When the night descended, I knew I had finally gotten it right. Everyone was home and everyone was safe. The laughter floated through the open windows as my cousins told stories of their last, best, but short-lived weekend getaway. I always looked forward to this particular weekend because I knew it may be one of the last we would all be together. Sam and Bethany were set to graduate from college and had just accepted new jobs in Missouri. They had tried to explain to me their new financial and government jobs, but realistically, I understood nothing.
The constant interrupting and laughter was a staple in our family stories. Usually the later the stories went on, the louder we got. When we had exhausted our stories for the night, Lenny always thought we needed to have a dance party on the way to bed. Until the night he collapsed. Collapsed for unknown reasons until we heard the breaking of the glass and the resounding boom.
I had never heard a gunshot before that night and hoped to never hear one again. We all stood around for a few seconds staring at Lenny lying still on the floor. We were all a little confused as to what was happening and what had just happened. With the second breaking of glass, we all fell to the floor around Lenny and stared at each other.
“Run, you idiots. Get out while you still can,” Lenny hissed at us with his last breath.
Standing Room Only 