Voiceless Screams | The Music Freaks

Chapter Five

      Screams erupted in the room as students hid below the bleachers in the gym. Sean couldn't tell how much time they'd spend trying to make sure the door wouldn't open, but it felt like an eternity of endless gunshots.
      There'd been a back door leading to the locker rooms. Two students had gone through there to see if they could find an escape. They said they'd barricade the door in the locker rooms when they came back. He still hadn't seen their faces.
      "Listen, the doors are well locked. You all will be safe." the coach said, more or less reassuring them rather than being certain of his own words. He'd flinched every shot.
      Sean slipped under one of the bleachers, gesturing to coach Chandler. Three gunshots boomed through the school, threatening a new life each time. Every time the shooters pulled the trigger, Sean thought of the music club. They'd practiced for two months for the band competition, then Jake joined and they practiced with a real singer. Though there was one week left, he had his doubts that they'd attend. This was a lot to recover from.
      Coach Chandler sat down next to him, breathing quickly. Sean gave him a quick smile to reassure him, but there was nothing but fear in his eyes. The tense air promised that fear had taken over the school. The gunmen were winning.
      Two girls hugged each other, crying in each other's arms. A boy held a phone tight to his ear as tears rolled down his cheeks. He kept saying 'I love you, but I don't think I'll make it.'
      Coach Chandler glanced at Sean with wild eyes. He put his hand on Sean's shoulder and smiled. "You've always been a great student, Sean," he said. Sean could tell he was telling the truth, but he also knew that he wanted his potential last words to inspire him. Coach Chandler opened his mouth to speak but shut it tight at the next gunshot. It seemed to have been right outside the door.
      A cut-off scream followed the shot. Two more screams filled the air from the other side of the door. There were quick footsteps, then two shots. The screams were cut short.
      A chill ran down his spine as he imagined the scene. He didn't want to believe it had been Hailey, Luke, Milly, Jake, or Zander, but those were the only people on his mind. Thinking that any of the bullets had hit them made him sick to his stomach.
      The screams and gunshots seemed to be distancing from the room. Some weight was lifted from his shoulders, but where the two gunmen had been headed could have been towards the music club members.
     Shot after shot, Sean couldn't imagine anyone but his friends. They'd meant so much to him, and they all had been through so much together. Even if Jake had been prone to bullying them before he joined their club, he still felt like family to him.
     Another loud shot seemed to be right outside of the room. This time, the shots didn't follow with screams. The door rattled, then there was another shot. A bullet soared through the room, leaving a hole in the wall. It hadn't hit anyone, but it was enough for Sean to know they wouldn't be safe.
      When the door rattled again, he slightly stood and pointed to the other end of the bleachers. Some took their shoes off to minimize the sound they would make with their feet as they walked down the considerably loud floor of the gym. They all walked in a large group, but Sean made sure he'd been in the back.
     They huddled at the end of the bleachers, so he gestured to the locker room door. On the other side of the room, he could hear another shot. He could almost make out footsteps. Maybe the shooter had given up.
      Though the shooter had left them alone, they'd already had two instances where the shooter was standing outside the door. Whether it had been two different people, Sean didn't know, but it was enough to convince him they weren't safe.
     "Listen, we're not safe here. Everyone, hide in the back of the boy's locker room." Coach Chandler said, glaring behind him as the students streamed into the room in front of them.
      Sean followed him in the room, locking the door behind him after making sure no one had been in the gym. The door to the hallway didn't lock, and there wasn't anything they could use to barricade. Hiding and attacking if needed was their best bet. There'd been a few backpacks and books laying around. If they wanted any chance of survival, they'd have to use anything they could.
      He slipped behind a wall where more lockers curved around. Seven more students huddled in the area.
     After three shots, Coach Chandler appeared at his side. Sean had hoped an end to this would be near, but even with the countless phone calls with the police, they'd still been trapped in the wrath of the boys with guns.
      The door burst open. Sean froze when a voice rang out in the room accompanied by an ear-splitting gunshot. "You're all going to die, and it's all of your fault!" the voice said. A girl fell beside Sean, blood slowly pooling underneath her.
      By the trickle of blood rolling down his back, and boom in his ears, he could tell he'd been shot. There'd been no pain, just pure shock. His back felt numb. Suddenly, a warm, sharp pain struck his back. That's when he knew he had little chance of survival.