[Drabble]
I feel the steel of a gun press against my neck. It's hot from the scorching Mojave weather, and I'm almost disappointed by it.
"Rookie mistake." I mutter, and in a flash the gun is in my hands, and my would-be murderer is on the ground, mouth full of blood and trying not to look scared. I feel the smallest twinge of remorse. Used to be nothing could make me hit a woman. But after Arizona, after Los Fuerte, I don't take chances anymore.
I hold the rifle steady, just out of reach for her, and am set to fire, when suddenly her eyes go wide at something behind me. She gives me no warning, just jumps up and races for the house. I turn, and what I see makes me fire instantly.
Looks like God is on my side today. The thing drops from the sky, all leathery skin and webbed wings, quickly turning to nothing more than wisps of smoke as it hits the ground. Behind me, I hear a pained shriek. I turn to follow the sound, the hairs on my arms rising, and suddenly I'm slammed with deja vu.
The face was never clear, but there's no mistaking that cherry red hair. It was never much, but the flashes had been haunting me since I passed into Nevada. And now here she is, no more than ten paces away, and the fear pouring off of her from the present and the past is almost crippling.
I leave the rifle on the ground, setting my own beside it as a good faith measure. She's watching me with a hatred that could have easily masked the terror, if only I couldn't see it playing out all around us. The one I hit has a firm grasp on her, and she's desperately trying to talk the redhead down. I see this play out over their entire lives. They're children, preteens, teenagers, and it's happening all the time. It will keep happening for the rest of their lives.
I hold my hands up in a peaceful gesture, staying where I am. I slowly and carefully disarm myself, leaving each weapon that they can see on me in a pile on the ground. For added faith, I even throw in a couple that I keep hidden. The only one I keep is the Glock strapped to my left calf. There's good faith, and then there's stupidity. I won't go quite that far. As the final step to earn their trust, I pick up the older girl's rifle and toss it back to her.
"Shouldn't sneak up on people like that. Not only scares them, but it puts you right in the line of danger."
The older sister looks down, clearly masking her embarrassment that she made such a potentially fatal mistake. I look to the redhead then. The brunette acts like the leader, but if I can read the flashes correctly, it's the younger of the two that really calls the shots. And my instincts tell me that she is the important one here. She is why I couldn't take the other roads.
"I'm sorry that I hurt the both of you. I'm just lookin' to get some water, and then I'll be on my way."
The last part is a lie. I've already seen that I'll never leave this house without her. But neither of them need to know that. Knowing the future is my burden to bear. Let them keep their delusions of choice and free will. It will be the biggest favor I can ever do for them.