After catching her fiance cheating with his realtor partner, Aubrey Peters decides to sell everything and move cross country to LA. With the help of her cousin and self-proclaimed influencer, Eloise, Aubrey slowly starts to rebuild the shambles of h...
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Now...
The screaming and footsteps have all subdued. Now all that's left is the heavy breathing inside the small room.
I can see some of my students poking their heads out of the cupboards trying to gauge my expression, their confusion is so clear on their little faces, but as I lift my finger to my mouth they crawl back inside. Like a turtle into its shell.
This workshop is a little sanctuary, but I still fear that we may be exposed. Hearing Bobby on the phone really rattled me in ways I didn't expect. I keep going over the movie Taken in my head. I picture Bobby as Liam Neeson, and I'm his daughter just waiting to be ripped out from underneath the bed.
I trust that they're en route, and I know there are cops constantly patroling this school, so it's only a matter of time before the gunmen are apprehended, but it doesn't make this situation any better.
I don't know what happened to Wendy. I don't know if any of the other shots hit any teachers or, God forbid, students. All I know is that this whole thing seems pretty planned out.
I mean, come on. I couldn't get in touch with 9-1-1 but had no problem calling Mr. Diaz? The shots on the playground forced us into the school only to have the attackers blow up the doors to get inside? And then there was someone all the way on the other side of school gunning down children? Forcing the whole school into a chaotic frenzy?
Something major is going on here. I feel like I have some of the puzzle pieces, but not everything. Not yet. The main pieces are missing leaving me guessing what'll happen next.
And I don't even know if I'll survive long enough to figure it all out.
God, five minutes is such a long time.
I hate this so much.
And as if keeping everyone quiet isn't hard enough already, my phone chimes off in my pocket. I quickly dig it out and read the message flashing across the screen. Eloise!
Eloise 🤬😘 What the fuck is going on! I just got your text. Is this a fucking joke? Text me back, dammit! I'm at work freaking out. You never call me at work! Thurs 12:21 PM
🌻Bre Can't talk. I have to keep the students quiet. There's someone outside. Thurs 12:22 PM
Eloise🤬😘 Fuck, seriously? What do you mean? An intruder? Fuck Joe's Coffee! I'm coming. Thurs 12:22 PM
🌻Bre Ellie, don't! Stay there. There's an active shooter... It's not safe! Thurs 12: 23 PM
I hold my phone close to my chest feeling the tears stream down my face. I should text her 'I love you'. I should text my whole family. But I don't want to say goodbye. Not like this. I want to live. I want to survive!
Two sets of heavy footsteps clatter down the hall. Closers and closer they come, making my heart panic and soar. My babies whimper, their ears trained on the same noise. I bite my lip. Hold my breath. And pray this isn't the end.
They're on the other side of the door. I can hear them shuffling. According to my phone, it's only been three and a half minutes since I lost contact with 118. There's no way it's them.
Which means that whoever is on the other side may not have our best interest at heart.
That's a terrifying thought.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" The voice on the other side sings. It's an eerie sound that even my students hate to hear. There's some crying happening behind me, and even though I try to silence it they won't stop. "Ooooh, we've got some live ones in here."
I purse my lips and swallow hard. Anxiety is a drug that bleeds into my system. My heart can't take much more. It pumps too quickly, forcing sweat to seep out of every pore.
Fight or flight?
Do I rush past him, given the chance? Or grab something close and fight as hard as I can?
What am I thinking?
Running isn't even an option.
I don't want to have to fight, but I will gladly lay down my life if it means they have any chance at survival. I will fight like hell! To death, if I have to.
I don't want to, to...die. I really, really don't want to die. I want to survive this! I want to grow old. Have my own family. I want to keep pouring into this community. I want to continue teaching. See my students grow up.
Please, God! Don't let them get in.
Please, keep us safe. Don't let this be the end. Don't let this-
The other side goes deathly still. I hold my breath in anticipation, scanning the room for some makeshift weapon. Scissors lay carelessly on the table. I back towards them, gripping them discretely in my hands as I listen harder.
The voices whisper to each other. My heart skips a beat realizing they're plotting. Why, God, why? Why do they want to get in? These are children! Children. Does that mean so little?
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum! Ready or not, here...we..come!"
In an instant, the door is completely obliterated. Smoke funnels in as the shambles of debris rain down around the tiny room like confetti.
Two tall shadowy figures tower in the doorway. I swallow hard. Grip the scissors. And wait for them to make the first move.
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