Shot In The Heart

He sat in the crowd in the gymnasium as gunmen stared at the sidelines. He could hear every breath, every heartbeat, every shuffle.

He could hear everything. So the only thing he could hear was the pounding in his ears, his erratic spidey sense all he could use.

He stared at the ground, focusing on everything but the men up front. He counted every speck of dirt he could. But his spidey senses were going off, alerting him. Like a buzz on his neck and his arms. So when that hand forcefully grabbed his collar, pulling him up as his shirt tightened around his neck. He was prepared.

"We want the passwords," the mans hot breath was on his neck, a scent of alcohol reaching him. "And you're going to give them to us." And then there was the familiar click of the gun, then the sharp jab of it on his temple.

"Or would you rather die? For some passwords?" He whispered into his ear, the feeling making the boy shiver.

The boy let out a laugh as determination glinted in his eyes, fists clenched by his sides. His fingernails dug into his palms drawing blood. "You cant get passwords out of me if I'm dead."

The man growled and threw a punch to the boys stomach. The boy doubled over only to be pulled straight up again, right into the mans face. He couldnt see his mouth but he had a feeling he was scowling.

"We arent here to play games. What. Are. The. Passwords?" The mans brows were furrowed in anger, his face wrinkling in frustration.

The boy heard a soft whirring in the distance. He only needed to distract him a little longer.

"What do you need them for anyway?" The boy questioned as he feigned a look of confusion. The mans sweaty hands were pulled in fists.

The whirring was louder. He was almost here. But the man seemed to hear it too.

He growled as he grabbed his gun and aimed it at the boy. His spidey senses were going haywire, and he ran. But he wasnt fast enough. A gunshot rang throughout the school.

Screams and shrieks rose from the school, tears leaking out of their eyes. Lips quivering, their hair disheveled. They pulled themselves into eachother, practically a big group hug.

The boy gasped for breath, hand reaching up to his heart. He stumbled back, watching the blood soak his shirt. Then all the noise clouded together.

He heard a bang from the gym doors, then yelling. Then more bullets.

But then he saw the face of his mentor staring at him, tears in his eyes.

"...you...go'ng...to... b'...o'ay..."

He couldnt hear anymore. He saw his lips moving but he couldnt hear what he was saying.

His vision blurred, eyes straining to see correctly.

Then his eyes grew heavy and he could feel tight, warm arms wrap around him until it dulled to nothing. The secure feeling leaving his body as a new feeling of calmness washed over him.

Then the boy blacked out, without a pulse, and never woke up in a pool of his own blood. Such a lively boy gone in a matter of minutes.

The man stared in undescribable sadness at the boy. Sobs broke its way out of his mouth as he bit his hand to stay quiet. A piece of metal took away such a great, modest boy. A piece of metal broke through his skin and reached such his pure and bright heart. The same heart that had saved millions of lives before.

The police had arrested the men and the room was silent. The whole school watched as the man cried over their classmates corpse.

And the school felt like it was their fault.

They all watched him die and hadnt done anything.

So everyone sat in silence, salty tears cascading down their cheeks. And they all mourned.

The smartest boy they knew had just been shot in the heart.