How I See It

Chapter 13 - Returns and Goodbyes

My mind woke up slowly from all the kids making noise from getting ready to leave. I stayed in bed, thinking. What would happen after today? Is Maggie really going to protect us? My thinking got interrupted from Ander standing next to my bed. "Hey."

"Hey." "Look man I'm sorry about yesterday, I just panicked." I looked up at him and shook my head. "No, Ander. I'm sorry. I was a dick and I don't like being like that. We're all guilty. Sorry about your face too." He took a deep breath and sat legs crossed in my bed. "So what are we gonna do?"

I pushed myself up by sitting against the headboard of the bed. "To be honest, I don't know. I just wanna get out of this place and forget this all happened." Ander let out a sigh. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Anyway, they're serving breakfast in 10 minutes." He climbed of my bed and before he left, I stopped him. "Ander?" He tilted his head. "Yeah?" "I'm sorry." He smiled with no teeth and left my cabin.

After breakfast, we all started packing our bags and said our goodbyes. We got to the buses and some children were sad about leaving. I saw Veera and Nader talking and I walked towards them. "Hey Veera, how'd you sleep." "I didn't really get much sleep, you?" "Same." The sun was shining in my face, so I kept looking down at our feet. "So what are we going to do." I looked up with one eye pinched closed. "I don't know. I haven't seen Maggie since yesterday." Veera took out a marker and asked for my hand. "What are you doing?" She let out a giggle.

"I'm marking us with a symbol of a star that has an 'x' written over it. It means that even though we're separated, we'll never forget each other." I gave her my palm and she drew the symbol on me. And then on Ander. "I love it. But you do know that it'll wash off, right?" She scratched her head twice and let out a fake laugh. "I thought that we could get it tattooed once we all get back home?" Ander laughed and shook his head. "Are you crazy! My mom would kill me." I nodded my head and she smirked.

"My mother would kill me too, but I'm doing it anyways. You guys changed my life. Even though I've been traumatized for life, I got out of my comfort zone and I actually started taking to people. I was so shy before I met you guys. So I'm getting this tattoo no matter what." I gave her a small smile.
"I'm in." Ander nodded. "Me too." All of us laughed together and formed a group hug. "I'm gonna miss you guys." Veera and Ander answered with the answer. "Me too."

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I woke up feeling positive and brave. To me, it felt like that surveillance footage was my destiny. I would turn those murderous kids in and I would become a hero. I would finally be able to make my parents proud. I brushed my teeth and combed my hair. I had to look my best for when my photo would come in the newspaper. Gosh, I have never been so excited in my whole life.

A knock on my door surprises me as I change into my clothes. I open the door and turned my mouth into a smile after I see Maggie. "Good morning, Bennie. How'd you sleep last night after your discovery?" "I've never slept better. I feel positive and I really think that after I report those rats to the police, I'd finally get the recognition I deserve." She keeps quiet for a few seconds and then answers me back. "So, you're only doing this to become.. what? Famous or something?"

I look at her an nod one time. I look into the mirror and stare at my reflection. "I've never been anyone before. My parents never accepted me because I didn't function well as a child. After last night, it felt like it was my destiny to..." Black. That's what I saw after a gunshot hit me in the head.

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"Screw your destiny." I stuck the gun back under my shirt and into my pants. I close the door behind me and feel like I've just threw away my innocence. I can't describe how I'm feeling right now, but at least I saved the camp.

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Veera, Ander and I got onto separate buses after agreeing not to stay in contact with each other. We had no choice. The only thing that would help us remember, was our symbols, drawn with permanent marker and soon to be permanent ink. I went and sat on a chair that was right next to the window. I stared outside and saw the kids get into the other buses. When we were all in the buses, no one luckily sat next to me. The relief I felt when those bus doors closed and the engine started, was on a different level.

I kept staring outside the window and flashes from two night before came and had gone. It was happened so fast. I kept focusing on one of the trees deep in the woods when suddenly I see someone walking out from the woods. Is that.. Maggie? With a gun?! I started getting on my nerves and sat up straight. I kept staring as she got closer and closer. She stopped about 10 meters away from the bus and stared at the bus in the middle. The one where I was currently in.

She kept staring and everyone kept quiet. She suddenly opens her mouth and yelled:" I KILLED THAT MAN!" She pointed the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. A loud gunshot and blood spattered on the ground made everyone on the bus except me scream and cry. Why would she do that? Why did she take the blame and kill herself? I kept staring at her dead body on the ground. The buses started to pull away as fast as they could. But not fast enough for me not to examine Maggie's body. As the busses pulled away, I still locked my eyes on her just... dead.. right there.