Random Writing Prompts

Monsters

The sound of my alarm clock woke me at 7, just like normal. I shut it off, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but was prevented from doing so, by my older brother banging on my door.

"Yo Dylan! You heard your alarm clock dude, get up!"
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG
"I know you can hear me!"
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG
"If you don't get up now, you're going to be late and you know Mom's been getting calls from the school about it!"

Hearing that, I shot up. I was late just about everyday. Not insanely late, actually just barely noticeably late. Of course it is my fault. I lazily get up as late as I can, arrive at school exactly as the late bell rings, making me walk into my class just a few minutes after school has "officially" started.

Personally, I think my teacher has it out for me. Apparently she didn't think the school's automatic calls were enough to notify my mom of my "incredibly distracting and detrimental behavior" so she recently began to call my mom every single day to say nothing more than, "Mrs. Nolan, terribly sorry to interrupt but I feel you should know that your son was late again today."

Sure. It is kinda bad that I'm late everyday but does she really need to call everyday? I've only made a slight effort to try and get to school on time lately because my mom got mad. I could care less what the school thinks, but I do kinda feel bad that my mom gets annoyed everyday by the wicked witch of chemistry class.

I finally dragged myself out of bed and got dressed. It takes me almost 2 seconds to get ready for school. I get up, get dressed, go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, push my hair into a presentable state, then grab my backpack and walk out the door.

As usual, my brother just decided to wait in the car for me. He looks, just like always, like the perfect version of what I should be. Well dressed, successful, happy, like he actually has his life together.

"Hey dude. Took you long enough." He joked.
"Oh shut it and just drive." I yawned.

As he pulled up to my school, I heard the late bell ring and sighed. "It's not too bad, today. At the very most, you'll be like 2 minutes late."
I just groaned and got out of the car. "Easy for you to say. You don't have a teacher and a mom breathing down your neck about pointless things." I shut the door and walked through the gates.

I was already late so what was the point of trying to get to class early? It didnt matter if I was 5 seconds late or 15 minutes, my teacher would mark my tardiness with glee. I walked through the doors of the science building, dreading facing my mom at home.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

I stopped in my tracks.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

People started running out of their classes. I stayed frozen out of confusion.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

I saw one of the girls from my class come out. She looked terrified. She ran right past me screaming, "Run!" I turned around and looked in horror as I saw another one of the kids from my class emerging from the room. This didn't run or even look hurried. He calmly turned towards the crowd. He was holding something black and shiny in his hand.

I didn't even think as I whipped around and followed the crowd.

Everything started to blur and I acted without thinking or comprehending anything. I suddenly found myself hiding in a janitor's closet. I couldn't tell which was worse. The constant bangs I heard that seemed to be coming closer or the beating of my heart as I listened, hoping the bangs would start moving away.

My mind was going a million miles a minute. Was this really happening? I knew it happened, but I never realized how easily my school could've been next on the news. I couldn't believe that just happened. No. Not happened. Happening.

It was still going on. Bangs still ringing out in the hallways. A little less often now though. I heard them getting louder, coming closer. My heart almost stopped when I heard footsteps accompanying the bangs on the other side of the door.

They stopped right in front of the door.

BANG

I realized my eyes were shut and I was holding my breath. I opened my eyes and forced myself to exhale. I was still inside the closet. Outside was silent.

I don't know how long I sat there. It felt like seconds and years at the same time. But I know that when I looked down, I saw a red substance pooling around the door. Coming from outside.

I forced myself to move. To open the door. To make sure it was safe. I opened the door and saw my classmate. The one who never really talked. He sat in the back of the class. If he hadn't been picked on everyday, I wouldn't have known he was ever there. The world would see him as a monster. I never thought he would be one. He sat against the wall, next to the door I was opening, motionless. He was covered in red. He was still holding the black, shiny weapon.

Guns are crazy things. They're supposed to stand for patriotism, freedom and independence. But when they're used, all that they do is cause chaos, pain and despair. When did they start to change. When did they no longer protect those against their oppressors? When did they start being pointed at the weak instead of helping them? When did the monsters of this world twist them against what they were originally intended for? Why can our world not see that the monsters have made what was once a protector a monster too?