask on. I couldn’t register the rest of whatever they were wearing, I barely registered the mask. The clouds in my head were dispersing quick, but I still couldn’t think of a way out of this situation. 

I resorted to the one thing I’m good at.

“Y’know you could just ask me out if you think I’m that cute. No need for all the dramatics, Love, I’m very muchly willing.” As the words left my mouth, I felt a blinding sting across my face. My body fell to the disgusting alley floor, landing next to a discarded, moldy taco shell. 

“I was just gonna mug you, but since you’re so willing, let’s have a bit of fun.” 

The person grabbed me by the hair, thrusting my face in front of their pants. I stared blankly, trying to blink away tears that were surfacing. Pain screamed all inside my head, replacing the peaceful yet disorienting clouds from earlier. It almost blocked out the masked person barking orders at me to ‘get to work’. 

Oh. Oh… He wants me to-

“Huegues! Bugga-Boo! You alright over there?”

Melina-y? When did she get here? The sharp, loud pain that was haunting my brain subsided into a dull ringing. I tried to listen past the ringing, but all I could hear was the masked person ordering me to respond. I could clearly feel the gun jutted to the middle of my forehead, though. At least those senses were still functioning clearly. My anxiety and stomach teamed up to let me know that this situation was not a good one. 

Like I needed the reminder.

Before I knew it, I’m further on my knees, expelling all the filth I consumed in the last couple of hours. How many bars had we been to? It seemed like so many. I felt the ground shake a bit from parading footsteps. My hair was being grabbed again, was that a wall behind me? My arm bone feels weird. Is it twisted?

Everything is happening too fast.

Then nothing is happening at all.

The ringing dispersed for a minute. In that moment, I could see the masked person facing my friends. They must’ve come to check on me. They’re so sweet. I love them. Wait, the person is pointing a gun at my friends.

He’s pointing a gun at my friends.

He’s pointing a gun at Daniel and Melina-y.

He is going to shoot my friends.

He is going to kill my friends.

He is going to shoot and kill my friends.

Heisgoingtokillmyfriendsheisgoingtokillmyfriendskillmyfriendskill-

A trash can hurled at the person’s head. A sickening crunch was heard.

And then?

Ringing.

Black.

Sirens.

Beeping.

An IV drip.

My friends.

I felt the dull pain again. I heard hushed whispering. I tasted metal. I smelled food.

Food?

I pried my eyes open just to immediately close them again. The lights were too bright. But my stomach is empty and there’s food somewhere. I tried again, slower this time. I saw my daughters standing over me, whispering. I looked around, there was a bag of Wacky Warren’s fast food sitting on the bedside table. I tried sitting up to reach for it, only to feel a lightning bolt of pain shoot through my arm. I cursed, trying to reposition myself. They stopped whispering and looked at me, ew eyes.

“Parental unit!” “Huegues!”

Pain sprinted through my arm again, but I let it. I would let pain 100x greater than that if it meant I got to engulf my daughters in hugs. I felt wetness seeping into one of my shoulders, “Mads, don’t cry over little ol’ me. I’ll be fine, I’ve been through worse.” I guess Lily noticed the hoarseness in my voice because she reached behind her and grabbed a hidden drink.

“It’s lemonade! Pink, just like you like it!”

“You know me so well, My dear. Thank you.” I tried gulping it down, but ended up just choking myself. Madison straightened up to help me. I took some deep breaths, sat up, and then took a few sips. Refreshing! Madison wiped her tears and set the cup down.

“I would’ve killed that person for you if Granny Mels and Daniel didn’t get to them first.”

Before I could ask what she meant by that, Lily clarified for me.

“Grandma and Daniel beat them within a inch of their life and then a couple cops came to take them away.”

Wait, when did all this happen? Was it before or after the ringing and sounds and stuff? Yet again, my questions were interrupted. The door flew open and, before I could register what was happening, I felt another pair of arms around me and another jolt of pain.

“Oh my Tenebris! I am so sorry for not being there for you! I was just kinda tied up, I would’ve helped! I’m so sorry! I-”

“Willy-Bear. Please calm down, Huegues isn’t upset at all. Right Bugga-Boo?”

I hadn’t even had time to process William’s distress before I was being asked something. I took a second to respond, “Hey yeah, it’s totally ok Will. I would only be upset if that Biker guy didn’t do a good job.” I chuckled at the blush fading in on William’s face. He straightened back up and crossed his arms. Now that I wasn’t surrounded by fabric and arms, I could see Melina-y and Daniel now in the room, standing near the door. 

“Oh, my heroes have arrived!” Mels’ smile widened with triumph while Daniel blushed and looked at the floor.

These idiots are so adorable!