Drop The Gun

***Hazel***

The gun was heavier than I expected. Not just in weight, but in meaning—like the moment I wrapped my hands around it, something irreversible settled into my bones.

My fingers trembled around the barrel as I lifted it, both palms slick with sweat, my arms shaking from more than fear.

I had never held a gun before. Never imagined I would. And yet there I was, standing in the middle of