Short Story Collection

Shots Fired

"Shhh, the footsteps are getting closer," my 5-year-old cousin whispers from the closet her and her sister are hiding in. I grin and throw the door open and am met with peels of laughter from both of them. I reach in and grab them around the waist.

"I got you two!" I laugh with them.

"No fair Cece!" Nova laughs.

"I won fair and square," I tease.

I hear the front door unlock and swing open, the twins squirm out of my arms and bolt to the door.

"Mama!" They squeal as their mom rounds the corner.

"Hey munchkins, were you good for Cecilia?" She asks crouching down and giving them hugs.

"Sure were!" They chime.

"They were great Aunty, but I need to be running, I have a class in 30 minutes. I love you, I'll see you tonight," I say, bending over to grab my bag.

"Alright, thanks again for watching them," She says. I kiss her on the cheek and run out the door.

"There you are, I thought you forgot!" Nick calls from the street.

"Sorry, I had to wait for my aunt to get home, I was watching Nova and Harriet," I say, falling instep next to him.

"Still, I thought I was going to have to suffer through law all by myself," He presses his hand to his forehead like the dramatic bitch he is.

"Oh it would have been awful," I tease him.

"I know right!" He laughs.

The campus is only a few blocks away, one of the many perks of living in a small town. I slide into my desk. Nick next to me I pull out my laptop and textbook and wait for the Professor to show up.

She walks in her black heels clicking against the wood floor of our classroom.

"Welcome to class, turn to page 125 and discuss the questions on the bottom of the page with your partner,"

I turn to Nick cracking my book open.

About half way through the question the PA system clicks on but no voice, just the automated message that we've heard during drills previously.

"Students and teachers, don't panic but there has been a gun reported on campus. Students move to the back of your classes and stay quiet, teachers lock your doors and put the cover on the windows, do a headcount make sure all of your students are there then join them. Please remain quiet while the threat is neutralized," I look up at Nick, my eyes wide, a quiet murmur runs through the class as we turn to face our teacher.

"Students, I believe that this is real, just as we practiced please," Her voice shakes.

We all stand grabbing our bags and things off our desks and make our way to the back of the room, Nick pushes me into a corner and sits next to me. I lean my head onto his arm and wrap my hand around the round locket on my neck.

We watch as our teacher moves around the class and does her duties before joining us in the back. It's silent, just the almost silent sounds of our breathing. Then it isn't. A few rooms down we hear the gut wrenching sounds of gunfire and shattering glass, then the screams. Oh god the screams, they'll haunt us till our dying day, which may be today.

I turn my head further into Nick's arm as the tears start falling down my face, I hear some of the other kids silencing sobs and screams. Nick wraps his arm around me pulling me close to his side.

I can hear them working their way down the call, their boots thunking on the floor, about a minute after the first gunshots were heard we hear another round get shot off, more screams, but this time we can hear the sound of things hitting the floor.

Now the whole class is in hysterics, I look up and two kids have passed out and it looks like another girl is on her way to join them. Most of us have tears etching their way down our faces. Then for some reason only god knows a girl screamed, the girl sitting next to me bolts for the door and tries it but naturally it doesn't budge and only my teacher has the key.

"Shhh, the footsteps are getting closer," I caution. But it's too late. An elbow comes through the glass of the door hitting the girl next to it in the face, the elbow is quickly replaced by a hand and the gunfire starts. I brace myself as the bullets come at us, I can feel one pierce me. I look down and it went right through my stomach.

I look back up at Nick, tears in my eyes as I collapse and let death take me.