Lock Down

It's just a normal English class in the spring, everyone is here sitting in the seats they always choose to sit in. I sat somewhat close to the window in the back row, the classroom is normally hot so the cool breezes that came in are really nice. The class is quiet as Mrs. Davis writes her notes on the board, I didn't need to copy them down due to the fact that she puts the notes online and I copied them down last night. I find it entertaining that I'm the only one who does it, no one else really knows, much less checks the website. We are reading one of Shakespeare's tragedies which was easy for me so I didn't feel the need to pay attention. Everyone else seemed to struggle with him, and I never understood why. So instead of focusing I would stare out the window, let my mind wander and look at the trees; they were just beginning to bloom again after the cold winter, the leaves coming back with a verdant green vengeance.

Something moved amidst the trees that caught my attention, and at closer inspection I could see that it's a man in a black hoodie. He was tall with a mask covering his mouth and nose and a pair of sunglasses to cover his eyes. From a distance he looked to be in his late 30's I would say, his build being that of a man and not a boy. Fear took hold of my heart as he seemed to look right at me, the one hand that was behind his back came around to the front with each step he took closer to the school. I swallow, panic bubbling up my throat when the sun glinted off whatever was in his hand helped me to focus on what it was, a pistol. After a moment of hesitation he took off towards the entrance of the school. My mind can't seem to wrap itself around what I just saw, but I couldn't just sit here with this knowledge and do nothing so I yelled, "Mrs. Davis, there is a man outside running to the school with a gun!"

She seemed angry at my outburst disturbing the class, but her anger turned to worry when she noticed the horror on my face. She nodded and walked to her desk, taking her phone, "Alright everyone I need full cooperation, please shut the windows and the blinds." While her voice was calm a reassuring, her face seemed paler than usual as she went to the door and began searching the hallways. After a few minutes I heard her say "call a lock down." Everyone in the class began to look around, some would look around with fear, others seemed to think I was just crazy. She came back in motioning us to get the the corner of the room. Over the loudspeaker, we heard the announcement of the principal saying "We are now in lockdown." Everyone became serious at this point.

Mrs. Davis turned off the lights in the room, and began to pull in kids who were in the hallway. Girls and boys from all grades were and the unease in my chest lessened when I saw my boyfriend, knowing he was safe inside and with me. Everyone rushed to the corner of the room, squeezing together so no one could be seen and I grabbed my boyfriend's wrist, dragged him next to me in the corner. Mrs. Davis locked the door, pulled the door window shade down, then started moving desks so they'd block the door, then she joined us on the floor.

Some girls were on the verge of tears, some were hugging their best friends for comfort, or even people they didn't even like; that's how scared they were. They were afraid of what could happen to them, their friends, or even their significant others who weren't with them and they didn't know where they were. There boys who were comforting the girls, other's were trying not to show their shaking hands, putting on a brave face for the sake of the other's in this room. Some of us were lucky enough to be with someone who cared about them, like I was; significantly calmer but still scared. I understood, I was the terrified but I just didn't show it; I thought maybe if I stayed calm, it'll help everyone else. Really, I was screaming and crying in my head.

We sat there in silence for what felt like hours. We just wanted it to be over. We wanted the police to show up to end this and so we could feel safe again. Every once in awhile we would hear a gunshot, each time clearer and louder than the last and each time someone would squeal in fear and we would jump. I burrowed myself in my boyfriend's arms, and with each shot he tightened his hold on me. Each time I would think about the friends that could be injured, or worse dead and tear threatened to spill from my eyes. We were on the top floor on the opposite side of the school, so he would come here last and the suspense was the thing that killed us the most; it seemed to take its toll on my boyfriend when I felt him nestle his nose in my hair and I felt his tears drop on my head.

Everyone had their phones with them on silent and with the lowest brightness, they were texting someone to see if they are okay, to try to get help, to get any information to help. Mrs. Davis was texting other teachers to see where the gunman was, she knew that the teachers that weren't responding were dead. I was next to her, looking over her shoulder so I could see what was happening. I knew that if certain teachers are dead, then so were some of my friends and that thought made my heart fall to my stomach. If luck was on their side then maybe he kept them alive as hostages.

The gunshots were becoming more frequent and louder. I heard a sniffle from a short girl sitting next to her friend. She was crying at a text she got and handed her phone to Mrs. Davis, then grabbed my hand in fear and I squeezed, giving her any sort of comfort I could. Leaning over I read the text, it said that this girl was able to escape the school building and that there wasn't just one gunman but 3. I grabbed onto my boyfriend's hand, and squeezed Mrs. Davis' hand harder.

I began to grow impatient, frustration settling into my bone because I didn't want to just sit here and wait to die. I let go of their hands, and began to take off my shoes. Slowly I stood up on trembling legs, looking at all the desks pushed up against the door I began to walk towards the window, when someone grabbed my ankle. I turn around to see the girl whose friend escaped, her face red and eyes bloodshot, she shook her head telling me not to leave, as did the rest of the kids. My boyfriend reached for my hand, clearly the most scared of my idea, but I moved it from his reach, I wasn't going to sit back down because we couldn't just wait around. I bent down and took her hand off my ankle then tiptoed to the window to carefully peek through the blinds and I only see a white van that looks completely empty. I tiptoe back and sit down where I was before, taking out my phone I open to a notepad app and began to type up a plan to escape in which we wait to the next gunshot and jump out the window. Once I'm done, I pass my phone around to everyone; it was split some were afraid, others were on board but it didn't matter who was coming with me, I was getting out of here.

We sat there longer than we should have because there wasn't another gunshot. Instead it was just quiet, almost as if it was over but we knew it wasn't. I was on the verge of just jumping out now, but I couldn't take the risk, not when I didn't know where the gunmen were. Instead I leaned into my boyfriend, slipping my fingers between his. As soon as that motion was complete, there was loud banging at the door. Someone yelped, but everyone else tried to stay as quiet as they could, my boyfriend placed his free hand over my mouth and he buried his face in my neck, lips pressing against my skin. My heart began to beat fast, anxiety wracking my body and causing me to flinch each time the door shook the desks. There was a gunshot and I heard the sound of glass breaking, that's when the tears finally fell, warm and fat tears rolling down my cheeks and over my boyfriend's hand. He pulled me in closer to his strong body, legs coming up almost as if he was trying to cage me in and protect me.

I saw a hand come through the shade and reach for the door handle, he fumbled with it for a bit and everyone began to move, spreading apart to run out if we got the chance. The sound of the locking clicking scared me more than any gunshot could and the creaked open slowly. Everyone scrambled, a few went to hide under the desk, others stood to make a run for the door; my boyfriend hauled me to my feet just as the man stepped through the doorway. He hopped over the desks and started shooting. The first bullet his Mrs. Davis and I saw her go down, a girl screamed at the sight but my throat was closed from fear. Students were dropping like flies around me, and when I felt a bullet whizz past my head I locked up but it didn't his me instead it landed in my boyfriend's head. His body crumpled to the floor, blood pouring from his lifeless body and I lost all confidence to move. People tried going around him to leave but he seemed to have brought backup as another man stepped up right behind him and joined him in firing. Blood was splattering everywhere and all I did was watch.

Until I felt a sharp pain in my chest, the air was knocked from my lungs and my knees buckled underneath me. My vision became blurry and I could feel the blood leaving my body too quickly, it's warmth spilling from between my fingers. It clogged my throat, choking and coughing it from my mouth when I heard sirens in the distance. The last thing I saw before my eyes began to close was my boyfriend's face.