Several police officers with drawn weapons advance slowly through the retreating crowd, shouting for him to drop his weapon.
Eric raises the gun and points it right at me. “You ruined my life,” he yells, his eyes wild.
I’m frozen in terror. My vision narrows to a circle with my mother’s face and Eric’s behind it. I know this is the end. Instinctively, my hands cover my belly.
Just before Eric squeezes the trigger, I’m shoved to the side. I start to fall, arms flailing. A shot rings out. I hit the floor hard; my breath is knocked from my lungs. I hear several more gunshots in quick succession—bam bam bam bam bam—and I scream.
Someone else is screaming. It’s my mother; she’s standing stock still, her shaking hands covering her face.
Eric is lying on the floor behind her. A widening pool
