I stood in front of my fridge, the dull light inside illuminating the complete lack of food.

I hadn't been shopping in weeks, unable to find the time between work and my studies. Sighing, I closed the door. There was no time like the present. Grabbing my keys and bag off on the kitchen bench, I locked and left my apartment towards the garage below.

The sun had set hours ago, darkness overtaking the streets when I pulled my old blue ford out of underground parking.

Street lamps guided me three blocks from home, a typical Wednesday night in town, quiet, especially so as the light fall of rain began to settle.

My eyes were heavy, my body overtired having been denied sleep over the last 24 hours. All I could think of were my commitments, my future, had I of failed my assessments. I couldn't let my dad down, not after everything he had done for me.

Pulling the car into a narrow parking space in front of the corner store, I pulled my keys from the ignition. I gazed up through my closed window at the sky, spitting rain at a more forceful rate. I groaned and pulled my hairband from my right wrist, twisting my dark hair into a loose low bun. Tugging my cardigan closer to my chest, I exited my car, darting through the puddles collecting on the pavement. Water splashed into my shoes, onto the bottoms of my pants, sticking to my skin.

Pulling open the store door, warmth enveloped me. The small bell above the door sounded my entrance as I shook myself off like an uncomfortable wet dog.

"Good evening Jasmine" Tony greeted me with his thick Spanish accent from behind his counter to the right of me

"Hey Tony" I replied with a small smile

""I haven't seen you in a while, how are your studies going?" He asked politely, sorting through a pile of receipts

I gave a small chuckle, moving towards him "I'm getting there, but it's hard"

"You will get there, you are smart, your dad would be so proud of you.." He trailed off, sorrow filling his expression, his dark eyes dropping slightly

"Thank you Tony" I smiled, picking up a basket "I noticed there were cigarettes left at his headstone the other week, was that.."

Tony's eyes lifted, and so did his moustache with his lips "I thought he might like them"

I nodded my head, chuckling "He would have appreciated it"

"He told me every night he picked them up, 'I have to smoke them out of my bedroom window so my daughter doesn't find out'.." He attempted a deep husky tone like my fathers had been

"I knew for years he had been smoking, but I never said anything to him about it, I knew he needed the outlet, without my judgement" I recalled the memory, the smell that would linger off his clothes and pores each day

Tony smiled, his eyes turning back to his receipts. I took the opportunity to begin my shopping, my limbs feeling heavier by the minute.

Sighing, I turned to the first aisle, quiet music playing above me, soothing my grinding headache. I began to sing along to the dull tune, mumbling when the sound of the bell from the front door sounded again.

As I picked up two green apples, placing them inside my basket, I heard the unmistakable panic of Tony's distinct accent.

My eyebrows pulled together in the middle as I turned, unrecognisable noises erupting from the front counter.

My heart began to pound inside my chest, my ears attempting to understand the frantic voices of numerous men.

At first, I was concerned Tony was having a heart attack, knowing he'd had a history of cardiovascular problems in the past. Slowly I moved out of the aisle, and as I did, I came face to face with the horrific scene unfolding meters from where I stood.

Two men were in front of the counter, dressed in black hoodies, dark jeans and boots. They each held automatic weapons in their grasps, pointing them directly into Tony's terrified face

"Open it!" One of the men demanded, raising his weapon higher in threat

My mouth fell open, my heart falling into my stomach. I knew what was happening, I knew how dangerous this was for Tony, and now, for me. I stood silently behind them, unsure of how to response, how to help.

"Hurry up!" The other shouted, unexpectedly slamming the butt of the small weapon against Tony's nose over the counter

Tony yelped in pain, clutching his nose, blood escaping his nostrils at the blow. I shuddered as his eyes met mine, quickly moving from my face to the cash register. He began with one hand, fumbling around inside, stuffing handfuls of money into a black backpack on the counter top.

Frozen in place, I waited for them to take what they had come for before hastily leaving.

I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. All I hoped for was that they would exit as quickly as they had entered, without noticing me, without hurting Tony any more than they already had, both physically and mentally.

"All of it!" The impatient man at the front screamed, shaking his head, frustrated as he roughly climbed over the bench, shoving Tony to the side to do it himself

Tony stood behind the man, watching him empty the till, his hands shakily by his sides, splattered in blood from his nose and face. Again he made eye contact with me, slowly tilting his head for me to return to the secrecy of the first aisle, but I couldn't.

He tried again and again, urging me to take cover, and all I could do was watch him, my eyes unblinking, shock overwhelming me.

When he pulled his eyes from me, I noticed his right hand begin to move slowly underneath the counter, his fingers searching for the emergency switch I knew was there.

I shuddered once his touch found the button, pressing it firmly. A small part of me had felt relieved, knowing emergency services would be alerted, on their way to the rescue.

