Times Up!

I looked up at my ravishing wife who sat across the table from me, she wore her hair in curls that day with bright red lipstick. I remember the sun shining on her threw the glass window as she was smiling looking at the menu of our favorite diner. I had stuck a white colored fake flower from the vase sitting on the table, on the left side of her hair. The waiter was a tall Caucasian male with a four-inch-long ginger colored beard who, sat down two glasses of water with utensils and napkins. My wife and I both thanked the waiter for being attentive. My wife then grabbed her utensils and started setting up her side of the table. She had ordered her usual shrimp alfredo with extra alfredo sauce on the side while I, ordered a new dish called, “The Double Stacker Deluxe Taco Burger.” My body was craving for something meaty and greasy and that sound like a perfect meal to satisfy me. I had opened up my napkin that read, “Get out, while you still can.” A puzzle look ran across my face after reading that message written in a red marker.

“Pop.”

I suddenly felt a sharp, painful sensation pierce threw my left shoulder. Next thing you know I was on the cold, dark wooden floor of the diner with my ears ringing grabbing my shoulder. I moaned and groaned in awe while squeezing the top of my left arm hoping that squeezing it would slow down the painful sensation but, it continued to get worst. I removed my hand to see that I was bleeding. There was blood all over the floor. There was blood all over me!

The ringing sound in my ears started to subsided and I gain more clarity of the sounds around me. Screams from adults and children wailing flooded my ears as well as, dishes breaking and dropping on the floor. More popping noises was going off inside the diner. I finally made out the popping noises, they were gunshots. I laid on the floor while trying to comprehend what had happen.  I had been shot.  There was a shooter or shooters in the diner. My WIFE! I looked up to see Julia my wife…

She had her left arm stretched out toward me bleeding from a single gunshot wound to the head. Her yellow polka dot dress was now painted red just like the color of her lips but, from her own blood. She was just sitting at the table smiling, she was happy that we were spending the afternoon together. How could this had happened? How could this be? This had to be a dream but, the pain coming from my left shoulder and now from my heart was all too real to be just a dream. In fact, this was a nightmare. I cried out her name several times wishing she would move. With all the strength I had left I, rested my head on her dead body crying my heart out.

“That’s my story, that’s all I can remember. I passed out after that.”

“Well were going to have an abundance of officers and arm security guards circling this entire hospital as long as you or any other survivors are here,” the detective said clearing his throat. Then he continued, “Just in case these guys come back to start something here, we will be ready. The officers won’t hesitate to shoot. “

“What makes you think that they would come here?”, I asked.

“Do you remember that college shooting that took place three years ago? If not let me tell you. I believe these are the same two people who got away with killing twenty- three college students and professors. The two survivors who were students, were later found dead weeks after the shooting. They were killed the same way that their classmates and professors were.  I think these people track down the last two survivors and killed them. Their goal is to hit a killing spree, I can tell by their killing style. This is just fun and games to them. The police are out now searching high and low for these maniacs. We cannot let them get away this time!”

“Yes, I remember that shooting. That took place two years after I had graduated college. I remember my parents being joyful that I was finished with college. That was the third college shooting of the year so far during that time but, any who, how many of us survived?   

The detective took a deep sigh, “So far, you only.”

My heart dropped to my stomach when he said that. I couldn’t believe the words he just spoke. So that bullet that hit me was actually suppose to kill me. It took my wife’s life instead. It was a threw and threw. It left out my shoulder and went straight for her head.

“One more question detective.  If that indeed is the same people, how many people did they kill this time?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot give you that answer. There still finding bodies as we speak. Let me know if you remember anything else,” the detective said tilting the brim of his brown hat placing his business card on the chair next to me.

As he started to walk away toward the door, he turned around. “I’m sorry for your lost.”

The cops followed out my hospital room with the detective while I laid back on the hospital bed contemplating on everything that transpired earlier this afternoon. This is not only one of the worst days of my life but also the most regretful as well. It would have only taken ten seconds for me to choose another place to eat at in the neighborhood instead of taking my wife to our usual spot. She deserved to eat somewhere better and more divine. At the same time, she wasn’t picky, just a simple woman who wanted to enjoy a day out with her husband and didn’t care where we ate at as long as we were together. My wife’s death is on me. Now I don’t deserve to live anymore because I failed to keep her alive with me.