My AK-47 Welcome

My best friend had recently become obsessed with online prank culture, so much so that she paid $9.99 for a so-called Surprise Tutorial package.

That day, I rushed to what was supposed to be my own surprise proposal, only to find a scene from a horror movie. Blood splattered across the walls, and my mother lay unconscious in a crimson pool on the floor.

I lunged forward, gathering her into my arms, my entire body shaking uncontrollably.

Beside me, my best friend clicked her tongue in annoyance. "What a buzzkill. It's just pig's blood. I can't believe it was enough to make your mom faint. The older generation really can't take a joke."

It all clicked into place. She had doused my apartment in pig's blood and then told my mother that I had been raped and murdered during a home invasion.

The shock had triggered my mother's weak heart, causing a massive coronary event.

I snatched her phone and smashed it against the wall, then slapped her hard across the face, twice.

Even with the proposal ruined and my mother's life hanging in the balance, my boyfriend rushed to defend her. "Ashley was just trying to create an 'unforgettable memory' for us! Why are you overreacting like this?"

I didn't have time to argue. I scooped my mother into my arms and sprinted for the hospital.

Later, the "prank video" she recorded went viral.

High on the digital fame, she decided to try and scare me again, this time dressing up as a masked robber.

And this time, I was ready for her with an AK-47.

My best friend, Ashley, jumped into the ambulance with us.

I initially thought she was overcome with guilt, that she was there to help.

But she immediately started a new live stream, pointing the camera directly at the paramedics performing CPR on my mom.

"My friend's mom is having a heart attack, and the nurses are trying to save her! It's all because of you guys and your crazy prank ideas."

"Everyone, type '1' to send good vibes! Let's all beg the Grim Reaper to spare her, okay?"

A nurse beside her shook her head in disbelief.

I snatched the phone from her hand, my voice shaking with rage.

"You scared my mother half to death! Do you have any conscience at all?"

Ashley panicked, lunging to get the phone back.

"Don't touch my phone! Look at this engagement! We just hit number one on the city's trending list! We're about to go national!"

Her complete lack of remorse was staggering. I grabbed her by the collar, ready to throw her out of the moving vehicle, but the nurse quickly intervened.

"Don't do anything rash! Your mother needs you!"

Ashley wriggled free, muttering under her breath, "Some best friend you are. Can't even take a joke."

My face went cold. "What did you just say?"

She lifted her chin defiantly. "She's not actually going to die, so what's with all the yelling?"

"It's not a big deal! And you broke my phone!"

That's when I noticed the phone she was holding wasn't hers. It was my boyfriend, Mark's.

Hers was in pieces back at the proposal site.

"It was just a prank! Your mom probably didn't even take it seriously. Besides, she's old and has a bad heart anyway. You can't put all the blame on me."

"And I tried to make up for it, didn't I? I told all my followers to pray for her! You're making a mountain out of a molehill."

This wasn't her first "prank."

Once, she stuffed a bag of flour into my purse and yelled that I was carrying drugs as I went through airport security.

I was tackled to the ground by security and missed my flight.

A multi-million dollar contract fell through, and I was fired.

Another time, at a crowded city square, she screamed, "There's a bomb!"

We were both detained and lectured. She just shrugged it off as a joke.

Her online fame grew with each stunt, her follower count soaring.

Because we had been friends for so long, I had always let it slide.

But now, Ashley was gambling with my mother's life.

I trembled with fury, pointing a finger at her.

"Ashley, your so-called joke almost killed my mother! Are you even human?"

Just then, the ambulance screeched to a halt. The doors flew open, and Mark was standing right there.

Ashley immediately scrambled out and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

"I didn't mean it! I was just trying to make a viral video to raise money for charity!"

Mark held her close, then turned to scold me.

"Didn't you hear her? She had good intentions! Can't you have a little compassion?"

"Your idea of compassion is making money by joking about my mother's death?"

I shoved them both aside. "Get out of the way!"

I couldn't waste another second arguing. I helped the paramedics rush my mother's stretcher towards the emergency room.

Fortunately, we had gotten her there just in time. She was stable.

Ashley stood outside the hospital room, a look of profound victimhood on her face.

She had known my family for years. My dad recognized her and, seeing her apparent distress, tried to comfort her.

"As long as she's okay, that's what matters. Just no more of this foolishness, alright?"

Ashley nodded meekly.

But I never could have imagined what I would see moments later. I found her in the stairwell, holding her phone up.

"See, guys? The streamer has been forgiven! The show can go on!"

"But my friend's mom is still in the ICU. C'mon, everyone, let's crowdfund her medical bills! Send some rocket gifts!"

