Guns Don't Belong In School

Noah

"Everyone, away from the windows and out of view from the door, now!"

Emily and Charlotte crawled ahead of me, sobbing into their cellphones where they decided to say their farewells to whoever spoke on the receiving end of their phone. I only hoped that they had enough time to. We were crawling to the back of the classroom by Ms. Johnson's desk in a single file line, nobody straying, nobody stopping. It was our only job. Follow the drill. Don't make a single sound. Stay calm and of course, lock the doors and turn off the lights. Do not under any circumstance open those doors until an officer can prove his position or present himself to the class.

Bang.

Zach the football star was quiet for once in his life clearly paralyzed in fear and deep in thought. He did his best to keep a straight face but the sweat running down his face evidently told us otherwise.

Bang Bang.

Julie and Noel were high school sweethearts. Julie was currently biting into her fist to keep herself from sobbing too loud otherwise, they would find us.

Bang!.. Bang Bang Bang! Bang!

Screams were heard from a distance yet closer than before. Part of the class sat frozen, their eyes on the door while others were too frightened to even lift their head up.

"W-we're going to die aren't we?" Lexus cries out.

"Why the hell are we just laying here like sitting ducks? We're on the second floor. I bet we could make it through the window before he can make it to the door." Zeke whispers looking around for something that would help us.

"Everybody just shut the hell up. Nobody is going anywhere and nobody is dying. The police have been called and we have to be patient." Ms. Johnson whispers to us.

Bang.

The handle to the door was suddenly shot through, breaking the mechanism on the wooded panel and allowing the door to now be easily accessible.

Everyone began to shout and cries were heard through the room as the door opened. The room was dark as the lights were off and we'd already been in lockdown for over an hour now. The shades were down to create a sense of emptiness in order to trick the shooter from thinking nobody was in the room.

The shooter could now enter as they pleased and we collectively realize this is it for us. I was going to die. I was going to die. Holy fuck there would be nothing more for me in this realm of existence. My story ends here and I didn't even do a single damn thing.

Stupid isn't it? We follow these drills day in and day out with the very same classmates that could potentially hurt us if they wanted and unfortunately, that was the case today and this shooter had obviously learned the same drills we had so the disadvantages were clear. I wouldn't say this though. It wouldn't help the situation. It would only create further panic.

I felt my hearing go numb and suddenly, everything sounded muffled. Everything moved in slow motion. I could no longer feel myself in my own body. It was almost serene. Almost peaceful.

That was until I noticed the pool of blood seep into my sneakers. Then I noticed the blood on my hands and then, I noticed the panic attack fill my body as I stumbled over something amidst my panic.

Not something. Someone

Charlotte was dead. The bullet that shot through the door had somehow hit her in the process so her voice was hoarse as her neck bled out. She was trying to speak but her cold dying eyes could do nothing but stare in my direction.

Her eyes.. Her eyes wouldn't leave mine. Her eyes are haunting me even awake. Was I awake? I don't remember going to sleep.

Finally, the sound came back to me and the room stilled. That's when I noticed the screaming. It was louder than before.