Leave Me Behind

by K.M. Moronova

“You should’ve forgotten about me.” Her eyes fill with pain as she glides her hand down my chest. “Impossible.” I take her hand and press it against my heart. “You feel that, Bun? It only beats for you. Bones has been dead for years. I just woke up again when I kissed you.” Her eyes brim with tears but I know my words reach her. “I love you, Bradshaw.”

“Did you think we’d send our favorite psycho out here by himself, little bun-bun?” Jefferson steps out from the underbrush, his face completely smothered in mud for camouflage. “Jobs?!” I let out an embarrassing squeal as I jump into his arms. He laughs and pats my head. “Malum doesn’t leave their own behind,” Pete says proudly as he emerges from the bushes and rests his hand on my shoulder. Harrison stands next to Jefferson and winks at me. “Miss us?”

“About four more klicks south. We got lucky that Eren has a buddy in Canada—” Harrison’s head is thrown back with the force of a bullet. His blood coats my face and his hand is violently torn from mine. “Harrison!”

They came back for me. One is already dead for it.

“He refused to let you go,” Pete says sadly as he repositions his M16 to give his hand a break. I nod, not breaking my trance on Bradshaw. Jefferson chuckles, but his tone isn’t happy. “He would’ve come alone if he had to.” My throat tightens. It must tear them up inside that we left Harrison’s body back there. “I’m sorry about Harrison.”

My eyes narrow in misery. She didn’t want to kill anyone, but look what it’s come down to.

One of them looks right into my soul as I pull the trigger. I recognize him as one of Bunny’s guards.

“Bunny!” I shout. Pete snaps his head up and runs to help her. Jenkins lifts his pistol and shoots Pete without a thought. The bullet strikes the side of his head and he falls like he was never anything more than a body thrown into war. No. Jefferson is nowhere to be seen. My eyes lower to the bodies where Pete had stood. My gaze meets Jeffersons’s lifeless eyes, his throat cut

c-can you hum that stupid s-song for me?”

OH IM SIICKKK

It’s a silver round music box with bunnies carved into it. My fingers are shaking so violently that it’s hard to get them to twist the key, but once I do, the same lullaby I hummed for him drums out softly. I lift the lid to the music box and a small note is carved into it. To think of me when I’m away. Gallows & Jenkins

In the end, I fell in love with a Riøt soldier after all.