Rain hammered against the pavement, drowning out everything else. I pulled my hood tighter, shivering in the cold. All I wanted was to get home quickly—away from the freezing rain, away from the endless noise. My thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a flash of bright, blinding light.

  Gunshots exploded around me, the sounds deafening, overwhelming.

  Sharp, unbearable pain pierced my chest, sending me crashing onto the wet ground. "What...? What's going on?!" My mind raced in panic, heart thundering wildly. Chaos blurred around me—shouting voices, panicked footsteps scattering.

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  My body refused to respond, heavy and numb. Fear clawed desperately at my thoughts.

  In the distance, ambulance sirens wailed faintly, gradually growing louder. Time warped seconds felt like hours.

  I felt myself lifted roughly, a brief flash of cold metal and bright lights. Inside the ambulance, I struggled for breath, hearing my heartbeat slow down.

  With each shallow inhale, my vision darkened, slipping steadily away until finally, only silence remained.