"DO YOU SEE THAT?"

"When light fades"

We heard metal cylinders clanking, and I saw a large cylindrical container being dragged towards where I knew the man was. I pulled the trigger on the gun and fired a shot.

The noise was loud, and the little gun's kickback was far worse than I had expected. My ears were ringing, and a strong pain in my wrist was there. From the other side of the metal door, I heard frantic movement and a noise that sounded like someone turning a valve.

The air was filled with an awful hissing sound. It's the gas again! As we urgently tried to remove the metal bars that were torturing and killing us, Jeff and Dave both helped me. We pushed, pulled, and twisted together until it finally gave way a fraction of an inch.

Dave snatched the gadget off to the side and began yanking it hard. Jeff and I pushed all of our weight on the bars, and the massive machine finally came crashing down.

Dave took a few steps back towards us before collapsing from the gas. I was starting to feel dizzy. Jeff climbed out of the door after pushing the frame out of the way. I tried to keep up with him, but my mind was spinning.

I was startled to see the large man appear from his hiding place. He had a wrench in his hand and slammed it against Jeff's head. I was having difficulty concentrating. "Where did l put the gun?!" It went unnoticed by me. There was no time to waste. I needed to get some fresh air.

I pulled myself out of the door and took two long breaths. Because the gas had weakened my sensibilities, I was caught off guard when the man slammed the wrench into my face. My body was half-in and half-out of the door when I tipped over and fell.

I could feel the gun in my hand. In my hurry to pull the bars loose, I must have fallen. I grabbed it and swung my arm upwards, shooting aggressively into the darkness. Then I lost consciousness and felt myself falling into darkness.

I was being placed into an ambulance when I awoke. I grabbed the paramedic's arm as he lifted me in. "My friends?" "What happened to my friends?"

The paramedic just shook her head and gave me a sad look. They slammed the doors shut after they finished loading me in. I closed my eyes and slipped back into unconsciousness.

A memorial service was held at my school a year later. My girlfriend and I arrived. I was fully dressed and holding a piece of paper with a speech written on it. I cleared my throat as I approached the podium.

I spoke briefly about how I met Dave and what a wonderful person he was. I told them all about how he ran into a room filled with possibly deadly gas to save Jeff and myself from a madman. Officer Stanley Bell, who died that night and left behind a wife and two children, was the next person I mentioned.

Through the speakers, my speech sounded strange. My face has taken an amount of pain. I've had two surgeries so far, with a third planned for the fall. It didn't impact my look, but it did affect the way I talk.

I walked up to Dave's parents and hugged his mother when I finished speaking. She was insistent about not letting me go. I walked up to Dave's parents and hugged his mother when I finished speaking. She was insistent about not letting me go. Dave's father patted me on the shoulder. I returned to my seat.

Jeff was waiting on the front steps after the service. His vision in his left eye had been knocked out by the punch to the head. To hide his wandering eye, he wears dark sunglasses. We didn't say much to each other; all I did was hug him and touch his back.