Broken Sundown

I saw the shock written all over the mans face that he had found a tiny, blonde-haired girl in the police station with a gun raised to his head. I could see in his eyes that he was thinking of what to say and planning out the accuracy of through which to move in. He lifted his hands, one with a gun of his own in it, to the air in surrender to me and I stood my ground with my finger on the trigger.

"Hey now.." He started carefully.

I saw behind him an older black gentleman and what was most likely his son watching, though neither of them held a weapon in their hand.

"Drop your weapon." I said, not taking my eyes off of him.

"We don't mean any harm we just-"

"Drop your weapon." I repeated, terrified that I might actually have to shoot the living.

I watched him lower to the ground, set his pistol on the floor and stand back up to push it to me with his foot. I didn't lower to pick up the gun, but rather my free arm had self-consciously risen to hold the towel over my chest.

"We don't mean any harm." He restated.

"How many?" I asked quietly, keeping the gun aimed at him.

"Just the three of us, no one else." The blue-eyed man answered quietly.

I looked between him, the black man and the boy. The boy had fear written all over his face; fear mixed with panic that I was going to shoot. It was the look on his face that made me click the safety back on and lower my gun to the floor. I leaned over carefully to pick up the other gun and stared at them, covering myself.

"We're sorry to intrude." The blue-eyed man began cautiously, waiting to see if I was going to respond. When I didn't, he continued. "I was a cop here, before whatever all this is happened. We just came in to shower and collect supplies."

I took a moment to get a full look at him and gears in my head began turning. I knew this man. I thought back as to why he seemed so familiar, and it was his piercing blue eyes that reminded me. When I was a freshman in high school, this man, now tall and still as thin though aged in the face many years, was a senior. I recognized the intensity of the eyes and the corners of his mouth and the many, many times I had yearned for them to be on mine, even long after we each had graduated and I saw him around town. This was the man I had yearned for so long ago.

"I'll be done in a minute." I said carefully, spinning his gun in my hand to hold the barrel and offer up the grip.

He nodded slowly and I could see in his beautiful eyes that he was thinking it through too, trying to figure out where he knew me from. He reached out and took the gun from my hand, remaining slow in movement in case I was trying to trick him.

"Thank you." He started, tucking the gun back into the back of his pants.

I nodded and looked at the three of them awkwardly. "I'll come out when I'm done?"

"Oh yeah, sorry." He said and backed up, ushering out the older gentleman and the boy.

I stood there, staring at the open doorway in shock. Not only at myself for aiming a weapon at the living, but for actually seeing him, the man I fawned over for so long. I knew from newspapers of course, that he was married and now had a kid, and I was confused that neither his wife or his son were with him. I wondered if they were dead.

I shook my head to bring myself back to reality and set the gun on the bench in the shower room. I pulled off the towel and wrapped my hair up in it to dry it out. I pulled on clean underwear and a clean sports bra, followed by a pair of shorts. I had found an old belt in my room which I brought with me to secure the shorts. I had lost a few inches from my stomach and waist, and they were now practically falling off of me. I pulled on an undershirt and then a flannel shirt, rolling the sleeves up to the elbows and buttoning a few of the bottom buttons. When I finished dressing, I gathered up my toiletries in my extra bag, though I knew I probably would find no use for a majority of them for awhile. I brushed out my long hair and quickly french braided it to keep it out of my face. Lastly, I slid my back pack over my sore shoulders, tucked a gun in the back of my shorts, and held onto my bow.

I walked out of the shower room and out into the main entry way of the police station, finding the young boy reading a comic book and the two men whispering to each other.

"I'm done." I stated, gaining their attention.

"Thank you." The blue-eyed man smiled.

I smiled solemnly and nodded. "The water is nice and hot, so enjoy it."

"We will." He nodded in return.

The black man and his son ran for the showers, feeling the same excitement and relief that I had felt when I found a source of warm water. After I watched them exit, I turned my gaze back to him.

"I know you, don't I?"

I smiled more this time and nodded again. "We went to high school together."

"I thought so." He nodded, his hands on his hips. "You look good, you know considering..." His face flushed and he tried to reiterate the remark.

"Thank you." I whispered and looked down. "So do you, you know, considering..."

He smiled and looked back up. "Forgive me, but your name escapes me."

"Delilah."

"Rick."

"I know." I murmured slightly.

"Where are you headed, Delilah?" The sound of my name coming from his lips made me feel weak at the knees.

"Atlanta, my parents left a note said they were heading to the army's set up there, so..."

He nodded. "I was leaving for Atlanta today..." He started. "I figure, my family must be there too."

I looked up at him and pieced together that he had been separated from his family, and was no closer to finding them then I was to finding mine.

"I don't know if you were looking for company, but if you wait here for a few, we could go to Atlanta together. Might be safer that way."

I stood in front of him, considering his proposition. I could see all of the desperation in his eyes, whether it be to find his family or for my answer, and I didn't even know I had said 'yes' out loud until he smiled and nodded his head.

"Great. If you'd excuse me, I'm aching for that shower."

I nodded slightly. "If it's alright, I'll meet you back here in an hour, there's some things I want to check out."

He nodded and turned back to the showers, where the sound of running water and singing were originating.