The night was quiet—until one call delivered terror, a gunshot, and a scream that might never be forgotten.
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The phone jolted him awake at 2:14 a.m., its shrill ring slicing through the dark like a blade.
He fumbled for it, heart pounding, and saw her name glowing on the screen. Relief flickered—until he heard her voice. Frenzied. Shaking. “They’re here—” she gasped, words tumbling over one another. He sat bolt upright, every nerve alive, but before he could speak, a deafening crack exploded through the line. A gunshot. Then her scream—raw, piercing, and cut short. Silence followed, heavier than any sound. His body froze, phone pressed to his ear, as if holding it tighter could drag her voice back. Was she hurt? Was she gone? A thousand questions collided in his skull, none with answers. Only one truth seared itself into his mind: he couldn’t stay in bed. Throwing on jeans, grabbing his keys, he raced into the night, headlights slicing empty streets, chasing the last sound he might ever hear from her.