Lockdown

12:35pm

Lockdown

12:35pm

I screamed again. I took a step back, pulling myself away from Mrs. Thicket and backing up towards the whiteboard. I stared out into the hall. 

And then I saw.

More people, more screams, more blood. And then they were on the floor. 

Those were my classmates. They were getting mauled out there. Something was killing them.

I couldn't save them.

Bridgett Wu, who was amazing at the cello and knew almost everything about science and was my PE partner in fitness testing, shot in the neck.

Matthew Kendricks, who lived across the street from me and showed me some judo when I first moved in, was shot in the stomach.

Damon Stewart, who always walked down the halls with me to make sure I didn't crash into anyone and always held my elbow was shot in the back of the head.

Amy Dorsing, one of the most beautiful girls who had ever walked this school's halls- shot in the chest.

I closed my eyes, looking away. I couldn't watch them get killed. I had to get out of here.

The hall echoed with screams and gunshots. Those gunshots- they kept going. They were so rapid. So fast. It was like a machine gun or something- something that had lots of juice and would keep going.

Mrs. Thicket looked back into the hallway. She let out a breath. By now she and I were the only ones inside the classroom. "Robin, look at me," she said slowly. "I don't know what's going on, but we need to stay put, all right? We must not go out into the hall, okay?" I just stared out at the hall at the body of Billy. "Robin?" Mrs. Thicket grabbed my shoulders and shook me. I quickly nodded. "Okay."

Then, the gunshots stopped.

I heard the clinking of something small and metallic against the linolem floor in the hallway.

And whimpering.

"Please, don't kill me," a girl moaned. She was crying.  "Please, I'll do-"

And a quick BANG. 

Whoever she was, she was dead now.

Some boy was crying. Another boy was banging against a locker. Two more shots- they were gone. Whoever they were they must have been shot somewhere not too lethal if they weren't running away.

I heard the loud pounding of boots- loud pounding, like footsteps- someone was booking it.

And then I heard a loud scream. A girl scream. And a gunshot. A louder one, which made my ears ache. Whoever she was, she was gone, too.

Were all those kids in the hallway dead?

All my classmates and friends- who I was just talking with ten minutes ago- were dead? What about the teachers? All the other faculty- where were they?

I looked at Mrs. Thicket. She was staring at the ground, a blank expression on her face, her eyes distant.

"Mrs. Thicket?" I asked, my voice craking.

She fell to the floor.

I screamed. I jumped back and stared at her body.

Something red started to seep out of the back of her head.

She was dead. She died right in front of me. What happened? How come I hadn't heard a gunshot or seen someone behi-

My heart almost stopped as I looked up and saw someone standing in the doorway of the class.