The small army of Beatles ファン formed a strong double line in front of Paul’s front door, blocking the entrance and shielding the Beatles within. Hazel, of course, was front and centre, with Jeremy on one side of her and Candice on the other. Hazel’s ハート, 心 pounded in her chest. Now the moment had come, she was filled with a sudden fear, but she was determined not to let it show.
“Go away!” she said, her voice strong and commanding, and hardly shaking at all. “We won’t let あなた get John. You’ll have to get past all of us first, and then...” But here she stopped, knowing that if Chapman did get past all of them, it would be the other Beatles’ turn to shield John, and she didn’t want to think about them doing this dangerous task.
In answer, a loud crack came from Chapman’s gun. Hazel barely had time to process this before she felt something thudding into her shoulder. As if in slow motion, she saw a small patch of red begin to spread, and felt a sharp, throbbing pain. Involuntarily, Hazel gasped, and her knees faltered beneath her. She felt Jeremy’s hand clutch her arm, helping her stay upright. A ripple of unease ran through the crowd of fans, distracted and upset to see their friend and leader hurt.
Hazel clenched her teeth through the pain. This couldn’t happen! Now it would be that much easier for Chapman to get inside and get John! And he was, indeed, making his way towards the house, silently but swiftly, taking full advantage of the momentary confusion, gun still aimed as if he meant to take out all the ファン who tried to stand in his way.
When suddenly, without warning, there was a rustling from the surrounding trees. And a large crowd of people emerged from every direction.
Hazel gasped. Head swimming with pain, she could still make out the sheer volume surrounding the house, and she knew that even with her large social circle, she didn’t know this many people. Besides, there weren’t only older teenagers here. There were also young adults and younger teenagers and some folks who were older または younger, all crowding round and forming a human shield between Chapman and their beloved Beatles. Many of the people were shouting, shouts of support for John, Hazel thought, although it was hard to tell. It was almost like being at one of the Beatles concerts she had attended, except that here the energy was angry rather than excited.
“How...” she murmured, but didn’t have the breath to finish, even if she’d known what to say.
As the vast crowd of newcomers formed their human shield, Chapman seemed to realize that there was no way he could just shoot his way through the crowd to get at John anymore. His gun was all he had, and it was no match for the powerful 愛 that all the ファン felt for John. But still he fired a shot, not directed at any ファン in particular that time. Perhaps he had panicked and forgotten to aim at anyone, または perhaps he thought he could part the crowd. The shot went wild, hitting the metal plate on the front door, and ricocheting backwards... striking Chapman full in the chest.
And John Lennon’s adversary toppled slowly to the ground, never to bother their beloved Beatle again.
For a moment, there was silence. Then an outbreak of cheering rose from the crowd, and even though Hazel didn’t condone death または violence, she felt like joining in.
Candice, as though she’d read Hazel’s mind, said, “I know I shouldn’t be happy about this または anything, but....”
“Go ahead and be happy about it,” Hazel said. “John’s safe. If that’s not something to celebrate, I don’t know what is.” She shrugged herself out from Jeremy’s grasp (he’d been holding her up this whole time), and sat herself down on the front steps where she could rest and enjoy the festivities better.
The door opened. “What’s going on out here?” Paul asked, a bit hesitantly in case there was still danger. “We heard shooting, and then – where'd all of them come from? It looks like one of our concerts out there!”
A loud cheer rose from the crowd as they spotted Paul.
Hazel smiled. “Tell John he can come out now. He’s safe. And I think there's a few people who want to see him.”
John, along with George and Ringo, came outside almost before Paul got his head in the door to call them – he didn’t like hiding in the house while others faced the danger. “All over, then?” John said, trying his best to sound like he hadn’t been frightened, and then his eyes landed on Hazel. “What’s all this, Hazel? I told あなた not to go gettin’ hurt on account of me! Weren’t あなた listening?” He bent down and laid a hand on her other shoulder.
Hazel had to laugh. “It’s just my shoulder, John. It’ll heal. I’m fine. It’s nothing compared to what あなた might’ve....” Her voice trailed off, not even wanting to say it.
“It didn’t,” 発言しました John quickly, seeming to think along the same lines.
Hazel turned to the huge, partying crowd, some of which had come フォワード, 前進, 楽しみにして to greet the Beatles. “How did all these people get here? I know word leaked out, but....”
“With a little help from your friends,” came a new voice, and Hazel turned her head to see Evanna. “Harry and I found out about this campaign to help John, and once I found out that this creep,” she glanced contemptuously over her shoulder at Chapman’s body – “knew where to go anyways, I just messaged everyone who’d ever used the hashtag telling them to come.” She grinned. “I know あなた didn’t want an online campaign to help him, Hazel, but didn’t it work out better this way?”
