HAUNTED

2

She walked into the corridor and saw Sam standing there, gun in hand. He had just aimed to kill and missed. They thought. Near him lay the bully in fear, he had finally snapped and could not take the bullying anymore, at least she thought so. Sam had taken matters into his own hands. The system never worked for him instead at most times seemed to favour the bully. The society protected the one that oppressed them, hurt them, and tortured them with a shadow fear and an unwillingness to lead for once. Sam had decided to take charge though it was a tragic and dooming plan.

“Sam,” she called, “put the gun down.”

“There you go again, you people with your perfect lives, giving me orders,” he spat out and aimed for her. Jacob was still far trying to pin point an energy he recognised. She was nowhere outside with the others. He had seen it in her eyes when she left. She was going for the story.

“My life is not perfect,” she dwelled on those words knowing all the hurt; wondering why she had not done the same as he was right now. Blowing my head off would be a quick way to go right…she thought. “I am probably going to say all the wrong words pretending that I understand. I know only the bearer of the pain can understand it more. Don’t be stupid and just cause more. Killing him will not solve anything it will just cause more hatred and pain, we really don’t need that we have enough already.” He opened his mouth to speak though it wasn’t the right thing to interrupt the guy with the gun she did anyways, “I know you are going to say ‘what about your pain or need to avenge all the injustices done upon you by the insane children’ I actually don’t have an answer to that.”

“You don’t understand,” she probably didn’t, he rose the gun to her, his new target. She got scared heart racing, thundering in her throat, the cold looking metal barrel of the gun looked more frightening right now than the gates of hell.

“This was a bad idea,” she said about ready to turn back and run. “you can’t do this… kill innocent people,” she had to buy time to get everyone else out of the building and wait for the police to get here and secure the gun. “Innocent people,” she emphasised again.

He laughed, “You and I both know that these people aren’t innocent they do more harm than good. I know what you mean; he pushed his glasses back with his index finger seemingly increasing the print of the frame on his flesh. Sweat ran down his forehead. “they hurt millions every day and still walk free,” he looked at the gun drawing it away from its angle pointing at her the girl I wish I could be... brave.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said first, ’but whose gonna believe that,” he sighed.

“What happened,” she then asked, just as he opened his mouth.

“Lex, Teachers are looking for you,” Jacob said as he walked towards her pretending Sam was not there for only a moment. He called her Lex, not Alex or Alexandria like everyone else did, and she noticed.

“I’m fine,” she said slightly annoyed thinking that he was only here to steal her story; like she cared about the tale... she cared about the truth.

“Hey, Sam,” Jacob acted so casual walking over to the guy with the gun, who had started to turn green at the sight of blood. “You okay,” his tone suddenly changed. Sam just looked at the Bully Madsen whose shirt was already stained with deep red.

Jacob reacted quickly turning over the face down character placing pressure on the wound. Alexandria saw a girl peaking from the corner she looked terrified... “Hey,” she called for her and she dashed for the door. Lex ran after her but didn’t go far before...

“I need your help here,” Jacob called out.

“Damn it,” she turned back to the scene and hit the fire alarm on the way to him.

“How can I help,” she offered.

“Why did you do that,” Jacob asked then said, “Get outside and lead the authorities here, call the emergency number, something.”

“We need an ambulance right that’s part of the fire team they will be here faster,” she answered quickly as she fought off the freakish feeling about having to touch someone’s blood as she put pressure on the wound, “besides,” she said half holding her breath, “it will worn everyone else still in the building to leave.”

“Clever,” Jacob smirked, “Sam,” he then said after Sam had started moving towards an exit, “leave the gun, you might get shot if you leave with that.”

He nervously put the gun down, “he said he was going to bomb the school… that’s why I did it,” he said shakily, “I couldn’t let him.” Sam ran out.

Jacob checked a few things on Madsen, pressed a few points on the injured fat big boy’s chest with his finger tips and Madsen took in a gust of air. He was awake and in pain but awake. She wondered how, there was something about Jacob.

“He is lying,” Madsen coughed out, “you have to stop him.” Lex stood up to head after Sam without a word... Jacob didn’t interrupt him, “he is going to kill everyone.” He struggled for his words.

Before she could get anywhere, a loud deafening boom which flung them across the room sounded leaving Lex’s ears ringing. Nothing but a concrete dust thickening the air, blinding the world. It had taken her a few moments to recollect. Lost.

“Lex, you okay,” she heard a voice cough out. “Damn it,” the same voice mumbled. With a hazy view, she tried to stumble and crawl towards the voice. “Alex!”

“Yes,” she barely got out. She finally saw him. He was kneeling over a near pile of rocks stained in red liquid. She stood right there and saw the vacant dead eyes. She gasped. Madison, with cuts and dust over his skin like a thick crimson mud his blood stained the floor rocks from the blast covered part of his body that sat awkwardly dead.

