It Goes There // Josh Dun + Twenty One Pilots

twenty-eight // kids are victims in this story

Not here, anywhere, but here.

Another crack sounded and then another. It sounded like the gunman was getting closer, but I didn't have the physical or mental energy to move. My red hair was probably coated with blood from my hands since I was pressing them into the back of my head. I probably looked like a beacon in the sea of students.

A hand wrapped around my arm, their fingernails digging into my flesh. I was pulled to my feet and I blindly started kicking, thinking it was gunman although it was highly unlikely.

"Chicago, stop!" He yelled, "it's me!"

My eyes shot open at the sound of the familiar voice. "Josh," I sobbed. "You are okay, oh my god!"

There were no injuries on him as far as I could tell, but I didn't have any time to look before he swept me off my feet and carried me bridal style towards one of the lunch tables.

"You are okay." I buried my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. His arms tightened around me, making me feel safe, but it was short-lived.

"I'm okay, Chicago. I'm okay, I promise."

I was still sobbing as my body made contact with the cold tile once again. "Get under the table, Chicago," Josh commanded, looking over his shoulder at the crowd of chaotic kids. I was surprised he hadn't been trampled yet for being on his knees.

I did as I was told and I was surprised to see a few other kids that I knew cowering under the table as well. I made myself as small as possible, creating a space for Josh to crawl in, but he stayed exactly where he was. His calm eyes never leaving my scared ones.

"Just stay under here," he commanded. "If you stay under this table, you'll be safe, okay?"

"What about you?" I asked.

"Don't worry about me, Chicago. I'm going to try to help as many kids as I can." With that one remark, he took off leaving me under the table with a bunch of juniors and a few seniors that I didn't recognize. They were scared out of their minds and most of them were crying, even the boys were doing the ugly cry.

My mind drifted to Aiden and the fact that he never came back with my history textbook. Hopefully, he never made it back to the school. Hopefully, he was still outside, searching his car. The thought of him lying dead from a gunshot wound almost made me cry on the spot.

Another gunshot sounded which intensified the ringing in my ears, making me wonder how many gunshots had gone off all together. Four? Six? Ten? I couldn't be sure, but I couldn't just cower under a lunch table. I had to do something to help.

Crack! 

Crack!

Crack!

I slowly climbed out from under the table while the juniors and seniors begged me to stay with them; for my own safety. I ignored them and once again started to push my way through the kids, trying to find anyone who was wounded, hoping that none of the wounded would be my siblings or friends.

That's when I heard something that shocked me to the core.

""Where is he?" the familiar voice asked Mr. Fox, the German teacher, who was protectively sheiding a herd of students behind him. "Where is Mr. Blackery?"

"Hi, kid," Mr. Fox started, his voice quite calm. "Just put the gun down and we'll talk things out. The police are already outside. It's over for you."

The gunman shook his head before pulling the trigger, shooting Mr. Fox in the stomach. He fell forward, his mouth opened in shock, and a scream ripped itself from my lungs. The kids that he was protecting all scattered aside except one girl in the very back of the herd. A girl with bright red hair.

Elodie Blanchard was sobbing, her short hair gathered around her face. Her entire body was shaking so much that she couldn't even move to make a  break for it. She timidly lifted her head to make eye contact with the gunman and I could see that her blood ran cold.

I frantically shoved my way through the crowd, trying to reach her. My legs felt like jello. Anyone normally would say that I was being stupid. They would wonder why I was going to try to save someone that bullied me for years upon years. And maybe I was crazy, but the only thing that could go through my mind was I cannot see Elodie Blanchard die in front of me.

My hearing was extremely impaired due to the fact that I was so close to the last gunshot and my lungs were burning like I swallowed fire, but I kept going.

Finally, I made it through all the kids and threw myself in front of Elodie, coming face to face with the school's worst nightmare.

"Garrett, sweetheart, stop, think about what you are doing," I pleaded. "You don't have to do this. This isn't the answer."

Tears were streaming down my ex-boyfriend's face and he was trembling uncontrollably, the gun shaking in his hand. I was surprised to see that he dyed his hair back to blonde, but left his roots dark. "Garrett, listen to me, put the gun down. Stop everything. You are in control of this situation, you can make it stop."

Garrett shook his head. "Chicago," his bottom lip trembled. "I don't know who I am anymore."

"That's okay, Garrett. A lot of people lose who they are, but this," I gestured to the chaos in the cafeteria, "this isn't who you are. You aren't a murder, baby."

A sob escaped his lungs. "You don't know who I am. You don't know me any better than I know myself."

Garrett was broken; absolutely broken. He kept sniffling, his nose sounding completely filled with snot, and it looked like his insomnia had worsen over the last few days, which it probably had. His eyes wouldn't focus on one thing. They kept looking side to side like he didn't exactly know where he was at. His fingernails were chewed down as far as they could possibly go and one was even bleeding.

"Garrett," I said, slowly, "just put the gun down and we'll ta-"

Another crack sounded and I felt the tile floor go out from underneath me. All I knew was that I was lying on the cold floor about three feet away from Garrett and Elodie. My ex-boyfriend was staring at the gun with an astounding look on his face while Elodie was rushing towards me, screaming.

I slowly turned my head to see thick red blood pouring out of a hole in my right shoulder. I opened my mouth to try to say something to Garrett, but no words would come forth. He looked from the gun to me with this glazed look on his face.

And that's when the black spots started appearing behind my eyes and I felt myself getting farther and farther away from the madness and then everything just went black.

A/N: I went to see Dan and Phil last night and it was honestly the best experience of my life.

My last day of school was today, so I'll update more frequently on everything and I plan to publish one of my new stories soon as well.

Also, please don't kill me over this update.

-L.A