When Ashley tried to re-enter the room with her phone, I blocked the doorway.

"From this day forward, we are no longer friends. Get out."

She stared at me, stunned, then pouted and walked away.

I thought that would be the end of it.

But the next morning, when I arrived with breakfast, my mother was gone.

I raced to the nurses' station, my voice trembling. "My mother! Where is she? She's not in her room!"

The nurse on duty looked bewildered.

"I don't know what you mean. She was there during shift change."

My head was spinning. I grabbed a doctor's arm.

"A living person just vanished from inside your hospital?"

The doctor panicked and immediately sent staff to check the security footage.

Out of nowhere, Ashley appeared, jabbing a finger in my face.

"Oh, stop the theatrics, Mandy! Playing the victim again? We all know this is another one of your pathetic stunts!"

My eyes snapped to her. "Ashley, was this you?"

Her eyes darted away for a fraction of a second before she raised her voice. "Don't you dare accuse me!"

"You're the one who probably chopped her up and sold her for parts!"

The blood in my veins turned to ice. "What did you just say?"

Several police officers hurried over. "What's going on here?"

Ashley immediately latched onto them.

"Officer, she's the prime suspect!"

"I bet she's hiding her mom, or maybe even killed her for the insurance money or to sell her organs!"

My vision went black with rage.

"Ashley! For the love of God, shut your mouth!"

"Officer, she's a prank streamer! You can't believe a word she says!"

Ashley turned her phone screen toward the police. It was black.

"I'm not streaming! I'm telling the truth! Mark can vouch for me!"

Mark immediately chimed in.

"Yes, officer! Mandy's been spending a ton of money on designer clothes and bags lately. She must have gotten her hands on some dirty cash!"

"Check her purse! I bet you'll find a contract in there!"

He and Ashley exchanged a subtle, knowing glance.

The officer looked at me. "Ma'am, would you mind if we took a look?"

I handed over my bag.

They searched it thoroughly. Wallet, keys, phone, and some medical records.

"There's no contract here," the officer said.

I took a deep breath, pointing at the two of them.

"Officer, Mark is my boyfriend. Ashley is my former best friend."

"I believe they conspired to kidnap my mother! You should search them and their bags. They probably have tools or a plan for moving a patient!"

Ashley thrust her purse forward with a sneer.

"Mandy, you're getting desperate. See? There's nothing in my bag!"

She turned it upside down and shook it.

A few loose items fell out, and with them, a folded piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

An officer picked it up. His expression changed instantly. It was a draft of a black-market organ sales agreement.

With a sharp command, the officers tackled Ashley to the ground.

As they cuffed her hands behind her back, she shrieked, her face pressed against the linoleum.

"Mandy! You set me up!"

Right before I left the house, I saw Mark rummaging through my purse.

In the hospital restroom, I ran into Ashley.

While she was distracted, I slipped the paper into her bag.

I never thought she would actually use my mother's life for clout again.

Cell phone cameras from all around were now pointed directly at her.

Pinned to the floor, Ashley finally started to panic.

"Stop filming! It's a joke! It's all a script! The old lady is fine!"

"She's just sleeping next door, I swear!"

I bolted into the adjacent public restroom and found my mother in the last stall.

She was curled up on the floor, unconscious, her face a ghastly shade of gray.

A nurse did a rapid check. "Her heart rate is erratic, and her blood pressure is dropping! We need to resuscitate, now!"

I scrambled to help the nurse lift my mother, when I noticed a flashing red light on a brooch pinned to Ashley's shirt.

I ripped it off her. "You said you weren't streaming!"

The police officer, watching this circus unfold, was utterly exasperated.

He first turned to Ashley, his voice stern. "This isn't a joke, it's a crime! You're going to be processed accordingly!"

Then he turned to Mark. "You too! You have no sense of right and wrong, just egging her on!"

Mark had been looking smugly indifferent until then.

His phone rang. It was his boss.

After he hung up, Mark exploded, charging at Ashley.

His neck was beet red as he screamed, "Couldn't you at least have blurred my face in your stupid live stream?!"

"The whole office saw it! My boss chewed me out! I lost my year-end bonus! You've ruined my life!"

It only hurts when the knife is in your own back.

Ashley's eyes filled with tears. "It was just a joke."

"You used to say you loved my sense of humor."

Mark cut her off brutally.

"That doesn't mean you drag me into your mess! What if I lose my job?!"

Ashley pouted, her eyes darting around. Suddenly, her gaze landed on me again.

