//------------------------------//
// can't 
// Story: The Alley Outside of 7/11: An Anthology 
// by The Red Parade 
//------------------------------//

fifteen.

shouts in the darkness. forms, moving within the smoke. bursts of fire, filling the air. smoke. everywhere. in her head, in her lungs.

lighting dust coughs. she tries to sit up. can’t. crawls forwards, out of the wreck. ponies crouch and cower around her. pointing. shouting. screaming. 

she tries to stand. can’t. tries to crawl forwards. can’t. metal bar blocking her way. someone notices her and tosses her a gun. points in the other direction and shouts something. can’t hear.

she looks. she sees shapes moving in the smoke and she understands. she raises the gun and fires a burst. one form falls.

fourteen.

her vision is blurry. the gun is shaky in her hooves. she meets spitfire’s eye, who gestures for her to get down. can’t. have to keep fighting.

more forms in the dark. she points and shoots. points and shoots. points and--

a pony falls nearby. misty fly is down.

lightning tries to get to her. can’t.

thirteen.
can’t move. just cover. 

explosion from nearby. she barely hears it. the company medic is next to misty now. cover them. lightning raises the gun again. she fires again. another form drops to the ground.

she looks up. helicopters are flying through the sky above them. not friendly. can’t shoot it down.

twelve.

contact right.

lightning turns her attention to the right side. someone else is down. the medic moves away from misty, but she’s still lying on the ground.

eleven.

ringing in her ears. can’t stop fighting. can’t stop shooting. contact front.

ten.

soarin’ is down. spitfire grabs him and drags him back to cover.

nine.

contact right. cover that side. lightning pulls the trigger and nothing happens. spitfire pulls a magazine out of her combat vest and tosses it over. last mag. make it count.

eight.

a helicopter is descending near them. more hostiles. the spotlight cuts through the smoke like a bullet through a window.

seven.

her hearing’s starting to come back. she hears a voice over the radio.

six.

broken arrow, broken arrow.

five.

copy. it’s been an honor. lightning raises her gun again and fires a burst into the smoke.

spitfire is down.

fleetfoot is down.

midnight strike is--

contact left. contact right. contact front.

four.

right side, right side--

heavy contact front. keep fighting. can’t stop. can’t stop. can’t--

three.

shot, over.

shot, out.

two.

the gun is empty. can’t fight anymore. 

can’t go home again.

one.

lightning looks up.

splash, over.

splash, out

zero.

-

-

-

never should have come here.