The Insiders

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - Sharlene

I leave Coren's arms and quickly stand up. Coren follows me. The sounds of banging are loud and fast. Everyone is running around like crazy trying to figure out where to go. Coren and I quickly run around Bryce, Amy and Joy's body to Steve and Thomas. Bryce is looking around at everyone else but Amy is completely out of it.

" Steve, What's going on?" I shout over the banging sounds. Worry is easily shown on both Steve and Thomas's faces.

" Thomas, what is going on?" Steve quickly asks. We all stare at Thomas until he finds an answer.

" The sound is gunfire. We're under attack!" He replies.

" What do we do?" Coren interjects quickly.

" Go back to your rooms and lock the doors! Don't come out unless it's me! Don't unlock your door for anyone but me!" Steve answers as he jumps into the crowd of people running everywhere. Thomas, Coren and I just look at eachother.

" We need to go!' Coren shouts over the loud panic of everyone in this hall.

" What about Amy and Bryce?" I yell. We all look at eachother.

" I got it!" Thomas says as he heads towards them through the crowd. I can't let Thomas be responsible for two people. I try to follow him but I'm stopped by Coren's grip on my hand.

" We've got to help him!" I shout towards him. He pulls me closer.

" We can't." He says calmly, considering our surroundings.

" We need to!" I holler back. I try to pull away but I can't, Coren's strength is too much for me. He pulls me in closer and grabs me by the shoulders. I stare into his green eyes.

" Sharlene, I won't be able to do anything until I know you're safe."

" But-" I begin.

" I'll come back and make sure Thomas got them but you're my first priority. You always are." I nod my head. He lowers his hands from my shoulders and we lock our hands together.

" Do not let go of my hand okay?" He tells me. I nod my head. We quickly run into the crowd. Everyone seems to be going to the left but I lead us right. I get bumped into quite a few people but Coren's grip on my hand is so strong I will never loose him. I hope. We run in the crowd for a while until the crowd begins to thin out. We slow to a walk. We walk a while longer. Eventually there's no one in sight but we keep our hands interlocked. I never want to let go. He's the only thing keeping me focused.

" Why did you lead us this way?" Coren asks out of the silence of the hall. I think back to my dad. Many times while he was having night terrors he'd explain strategy. I remember this one perfectly because it was on Christmas Eve.

I snuck downstairs and hid behind our couch to try to see Santa. I fell asleep. At about three in the morning I woke up to the sound of foot steps. I was so excited. I, Sharlene Fraser who was eight years old at the time, was about to see Santa Claus. I was about to get up from my hiding place behind the couch but then I heard a smashing of a plate. That's when I realized it wasn't Santa's foot steps it was my dad's. I curled up into a ball and stayed there in complete fear of what would happen next. My mom came running down the stairs.

" Timothy," I heard her say. " Come back to bed. Everyone is already there."

" You never go where everyone else is going. The attackers are smarter than that. It's a trap."

I snap out of the memory. I realize I still haven't answered Coren's question.

" The attackers are probably smart, so they'd lead everyone down the hall just to meet them there. It's a trap." I say logically. Coren just looks at me then looks back down as we continue walking down the hall. If everyone was going that way does that mean Thomas, Bryce and Amy will go that way too? I should've told them!

" How did you ever figure out that plan?" Coren asks breaking me away from my battle with myself.

" I just remembered my-" I begin but I stop. Coren is no longer hanging onto my hand. I turn around to see him staring at the wall. I walk towards him.

" Coren, you okay?" I ask gently. I come up to him and look at his face. His expression is disbelief. I raise my arm and put it on his shoulder not taking my eyes off of his face.

" Coren." I repeat but he still just stares at the wall. I follow his eyes and gasp. There laying at the base of the hallway wall is Kim, the blonde woman we met on the first day.