Things That Bang

Slowly she twisted the knob on the door and stepped out. The door automatically locked behind her. Crickets sang and sprinkles went off in the neighbor's yard. The smell of wet mud assailed her senses.

The suburban neighborhood was quiet. It was two in the night. Except for the raccoons going through the trash no one was awake.

The moon peeked through the clouds and its rays turned her hair into molten fire. She was a vision even though a heavily pregnant one. A bruised Madonna trying to escape the sacred chains.

Her mouth was set in tight lines. She hefted her rucksack over her shoulders and waddled away from a home she had known for five years. Five years of beating, rape and miscarriages.

This was her third conception- a forced one but she wouldn't have her child suffer what she lived.

She knew where the near by shelter was but couldn't go there. He was a cop and so were his friends. They had powers, she didn't.

Was someone following her? Was she being paranoid?

The hair on her nape rose. Something was wrong.

She saw the headlights of a turning car. She backed away as the headlights glared and sped towards her.

She ran but the car was faster.

There was a sickening bump, bigger and nastier than running over an animal.

His eyes closed briefly- pain and anger fought mercilessly in his mind. His hand trembled as he took out his gun. He looked at the broken body lying on the road from his rear view mirror. Streaming red hair bled on the dark tar.

He cocked his gun, put the muzzle in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

There was a bang, the neighbors woke up, peeked outside and called 911.