Last chance

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3 years earlier...
TW: School shooting

"What did he want you for?" Charlotte asked as I sat down at the table. "Just he wants me to speak to a therapist, he thinks it might help but I don't know." I just shrugged my shoulders as the double doors burst open, it was a group of boys all wearing black holding guns. A girl screamed and before we all knew it we were all running for our lives. I grabbed onto Charlottes hand as we ran through the crowd desperately trying not to get trampled on.

We heard a bullet ricochet off the metal table and we heard someone scream out in agony, we just ran and ran. Trying to find an unlocked classroom to hide in, just trying to save our own lives. I pulled Charlotte into a broom cupboard and I held my hand over my mouth as we heard heavy footsteps outside.

I know school shootings happen all the time but I never thought one would happen at this school, I never thought one would happen to me. Soon the footsteps became quieter and I pulled out my phone, shakily dialling Seths number desperate for him to answer. "Becky? Aren't you in school?"

"Seth there's someone here, a group of boys with guns and I don't think I'm going to make it out of here alive. I just want you to know this and I mean it with all of my heart, I love you so much and thank you for everything you've done for me. I really don't know where I'd be without you, so thank you..." I whispered down the phone, trying so hard to stay quiet as I said my goodbyes to the one I love the most. "Becky I love you too and I'm sorry, you really don't think you're getting out of there do you?"

"No, Seth please promise me this you'll look after Millie." My tears ran freely down my face as I held my phone to my ear, Millie doesn't deserve this, Millie deserves better than me. "I will, I'll keep her safe I promise." Seths voice was broken as he spoke down the line. "I'm sorry Seth...I'm so so sorry." A bullet went off and Charlotte screamed. "Becky? Becky! What's going on?" The door of the cupboard we were in swung open and a boy a little younger than us was pointing a rifle in our faces. "Goodbye Seth..." I dropped my phone and it landed on the floor with a crack.

"Ginger you're coming with me." He grabbed my arm and he pulled me out of the closet. "No! Please, she's got a daughter...don't do this...please just shoot me instead." There wasn't any hesitation in his eyes he just pulled the trigger and Charlottes body fell to the ground. "CHARLOTTE!" I screamed as I broke away from his grip, falling to my knees beside her, blooding cascading down her chest. "Charlotte hold on, please." She opened her eyes slightly her eyes full of pain, as I pulled my jumper off to stop the bleeding. "It hurts..."

I felt someone grab my arm pulling me off the ground and away from my dying best friend. "Come on princess play time is over." I turned to punch him but I heard a gun go off and suddenly I felt a piercing pain, I looked down and I saw blood. "What have you done?"

"Killed you I guess." The gunman jut shrugged his shoulders as I fell to the ground, my blood now pouring onto the schools carpet. "...becky...I'm s-scared..." I looked over at Charlotte who's eyes were somehow still open. "Me too." Her bloody hand reached out for mine and I took it as tears poured heavily down my face because of the agony getting shot and watching someone I love as much as Charlotte getting shot too. "I think I'm going to die..." Charlottes voice was shallow as her eyelids grew heavier and her grip got weaker. "Just hold on, help will be here soon...just try and hold on for me. I-I can't lose you Charlotte..."

"Thank you...for everything...you may have been a moody cow to start off with...but you soon became one of my best friends...and I'm thankful for all the memories...goodbye Becks..."

"No don't say goodbye, please don't say goodbye. You don't need to be thankful for the memories because we'll be able to make new ones just please...please hold on..."

Seth
"Honey who was that?" My mother came around the corner with worry on her face. "It's Rebecca, someones in the school with a gun, she was saying her goodbyes...mum I think I've lost her..." I just let my phone slip from my hands and my body collapse, I can't lose her. My mother caught me just before I hit the ground, taking me into her arms as I sobbed at the thought of losing Becky, the sound of that bullet going off just broke me.

*

People ran, but it was pointless. The gunmen made their way through each and every classroom, leaving a trail of blood behind them as they walked. The few fortunate to make it out would be forever haunted by the sound of their classmates screaming as they had their lives taken from them, the sound of the bullets ripping families apart. Most tried to hide but they were found and shot, everyone still hidden was hoping the police would find them before a bullet did.

Becky lay weak and wounded as she screamed for help, hoping someone would find her. She would've even been thankful if it was one of the gunmen, to finally end the misery she was in. The images of Charlotte getting shot replaying in Becky's mind making her feel sick. Becky has said things were her last chance before but this is truly her last chance, if someone doesn't find her soon she'll be dead in minutes.

Seth couldn't even breathe as he waited for some sort of news, there was an emergency broadcast being shown of police officers entering the school. You could see the damage from the outside and it made Seth want to vomit, his girlfriend was in their probably dead and there was nothing he could do about it. Now he wished that he went to school today, he just wished he could've been there for Becky to protect her but how was he to know this was going to happen, how was anybody going to expect this level of cruelty from a bunch of lads who probably attended the school themselves.

Why would they cause this much pain and horror? Why would they do this to the people that they know? Those were answers we were never going to receive as the boys were shot on site by police, the school normally filled with thousands of kids felt empty? Like a ghost town...

Some pupils got away, but most were shot dead the police weren't hopeful that they'd find any survivors. They almost gave up, many teary eyed and horrified but soon once they knew it was safe kids started to run out of the building, screaming and crying for their families who now stood outside the gates, almost giving Seth some hope that Becky was going to be alright.