A Thousand Lies

Chapter 12

Chapter name: lockdown from hell

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Temperance

"Code red, Code red. This is NOT a drill."

It takes me a second to remember that code red is a drill for a lockdown.

The principal's voice seems shaky. Alec and I look at each other, and he grabs my hand.

He opens the door to the janitor's closet with a tight grip on my arm.

They said out of sight. Not grab Temperance's hand and take her somewhere.

"Where are we going? We were already out of sight in there!" I protest. I roll my eyes as he decides to ignore me.

We get to our classroom, and he frantically beats on the door. "Let us in!"

Yes, be loud Alec, that totally won't attract a killer.

The teacher opens the door and pulls us in. Everyone is huddled on the side of the room where the window on the door is perfectly angled away from them.

The teacher frantically turns out the lights and locks the door with shaking hands. Alec and I make our way toward the class. We sit close to the wall with a few students in front of us.

I imagine a person coming in and frantically shooting us with rounds of bullets. I can see it as if I'm watching a movie.

They would shoot the chubby football player who sits in front of me. The trembling of his body would stop, leaving me with thoughts to spare as he collapses backward. I would let my body fall with his, leaving his weight on top of me as I close my eyes.

The blood from all of my classmates would splatter all over my face, making my faked death seem real. It would only seem real for a second as the man would close in on our dead bodies.

He would realize that I'm still breathing, ultimately shooting me in the end.

I feel a nudge come from my right side where Alec resides. I look at the dangerous man beside me.

Right, he would shoot the killer first, sparing everyone's life.

The classroom is dark. A few girls are crying, with others desperately trying to shush them.

I feel Alec's hand on mine, and I lay my head on his shoulder, trying to calm myself down. I've run from death every day, maybe it's time to let it happen.

Getting shot by a school shooter is a better way of going out than being tortured to death by my father.

"I'm sure this is someone from the deal that fell through. I knew they would come for revenge, I didn't think it would be while I'm at school." Alec whispers in my ear, his breath causing goosebumps to rise on my neck.

I shiver as I remember the faces of the men that were eyeing me that night. They looked scruffy, but I could tell they meant business. I still remember the feeling of their blood lust, they wanted to kill us the mere second we stepped into the building.