“I don’t know about better.” Hazel shifted her position to give her wounded shoulder a better angle to rest. “But as long as John’s safe, everything is perfect.”
“Go away!” she said, her voice strong and commanding, and hardly shaking at all. “We won’t let あなた get John. You’ll have to get past all of us first, and then...” But here she stopped, knowing that if Chapman did get past all of them, it would be the other Beatles’ turn to shield John, and she didn’t want to think about them doing this dangerous task.
In answer, a loud crack came from Chapman’s gun. Hazel barely had time to process this before she felt something thudding into her shoulder. As if in slow motion, she saw a small patch of red begin to spread, and felt a sharp, throbbing pain. Involuntarily, Hazel gasped, and her knees faltered beneath her. She felt Jeremy’s hand clutch her arm, helping her stay upright. A ripple of unease ran through the crowd of fans, distracted and upset to see their friend and leader hurt.
Hazel clenched her teeth through the pain. This couldn’t happen! Now it would be that much easier for Chapman to get inside and get John! And he was, indeed, making his way towards the house, silently but swiftly, taking full advantage of the momentary confusion, gun still aimed as if he meant to take out all the ファン who tried to stand in his way.
When suddenly, without warning, there was a rustling from the surrounding trees. And a large crowd of people emerged from every direction.
Hazel gasped. Head swimming with pain, she could still make out the sheer volume surrounding the house, and she knew that even with her large social circle, she didn’t know this many people. Besides, there weren’t only older teenagers here. There were also young adults and younger teenagers and some folks who were older または younger, all crowding round and forming a human shield between Chapman and their beloved Beatles. Many of the people were shouting, shouts of support for John, Hazel thought, although it was hard to tell. It was almost like being at one of the Beatles concerts she had attended, except that here the energy was angry rather than excited.
“How...” she murmured, but didn’t have the breath to finish, even if she’d known what to say.
As the vast crowd of newcomers formed their human shield, Chapman seemed to realize that there was no way he could just shoot his way through the crowd to get at John anymore. His gun was all he had, and it was no match for the powerful 愛 that all the ファン felt for John. But still he fired a shot, not directed at any ファン in particular that time. Perhaps he had panicked and forgotten to aim at anyone, または perhaps he thought he could part the crowd. The shot went wild, hitting the metal plate on the front door, and ricocheting backwards... striking Chapman full in the chest.
And John Lennon’s adversary toppled slowly to the ground, never to bother their beloved Beatle again.
For a moment, there was silence. Then an outbreak of cheering rose from the crowd, and even though Hazel didn’t condone death または violence, she felt like joining in.
Candice, as though she’d read Hazel’s mind, said, “I know I shouldn’t be happy about this または anything, but....”
“Go ahead and be happy about it,” Hazel said. “John’s safe. If that’s not something to celebrate, I don’t know what is.” She shrugged herself out from Jeremy’s grasp (he’d been holding her up this whole time), and sat herself down on the front steps where she could rest and enjoy the festivities better.
The door opened. “What’s going on out here?” Paul asked, a bit hesitantly in case there was still danger. “We heard shooting, and then – where'd all of them come from? It looks like one of our concerts out there!”
A loud cheer rose from the crowd as they spotted Paul.
Hazel smiled. “Tell John he can come out now. He’s safe. And I think there's a few people who want to see him.”
John, along with George and Ringo, came outside almost before Paul got his head in the door to call them – he didn’t like hiding in the house while others faced the danger. “All over, then?” John said, trying his best to sound like he hadn’t been frightened, and then his eyes landed on Hazel. “What’s all this, Hazel? I told あなた not to go gettin’ hurt on account of me! Weren’t あなた listening?” He bent down and laid a hand on her other shoulder.
Hazel had to laugh. “It’s just my shoulder, John. It’ll heal. I’m fine. It’s nothing compared to what あなた might’ve....” Her voice trailed off, not even wanting to say it.
“It didn’t,” 発言しました John quickly, seeming to think along the same lines.
Hazel turned to the huge, partying crowd, some of which had come フォワード, 前進, 楽しみにして to greet the Beatles. “How did all these people get here? I know word leaked out, but....”
“With a little help from your friends,” came a new voice, and Hazel turned her head to see Evanna. “Harry and I found out about this campaign to help John, and once I found out that this creep,” she glanced contemptuously over her shoulder at Chapman’s body – “knew where to go anyways, I just messaged everyone who’d ever used the hashtag telling them to come.” She grinned. “I know あなた didn’t want an online campaign to help him, Hazel, but didn’t it work out better this way?”
“I don’t know about better.” Hazel shifted her position to give her wounded shoulder a better angle to rest. “But as long as John’s safe, everything is perfect.”
