A siren rings

A siren rings in minds and aloud
all jump to post or clothes or wakefulness.
Invasion, error, drill or
something.
Whatever.
He hits the floor before he is fully awake and is pulling on clothes and checking gear
as instructions come through.
Anomaly b24
Oh shit,
she is on that watch.
He runs up the grass hill to the concrete block that is b24.
Through the window he sees her and her watch-mate struggling in a purple haze.
Oh fuck.
All thought flees.
The source!
He turns and runs down to it,
flings open the door,
pulls out his weapon,
fumbles with the settings,
stun or kill? 1-5?
He fires.

black
and something else
voices emerging
laughter,
relieved laughter
he’s coming back

shame is a drug,
he has no room for anything else.
He almost killed her.
The setting was too high,
all 3 got fried,
and almost blasted somewhere completely unknown.
If he had thought it through and known enough
and known what was happening
he could have not crippled
and nearly killed them, her.

But she is there, still, and that is enough.