"Mandy, about your mom's AIDS... is she cured yet? We wouldn't want her to infect the nice nurses, would we?"

The nurse, who was carefully trying to lift my mother, went pale.

My mother was still on the floor, her life hanging in the balance.

Something inside my head snapped.

I lunged forward, grabbed a handful of Ashley's hair, and yanked her head back.

"You like running your mouth, huh?" I stared into her eyes, my other hand swinging hard.

CRACK!

"I dare you to say it again!"

CRACK!

"Say it!"

CRACK!

Ashley was stunned, her cheek swelling rapidly.

The police immediately intervened, pulling me off of her.

We were both taken to the station for disturbing the peace.

After a severe reprimand, Ashley was detained on suspicion of unlawful confinement, spreading false rumors, and disrupting public order.

Mark was also fined for his role in the chaos.

As I was leaving, the officer said to me, "Protecting your family is one thing, but don't resort to violence. Next time, just call us."

I nodded, walked out of the station, and went straight back to the hospital.

A week later, my mother was moved from the ICU to a regular ward.

The doctor recommended a change of scenery for her recovery.

I decided to take her to stay with my aunt in the United States.

Before we left, on a whim, I opened the video platform.

The "prank" video Ashley had live-streamed from the hospital bathroom had gone massively viral.

Millions of likes, hundreds of thousands of comments.

I started scrolling through the comments, my fingers slowly going numb.

The top comment read: "This old lady's acting is phenomenal! Puts all these young stars to shame!"

Thousands of replies followed:

"Seriously, her micro-expressions when she fainted were perfect. She deserves an Oscar."

"The script is great, but the daughter's acting is a bit over the top."

"Am I the only one who thinks this prank is super creative? More, please!"

"The streamer is such a martyr, getting slapped like that. I feel for her. Followed."

"She must have made a killing off this. When's the next one? Can't wait!"

"Liked, subbed, and shared! Gimme more!"

Ashley had replied:

"Working on part two! Stay tuned!"

Mark called me, asking where I was. He said he had a surprise for me.

I told him I had taken my mom to my aunt's place in Texas to recover and sent him the full address.

After hanging up, I booked two more plane tickets and sent an invitation to his parents.

Ashley's video teasing a second prank blew up.

Her follower count skyrocketed, and the comments were a frenzy of anticipation.

Ashley was ecstatic.

In a new video, she showed off her plane ticket to the US, a realistic-looking black ski mask, and a high-quality replica toy gun.

She even video-called the team that sold her the "Surprise Tutorial," announcing an "international collaboration."

With each reveal, the comment section erupted.

"The streamer is going all out!"

"Can't wait! Hurry up!"

"This is gonna make her ex-best friend piss her pants, LOL!"

Buoyed by the cheers, she boarded her flight to come find me.

At the same time, I went to a well-known local "underground market."

Here, as long as you had the proper documentation, owning a firearm was perfectly legal.

The shop owner greeted me warmly as I entered.

"Ma'am, first time buyer? What are you looking for? Self-defense?"

I nodded.

He immediately pulled out several elegant handguns from under the counter.

"This one has low recoil, perfect for a lady. This one is more compact, easy to carry."

"If I were alone, facing multiple attackers, which would be the most suitable?"

The owner's eyes lit up.

"Ma'am, then you shouldn't be looking at these little guys."

He heaved a heavy black case onto the counter.

"AK-47."

He patted the steel frame.

"Heavy firepower, simple to operate. Nothing better for what you're describing."

"I'll take it."

Mark's parents arrived on a flight just before Ashley's.

I picked them up from the airport and drove directly to a lakeside park.

On the way, Mark called to ask where I was.

I told him I was on my way to the park.

"Just wait for me at the park! Don't go anywhere! I'll be there soon, I have a massive surprise for you!"

I set up a tent in an open area by the lake, the AK-47 inside.

Mark's parents sat on folding chairs, already starting to complain.

"That economy class was torture. My back is killing me after all those hours. Why couldn't you have booked us business class?"

I ignored them and pulled out my phone, opening the video app.

As expected, Ashley was already live-streaming.

She wore a pair of ridiculously oversized sunglasses, flashing a peace sign at the camera.

"Hey, everyone! Almost there! This time, I promise you'll see my 'ex-best friend' absolutely lose her mind!"

The chat was scrolling at lightning speed:

"Here we go! Front row seat!"

"So hyped for this!"

"Haha, I can't wait to see that woman scream!"

"This is gonna break the internet!"

"Donations are rolling in! Let's hype up the streamer!"

I adjusted the angle of the AK-47, aiming it at the park entrance.