A lot can happen in the span of a few seconds. For me, it's the amount of time it takes to take in a full breath. For Christopher, it's the amount of time it takes to punch Eli in the face and then begin choking him. For my mother, it's enough time to scream.

The funny thing is, nobody makes a move to stop Christopher. He grumbles out curses to Eli but doesn't show any sign of letting him live or die. He just holds his life in his hands as he sends him a vengeful glare.

There's a small part of me whispering what ifs- what if Eli didn't...