"What did you do?! What did you do?!" The armed man remaining outside of the counter pressed his weapon against Tony's temple, climbing over the bench as his accomplice had.

He ducked beneath the waist high surface and when he reappeared, I instantly noticed the pure rage within his piercing blue eyes.

"He pressed the emergency button!" He began, livid as his friend completed the ransacking of the register, slinging the bag over his back

"Why did you do that? You idiot! You idiot!" His temper flared, forcing his shotgun into Tony's head, pushing him backwards

They had what they needed, I couldn't understand why they weren't leaving.

My hands were shaking, my eyes cemented on the surreal reality in front of me

In one swift movement, Tony did the unthinkable, his right hand finding a steel pole leaned against a nearby shelf. He gripped the metal and spun it towards the man in front of him, the steel rod colliding against his head, knocking his hoodie down.

Chaos exploded.

Tony and the assailant began wrestling one another, the gun detonating into the ceiling, leaving a gulping hole. They groaned and grumbled, their movements too fast for me to keep up with, and then, another pop shattered through the small shop, silencing the situation to a halt.

I flinched, my eyes welling with tears as I saw Tony take a bullet to the side of his head, his large body crumpling to the ground instantly.

My basket was now on the floor, my apples rolling out towards the front door.

I could feel my lungs constricting, my breathing rigid and uneven, a scream escaped my lips unwillingly as my hands flew over my mouth in horror.

Instantly, two sets of eyes darted in my direction, both their hoodies fallen, revealing to me their each and every detail. They appeared to be related, the same piercing deep blue eyes catching sight of me, standing weak-knee'd and fragile.

Before I could run, before I could shield myself, the more aggressive looking relative came charging at me. He raised his weapon and aimed, and in that moment, I realised that I was going to die. I held my breath, closing my eyes, waiting, sirens wailing in the distance, and then I felt a sharp pain connect with my head, knocking me to the floor, knocking the sight out of me.

My eyes darkened, my head aching, persisting on succumbing to tempting sleep. I clutched my legs and pulled them to my chest, sobbing as warm blood coated my forehead.

Behind the ringing inside my ears, the sirens appeared to be closing in. They were coming, they were close. I needed to stay awake, I needed to wait for them to find me, to find Tony.

Forcing through my pain, I pulled myself upwards, opening my eyes.

Everything was blurry, blood sticking to my eyelashes as I blinked. Using my arms and legs as a baby would, I began to crawl towards the front door, waving my left arm above me to set the automatic door open.

The rain was heavy, the outside air cold, but I focused on the flashing blue and red lights, the sound echoing through my ears.

It was as I dragged myself to the pathway in front of the store that the multiple police cars reached the curb, slamming their vehicles to a stop before emerging with their weapons drawn

"Help" I reached for them, my voice inaudible "Please.."

The world spun around me, rain falling on my face, on my body, causing me to shiver.

Sleep began to pull at me again, relief washing over me when a pair of arms gripped my shoulders, a voice above me speaking

"Ma'am, ma'am? What is your name?" He asked, gently lifting my fallen face to inspect the damage

"I need a medic over here now!" He called as my eyes caught sight of his face, his dark brown eyes staring down at me

I was safe, I was tired. I couldn't deny myself the darkness any longer, I needed to sleep, so I fell, my body dropping limp as a strong pair of arms prevented me from hitting the ground.

•

The even repetitive beeps were the first thing drawing me back to reality. I focused on the noise, listening to it mimic the rhythm of my heartbeat. I knew it, I recognised it.

Flinching my fingers, I felt the unnatural added weight of my right hand pointer finger. It was a pulse oximeter.

Breathing had become normal again for me, even, calm, the smell of alcohol rub and medical grade disinfectant running through my lungs. It didn't take me long to realise where I was, without having to open my eyes.

I wondered what my injuries were, I wondered how long I had been unconscious for.

Slowly peeling my eyes open, the blur that had previously been there, was gone. I was lying in a hospital bed, an IV attached to my left arm, a bag of fluids dripping through my veins.

A blanket was draped over my waist, a pillow underneath my head.

The curtains on either side of me were pulled open, both beds beside me empty. Leaning forward to catch the attention of a nurse, pain radiated into my skull, pounding against my bone. I winced and instinctively clutched my head, gritting my teeth. As my fingertips pressed against my temples, I felt the sensation of a bandage sealed over the left side of my forehead.

"Jasmine?" A petite voice snapped my attention from the pain, her body appearing at the foot of my bed

Her sensitive hazel eyes were on mine, her smile gentle as she neared the side of my bed, a clipboard beneath her right arm

"My name is Sam, I'm the nurse that has been caring for you" She introduced herself, sweeping back her blonde bob behind her ears.