Leave her be

The girl is still shaking, arms wrapped around herself and eyes fixed on you like you’re the only solid thing left in the room.

You don’t look at her again.

You have to move fast before someone comes running in here. The first body with AK, two magazines, pistol and grenade. The second same rifle, three magazines and two grenades. Last one is still breathing, so you kneel and drive the rusted knife into the soft spot under his jaw until the gurgles to a stop. You wipe the blade on his sleeve and take his pistol and the taped grenade.

Everything heavy goes into pockets or on your belt. You leave the other two AKs preferring you own AK you hid behind the door but you took their mags for extra bullets. You’re already at the door when you hear her bare feet running behind you.

“Wait!” she hisses.

You don’t slow down. You push out into the smoke and firelight.

She follows anyway, clutching torn blouse closed with one fist and stumbling over broken glass and bodies. Ten steps behind, then five and then two.

You keep walking. She keeps coming. At the corner you finally stop, turn and glare down at her.

“Stop following me.”

Her chin lifts, trembling but stubborn. “I’m not staying in there with them. Dead or not.”

You stare at her for a long second. Blood drips from your lip onto the pavement between you.

She doesn’t flinch.

You turn and start toward the cathedral again.

She falls in at your side, barefoot, silent and keeping pace.