Hunted

Chapter 17: Fights and Challenges

The shot rang through my ears.

One second I was staring down the end of the barrel, and the next I was on tackled to the ground.

My ears rung with the static of the sound around us. Students screamed and more shots were fired. People ran as fast as they could. I watched as they scrambled for safety away from the sound of bullets. The marshals were pushing towards the shooter with their guns drawn from their sides.

"Out of the way!" they screamed, "Move!"

More shots rang out. I watched his once live body hunch over and drop to the black asphalt. His body was riddled with bullets. He was dead.

"Get these kids out of here!" someone yelled, but I couldn't move. I just stared at the lifeless body. I had never seen the man before yet somehow Jason had convinced him to commit suicide by coming to the school. Why would he do this?

"Silver! Silver!" the person next to me yelled.

For the first time, I looked over to the person who had saved my life. Dylan stood there in his picture of pure perfection. His hair was tasseled and his clothes were covered in dirt from the ground. Concern controlled all his features as he checked to make sure I was alright.

"Silver! Are you ok? Are you hit?" he asks again.

I finally snapped out of my ravine and answered back to him, "I'm fine. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he answered, "Come on. We have to get inside."

He grabbed my hand, sliding his fingers between mine, and pulled me away from the scene and back to the school.

Students pushed back into the flooded halls as cops tried to contain the mania from the horror they witnessed. The whole way, Dylan never dropped my hand until we were finally pulled into a classroom.

"You're alright!" Ryan screeched, pulling me into a hug.

"We thought you had died," Daniel commented, smiling in the corner.

"Funny," I looked around the room. Almost every student in here was from the club.

We stared at each other for a second until the room exploded into questions.

"What happened?"

"Why was someone with a gun here?"

"Who was that?"

People just kept shouting questions at me and at everyone else in the room. It was becoming chaotic.

"Enough!" I screamed, all faces turning to me, "I don't know who that was, but I'm pretty sure he is dead now. So-"

"They're leaving," Daniel interrupted from the window.

"What?" everyone rushed to him.

Every cop and marshal were getting into their cars. Periodically, the cars raced out of the lot, leaving all of those still in the school unprotected and alone.

"Where are they going?" a girl asked.

"They must think that guy was the one who attacked Andy. He was the threat," I explained, "Now that he is dead, they think we're safe. There is no evidence of him working with anyone, so they have no reason to still be here."

"Even if that's true, they wouldn't leave unless they were positively sure we were safe, or if something happened somewhere else," Megan spoke out.

"Then we are safe?" Josh asked.

"No, something isn't right here," I told him, "I never knew who attacked Andy. We never even saw a picture of the guy. So why did he try and shoot me? I would be nobody to him; there is no reason to end his life for that."

"That is the question isn't it," Megan said, standing over me in her six inch heels and way too low cut dress, "Why is it ever since you were placed here, people have been trying to kill you?" she asked, before turning to everyone else, "But of course, let's not forget it's one of us that is killed because of you."

The kids started murmuring until it was a full blown argument. The topic: is this all my fault?

Ryan and the twins bickered back and forth with the other members.

Dylan stepped in front of Megan and joined the conversation too, "Hey, it's not Silver's fault."

"Of course it is, and if you had even a clue about what is really going on, then you would be saying exactly what I am."

"Then enlighten me. What is so secret that I should know?" they stood neck and neck with each other.

This has gone on for long enough, "Stop! You want the truth, fine. Yes, this is all my fault," I said.

Every one grew quiet, just staring at me in disbelief. Ryan's faced contorted into misunderstanding as Josh and Daniel's showed the same expression of distrust. Everyone was looking at me with confusion or judgement, yet when I looked to Dylan, all I saw was sadness.

I faced back to Megan, "You can blame me for Ana's death and for Andy being attacked. Everything that has happened can be traced back to me and my psychotic-"

The sound of my phone cut me short. Pulling it out of my pocket, I stared at the screen in disbelief.

"Are you going to pick it up?" Dylan nudged.

I shook my head up and down as I slid my shaky finger across the screen.

"Hello?"

A sick voice answered, "Good morning sis. How has your morning been so far today?"