Hyper

What doesn't kill you definitely doesn't make you stronger

"Make sure they don't kill anyone else," I whispered so softly, I didn't even know if I'd actually said it. "I'm going after her."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but he relented. "Just...save her."

I nodded.

I ran as fast as I could without making any noise. I was pretty far behind Amanda, but luckily, or not really, there was a set of foot prints. It looked like dirt mixed with blood. I got sickened, but I pushed through it and followed the prints. It led all the way back to the office.

Oh, no.

I looked in, and saw Amanda being undressed. She was struggling, and I saw Emily half undressed, unconscious. I looked next to them, and saw the semiautomatic on the floor, pointed and the gunman. I growled, which was weird, but not at the time, and anger overflowed my senses. This man deserved to die. This man is a vile, cruel, disgusting man. And I will destroy him. Two people I barely knew and I already cared about them. This time I let my anger take over and swung open the door, throwing myself at the man.

"Run!" I said as I flew into the shooter.

He screamed as I slammed his head against the desk. I punched him repeatedly until he found strength to push me off him. He got up and went for his gun, but I was already on top of him before he could reach it. I elbowed his back, and punched the back of his head with the stapler I had grabbed when I was thrown off him.

"Get help," I said.

He finally bucked me off, and I slammed into Emily's desk. I tried to get up, but he kicked at my stomach, and I fell back to the ground. I heard a snap, and I screamed in pain. I tried to grab at his feet, but he kicked at my arm, hitting it against the corner of the desk. I felt the arm snap. He kicked at my ribs again, and went over to the gun. But it was gone. And so was Emily and Amanda.

So much for damsel in distress. I grinned and started laughing. It was just too funny. I risked my life for them and they ran away. Oh, right, I told them to leave. Stupid. I didn't even see them go. Figures.

"Stop smirking," the gunman said. "You're going to die. And since you deprived me of such a good time, I will do the same to you. But first."

He grabbed a fountain pen from the cup on Emily's desk. He took off the cap, revealing the sharp, pointy top, and jabbed it into my stomach. It went in about halfway before I heard a huge gunshot. The gunman grasped his leg. He shouted something obscene about someone's mother and was shot again in the other leg. Finally, he was hit across the face with a semiautomatic pistol and fell unconscious.

"You have the right to remain silent!" James said, holding the gun. "I've always wanted to say-"

I felt as though the breath was being sucked right out of me. Every time I tried to inhale, I was met with a sharp pain in my abdomen. My eyes were feeling sore. If I could just close them for a second.

Then James saw my condition. Blood was spreading across my white t-shirt. I had never seen so much of my own blood before. His eyes widened as Amanda and Emily came in behind him. They both covered their mouths. But I didn't notice them. I had to get back to my parents. I had to help the other people who were stuck inside with those other four madmen.

Adrenaline working overdrive, I didn't feel a thing as a got up.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked. "Sit back down. You have a pen inside your stomach!"

"What," I said. "I feel fine!"

"That's you're body going into shock! You're going to collapse soon!"

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault," Amanda said. "If I hadn't provoked him, if I'd listen-"

"No," I said firmly. "D-Don't ever say-say that. He was vile and-and perverted. You did the right thing. Besides, I'm fine."

"Dude, you need help. We have to get you to a hospital!" James said.

I smiled, but I couldn't hear them anymore. I walked past them, grabbing the gun,and limped-ran all the way back. They protested, but I didn't listen. When I got back to the gym, I paused momentarily before bursting in. And when I saw my mom being undressed and my dad with a bullet hole in his shoulder, and freaked. I ran so hard that the gunmen just turned when I tackled the first one with the shotgun. I shot him in both of the thighs, and hit him across the face with the gun. I felt a snap and realized that I had broken my forefinger. I barely felt the pain as I ran towards the other one with the shotgun. As he cocked the gun, I threw myself to the side, and he fired right where I had been. I ran towards him again and punched him in the gut with my left hand, and tried to shoot him in the leg again, but I was out of bullets.

So I did what any normal 12 year old would do. When he tried to cock his shotgun, I pulled his pants down and punched him directly in the face with the gun. I heard a crack and I hit him on the same place. He fell unconscious. The other one was being beaten to a pulp by my dad while the last one was trying to sneak away with a girl I didn't know. He'd lost his machete somewhere and I considered that a blessing. I ran toward him and he grabbed the girl by the neck. By the way he was holding her, it looked like he was threatening to snap her neck.

Time slowed down. My brain went to overdrive and I took out the fountain pen, which was still in me, mind you, and I threw it towards his head. I didn't know if it was luck or skill, but I managed to hit him directly in the arm. The girl ran away and I ran up to the last guy. I stopped.

I'd seen this man before. He was the one sitting on the curb, outside the school when I entered. He was the person that had scared me outside of In-and-Out. He was the one chasing me in my dreams. He was the guy in the profile picture of ReachingForTheStars101. And he would change my life forever.

"Well done, Peter Scott Cotton. You constantly surprise me. But this is only the beginning. Are you ready start?"

Then he disappeared. By the time I processed all of this, I was already ready to pass out. I felt warm hands hold me, and I fell into nothingness.