James wasn’t listening. He was looking behind her at Julian who had come from the back room. He was holding a rifle and had it aimed at James. Fay had never taken Julian to be a tough guy, with a massive gut hanging out of his purple shirt (he liked purple) and a rusty beard covering the lower half of his face. He had beefy arms and short stubby legs. Yet, at that moment, he seemed frightening. ‘Get out,’ Julian ordered menacingly. His deep blue eyes glared into James’ hazel ones. Julian released the safety; James vanished into thin air. ‘What’s going on—’ Fay began. Julian grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the room he had come out of. He didn’t say a word as he pulled her through the back room, then through the back exit. He opened the door and turned to face her. ‘Run home,’ he ordered. ‘Don’t stop for anything.’ She stood frozen to the spot, so he shook her. ‘Fay,’ he shouted, shaking her out of her reverie. ‘Do you understand me?’ She nodded, and he pushed her through the door. ‘Go, now.’ Fay ran the whole way home, panic coursing through her veins like wildfire. What the heck was going on?
Write Now 2013 anthology
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