It Goes There // Josh Dun + Twenty One Pilots

twenty-eight // kids are victims in this story

Then another. Crack!

Third one. Crack!

That's when the screams started.

Kids were rushing in all direction, teachers were trying to grab as many children as they could as my friends and I vaulted up from our spots, trying to see what was causing the mayhem. Lilac, Kailyn, and I were quickly separated from one another in the sea of kids that were running towards us with scared looks on their faces.

I tried to make my through the crowd as another crack rang out and that's when I realized what was actually happening. Terror was pumping through my veins and all I knew was that I needed to get out as fast as I could.

When Diane Johnson stumbled and hit the floor in front of me, I had the sudden urge to run away. From her, from the gunman, from the chaos in the cafeteria, but I knew I had to help. I couldn't just leave.

I rushed forward and fell to my knees beside her. "Chicago?" She whispered as I offered my hand to her to grab onto. I smiled, gently, at her, my way of saying everything would be okay, but we both knew I was lying from all the blood surrounding us and the tears streaming down both our faces. "It'll be okay, it's okay."

She was pressing down on her stomach, trying to stop the blood, and I knew that had to be helping somewhat. My dream was not to be a doctor or a nurse, hence my lack of knowledge in what I was doing. I gently pressed my hands down on top of hers and tried not to cringe as the blood covered my fingers. "It's okay," I whispered, but she couldn't hear me over the hysteria in the cafeteria.

Screams erupted all around me as another shot was fired. I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my fast-racing heartbeat or the ringing in my ears as another crack filled the cafeteria. Diane was sobbing now.

Many students had to be already dead, no doubt about it. The gunman was trying to kill, and this couldn't be just a random shooting. It seemed to be too thought out. He was blocking the main exit that lead into the area where the high schoolers waited for class to start which was only a few feet away from the entrance of the school. The second way out of the cafeteria only led into a narrow hallway that could barely fit all of the seniors let alone the freshman, juniors, and sophomores. It was a hard place to escape from which I think he knew.

Suddenly I felt someone grab my arm and I could have swore I screamed. "Ms. Beaumont, you need to go!" I turned my head to see my sixth grade science teacher, Mrs. Redgrave, kneeling down beside me. She was shoving my hands away from Diane and I knew I couldn't leave her, but I had too. She could help her more than I could.

"Don't leave me," she screamed. "Please, Chicago!"

I shook my head in response, tears were blurring my vision. A crowd of petrified children were carrying me away from her and I couldn't go back to her if I tried. My hearing felt muffled as well.

Kids were screaming all around me and I felt confused. Confused like I didn't know which way was up or down. That's when I thought of Josh.

Josh.

Was he okay? What if he was one of the ones shot? Terror filled my body and I could feel a panic attack coming on.

I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths in the mist of the chaos. Kids were surging all around me, which didn't help at all. Suddenly I felt a shoulder connect violently with mine, knocking me to the ground.

I wrapped my arms around my head and curled into a ball as I made contact with the cold white tile. I'm pretty certain I was screaming, but I couldn't be sure. My mouth was open, but I couldn't hear anything coming out. I just wanted to be home in my bed, wanting to never talk to my parents again. I wanted to be hanging out with my siblings; with Garrett, Josh, and Aiden.