Never Knowing What the Future May Hold

            The first day of high school; it can be amazing. Extraordinary even. For me, it was the worst day of my short lived life. I was going to be the new kid. I wanted to sink into the background, the one on one would ever notice. Unfortunately, that dream never came true. For the rest of Breckbay High School’s history, everyone would know the name Hannah Barcle.

The day started with promise, the sun was bright in the sky, the birds were singing. Typical Breckbay, the most perfect little suburb with all the houses in perfect rows, clones of each other. The grass cut to an exact one inch, the flowers, the trees, everything in harmony, everything perfect. 

I rolled grumpily out of bed, my feet hitting the floor with a thud. I dragged myself to the bathroom, looking in the mirror at my severe bed head. My brown hair covered my face, sticking up in all directions, in a curly mess. My eyes shone on odd blue-green colour. My tall, lean body was still tan from the days I spent in the sun during the summer, and yet, I still looked terrible. 

I threw myself into the shower, letting the water wash away my sleepiness. I stepped out, water dripping everywhere. I quickly dried my hair and put it into a messy bun. I threw on some random clothes from my closet, realizing it was getting late. I grabbed an apple and my lunch with a note from my mom.

“I love you Hannah! Have a great first day of school!” I sighed and threw the note in the trash, thinking nothing of it, thinking I would be back home by four, able to say hello to my parents. 

I walked outside, the sun shining on me, making everything around me sparkle. It was my first day of school as a grade nine student in a whole new school, a whole new area. I’d only walked to the high school once before, and I hoped I still remembered the way. Of course I didn’t. I got lost and had no idea where to turn.

After wandering around for a few more minutes, I saw someone in the distance, leaving their house, waving to someone inside. I started running towards them, hoping they could help me get to the high school. The figure turned to face me, her eyes filled with terror. She started sprinting away. 

“Wait!” I yelled as she continued running, “Can you help me get to the high school?” 

She didn’t stop for a heartbeat, “I’m new here! I don’t know my way around yet! Please help!” I scream after her.

The girl, looked behind her, clearly seeing my exasperated face. She started slowing down, waiting for me to catch up. 

“Oh, sorry.” the girl says out of breath, “I’m kind of paranoid. I thought you were a murderer.” She said with an awkward laugh.

“It’s okay,” I say laughing, “are you on your way to the high school as well?”

“Oh, ya of course. By the way, my name is Jamie.” She said with a smile.

I took in her appearance quickly. Her straight blond hair was tucked behind her ears, her brown eyes shimmered. She was, quite frankly, breath taking. She looked like the very image of Breckbay; beautiful, smart, strong, friendly. Perfect.

“My name is Hannah. It’s nice to meet you.” I say sweetly, “Were you waving to your parents, before?”

The shimmer in her eyes immediately disappeared, leaving a coldness in its place. “No. That was my Aunt. My parents were killed by a drunk driver.” You could hear the venom dripping from every word, the hatred she felt for that driver.

“The driver was killed instantly with the impact of the crash. My parents suffered in the hospital for days.”

“I’m... I’m so sorry Jamie... I didn’t know...” I spoke, my voice faltering.

“It’s okay. You didn’t know. I’m over it. I just want some closure. I hope I’m going to get it today.” She says, all hatred leaving her body, her voice as sweet as honey.

“Oh, how would that be?” I questioned.

“Never mind about that. I was actually hoping you could help me with a surprise for the school. It’s going to be amazing.”

“I would love to! So, what are we going to do?”

“I want to keep it a secret. One question... Are you a good actor?” She asks quickly.

I nod and we continue talking. She gives few details, but says I’m going to need to act terrified, “as if someone is holding a gun to your head” kind of terrified. 

When we make it to the high school, she immediately leads me through the front doors. We quietly slip into the ladies washroom and lock the door behind us. She whispers the instructions again; follow her lead, act terrified, never smile. It was the easiest set of instructions I’ve ever heard.

“Now, put this blind fold on, and let me gag you.” She says calmly.

I was about to refuse, thinking this was over the top, when she tackled me to the ground, gagging me with the small piece of cloth, then binding my hands together behind my back. As she finishes tying me up, the school bell rings. 

I struggle to get out of the tight hold she has me in, but her pointing a pistol at me, it’s black barrel staring me down, the gun glistening in the light stopped me in my tracks. 

“You’re truly stupid, aren’t you. If you don’t do as I say, I will kill you right here, right now. You can’t escape.” she says darkly. I nod.

She stands me up and we march through the empty hallways directly to a huge classroom, filled with students. She barges through the door, shoving me with the tip of her gun. .

“Hello, students. I have a surprise for a... Marcus Farwin? Is he here today?” She asks, her voice dripping with the same venom as earlier. 

I see a young boy stand up, he looked to be just a little older than me, his curly red hair bouncing, green eyes wide with fear. 

“Your father... He was killed in a drunk driving accident that killed two others. Correct?” The boy nods.

“Well, those ‘two others’ were my parents and I want... What’s the word? Revenge. So...” She says calmly, “Bye, bye.”

The gunshot was deafening, the soft thud of the bullet hitting his head rang through the room. The screams that followed covered up any noise that came from the boy’s body smashing to the floor. You could see a pool of blood seeping under the desks and chairs, crawling on the floor like fingers. 

“Shut your mouths or you’re next!” She barks, “I’m not afraid to do it! I’ll do it again!” she says hysterically, bringing the gun to my head.

“Please! No! I didn’t do anything! No, no, no, no!” I scream, pleading for the rest of my life. 

“Never trust strangers Hannah. It always turns out badly.” and she pulled the trigger.

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When you die, your soul doesn’t float above your dead body, your soul doesn’t go to heaven. Your dead body lies on the floor, and your soul just disappears. For some, you get a chance to tell someone your story before you have to leave the human world. I don’t know where I’m going, but I do know that I won’t be here when you read this.

I heard that Jamie wen ton through the school, killing anyone in her way. The death toll was a total of four innocent teenagers, myself included. I was killed instantly, the bullet taking any life in me away. She broke down after killing two other teenagers, she turned on herself. She couldn’t handle the gravity of what she had done. She was dead before anyone could save her. 

On September 6th, 2012 Marcus Farwin, myself, Joseph Barkley, and Lisanna Martins were murdered in cold blood. This day marked the first school shooting to ever happen in Breckbay. I hope its the last, but no one knows what the future may hold.