She squeezed Jacobs shoulder, he seemed a little too frozen she had to know he was real and alive. He reached for her hand at his shoulder, squeezed it briefly then let go as he stood up, “we have to get out of here, before…” just as he spoke another boom tore through the air and shook the building. Terrified, she tried to calm herself.

Smoke and warmth began to ooze into the air around them, “fire,” she mumbled.

“Follow me,” he said. As he tried to bust open a door to a locked class room, which took him seconds. He heads for the windows. They were a few stories up no jumping from here. She reached for the door handle to find a way out form here they came and she burnt her hand. Something must be fuelling the fire. It was moving so fast.

“No way out,” she said. Then walked toward the windows. Jacob just seemed in thought unmoving. She noticed a pipe line that ran down a wall outside the class, probably a water pipe. The smoke was getting heavy. Without thought she grabbed a chair and started trying to smash it against the window.

“What are you doing,” he asked.

“Trying to smash this uselessly thick window so we can climb down the pipes,” she struck the window again, it cracked.

“That’s a horrible plan,” he opposed.

“And staying here isn’t,” she struck again with a grunt, “I’m not going to wait to die.”

He grabbed her arm, to stop her, “you won’t.” the glass shattered drawing the smoke out with it, with a fiery boom the windows on the floor below them shattered sending a fiery fury out to a nearby tree that shrived and succumb to the flames like an embarrassed abused dog with its tale between its legs. He instinctively fell back to the ground with her bound in his arms.

Everything went blank and for a moment felt her insides sucked inwards like a vacuum had rose in her. The next moment she was whole and at the front door stumbling out of the smoke. Awkwardly letting go of Jacob and clearing her throat with a cough watery eyed from the smoke as fire fighters battled with the flames, restlessly. She stumbled forward and out of the smoke with him.

“Alex, are you okay,” Ms Zorn yelled from behind the safety barriers, she had always been particularly fond of Alex. Sort of constantly watching out for her. It was nice though she knew that she would be back to her mean self again soon.

Paramedics rushed to her, “I’m fine, there are people still inside,” she dismissed them. “There are people still inside” she thought, “Check Jacob,” she ordered but when she turned he has vanished. She hadn’t had time to process how they got to the entrance, one moment they were there and now… the thought that she had… that he was… or she was… huh?! “How?!” she mumbled, “I really don’t remember.”

“Paramedics!” Ms Zorn called, she had been allowed through the barrier to assist in identifying the students, “she is mumbling crazy.”

“I’m fine, I just need… normal air,” she walked away.

“Alex,” Ms Zorn yelled. And she ran to the gym at the other end of a field from the school. It seemed deserted.

“I’m fine, see,” she yelled back. Opportunely the school library was also far from the flaming senior classroom building. She looked at it as she slowed to a fast walk, trying to catch her breath. She liked the library… I like libraries, they always have been an odd peace and a lovely place to nap. If the possibly friendly librarian lets you… she always skipped at the opportunity. From the middle of the sports field, she saw it all clearly. The smoking building, the students being held back by officials, concerned parents driving in after seeing it on the news. Utter chaos, she fell to her knees overwhelmed for a moment. Dusted and filthy she brought her ashed hands to her face and wiped away the tracks of her seemingly cold tears had marked across her cheeks. She got oddly terrified of being alone in the middle of the field but didn’t move.

I should have known! So many people would be okay, if I had. It’s all my fault. It’s always my fault.Where is Jacob? Is Jacob real? What happened… how?! It must be the smoke. The smoke was so bad that it had blocked out the sun, like a cloudy day, the sky and sun hid away only merely peering at the tragedy as if they were guilty and trying to avoid it.

The adrenalin began to slowly fade out now, she began to shake less and the pain started. Her muscles ached from the initial blow that threw her across the room. Her mind hurt from the sight of the bloodied remains of Madison. She took countless deep breaths but it still did not seem like enough to fill her lungs. She looked up, and noticed that some people had made it out the back of the semi-tall classroom building and they were filing into the field for safety. Toward her. She pulled herself together.

“Hey, is anyone hurt,” she asked when they were still a distance away, “head that way that’s where the medics are, Ms Zorn is sure to help you out.”

“We are mostly okay,” one guy said as some who thought they needed medical help head for where she had come from for help with their friends. The rest collapsed to the grass relieved. The flames were now just small simmers.

She got up and walked to the gym, to get cleaned up before going to her house which barely felt like home. Her aunt will not understand if she got home late, no matter what. She took a quick shower that revealed tomorrow’s bruises and todays’ cuts and jumped into her school tracksuit coz it was clean and covered up injuries. There were other people in the gym who had been little affected by the explosion. Going on with life like it had not just happened. It was too weird for her to handle.

She head for her office (the perks of being junior editor to the school paper) which was linked to the library, to pick up a few of her stuff, rushed, people were now slowly disappearing from the soaked building now. Investigation crews walking in and out of the building. Teachers dismissed… it didn’t seem like anyone other than Madison had died. Not sure yet.