The Hostages

To Begin or to End

 My mother and I are in the movie theater. We are at the later movie. We didn't plan on being here this late, but I had to pull an extra shift at work, so here we are. We a at one of tho high speed action movies with the gun fights and car chases. That is why no one noticed what was happening at first, but then all the sudden we knew.

The gunfire was not in the movie, it was real. In less than a minute, we were all surrounded. There must have been fifty of us in the theater. Not a huge crowd, but not an insignificant one either. My mother grabbed my hand, clutching it tightly. My heart was beating loudly in my ears, pounding with such force I was sure my eardrums would break.

The second sound we heard after the gunfire was the sound of the assailants blocking the doors shut. It took me less than a second could after the doors were blocked go realize that to was a hostage situation. One that could very likely result in our deaths. Thinking quickly, I grabbed my phone out of my back pocket and hid it in my waistband. I have no doubt that they will come around to collect phones.

"Mom, give me your phone," I whisper urgently. I know she must be questioning me, but she does not argue. She will see what I have planned soon enough.

Working quickly, I take her phone and unlock it. I turn not he brightness all the way down to avoid being noticed in the dark theater. In less than two seconds, I have the phone app opened and I am punching in 911. My heart is reaching as I put the phone to my ear with one eye on my mother and the other on the men going row by row. They aren't close enough for me to tell what they are doing, but I know they must be searching people for phones ands weapons.

I hold my breath as the phone rings, praying that they don't hear the sound of it. I have the volume down as low as I can. I have moments before they are here now. Seconds to act. Seconds to live. I have never been so scared in my life, yet I can see every single move I must make. Every decision that will keep me alive. Every action that will save us all.

The operator picks up. "911, what is your emergency?"

"Listen, I don't have much time. I am at the IMAX theatre in Brookesville. There are men with guns and they blocked the doors. We can't get out. They are taking people's phones right now. They are getting close now. I don't know how long I have."

"Can you give me a description of the men." 
 "It's really dark. The lights are still down from the movie. They look middle aged, it's hard to tell. They all have rifles. AK 47's or something. And sidearms. God, there are like fifteen of them."

"How many of you are in there?"

"About fifty, I think."

"Is there anything else you can tell me. Anything that can help?"

"They are taking us hostage, not killing us. They haven't killed anyone yet. They fired shots into the air and the movie stopped. Then they blocked all the doors. They haven't said anything, and no-one has tried anything yet."

"Are you in a safe location?"

"I'm one of the hostages. No. I don't have long. I should hang up now."

"No, stay on the line." I do. This is all part of my plan. My breathing that was calm quickens. They will be on me in seconds. In a flash, the light from the row of seats hits the man's face and I see his tattoo. A snake with venom dripping out of it's mouth and tail circling around three letters. NGA I have no idea what it means, but that doesn't matter. I gather up my courage and whisper the description into the phone. 
 "One man has a snake tattoo on his face with venom and sitting on the letters NGA," I have just barely spit out the last letter before he is on me. This wasn't part of the plan. I hear my mother scream my name. The world slows. He rips the phone from my hand and stamps down on it, smashing it. He pulls me up by my hair, yanking me out of the aisle. My mother tries to follow, but snake man points the gun at her and tells her to sit down.

"Mom, trust me," I say. This wasn't the plan, but plans can change. I can, will, make it out of this. I don't know if it is my words or the man's gun or a combination of both, but my mother sits down.

He pulls me by my hair yanking me down the stairs in the center of the theater. In seconds, we are at the bottom in front of the screen where everyone can see us. He forces me down to my knees and I am shaking. I am shaking so much. I can barely control myself. I know what he is getting ready to do, and it is confirmed when he speaks.

"If any one else tries that, you will all suffer the same fate as this girl. Mark my words." As he levels the gun at my head, my mother's scream echoes through the whole theatre.