Ilookedupandmygazemetwithhisbeautifulsparklinglightgreyeyes.

I
dontknowwhathappenedbut,allofasuddenIfeltlikeIhadbeenparalyzed
whenImethisgaze.Icouldntmoveasinglemuscleorevenblink.Couldntcall
outorscreamforhelp.OneminuteIwasfreetomoveandtalkbut,thenextI
couldntevenbreath.Everythingaroundmewassopitchyblackanddesolate.I
feltlikeIhadbeensquashedinacold,darkboxthatIcouldntbreakfreefrom.
Movingaroundwasextremelypainfulandagonising,itfeltasifwhichstepItook,
someonestabbedmerepeatedly.Outofnowhere,Istartedtohearingcoldhusky
voicesinmyhead.
Dontworry.Itmighthavebeentwosimplewords,butitfeltlikea
million.Thewordechoedthroughthedarknessandtheiceycoldwordshitme
likeabullet.Therewasalongcreepypause.IfeltasifIwasbeingwatchedand
therewassomeonebreathingdownmyneckthewholetime.Itllbeoverfast
Ifeltthesweatofmyforeheadrundownslowlyontomycheeksandrundown
myneck.Iheardthesweatdripdownandmakeitswayontowhatseemedto
appeartobethefloor.Allaroundmeitfeltasifalltheairwasascoldandicythe
arcticpolarwinds,butashotliketheexplodingredrun.Isawinthatinthe
distanceasmalllightappearedbeforeme.AtfirstIthoughtitwasjusta
hallucination,justliketherestoftheroom,untilItriedpinchingmyselfandit
reallyburned.Itriedwalkingtowardsthebeaminglightahead,butwhenthenall
ofasudden,thelightturnedintoabrightbloodred.Iimmediatelystoppedinmy
tracks,notknowingwhattofeelortodo.IwassoscaredthatImightbegoing
crazy,butIalsofeltlikeIwasbeingoverdramaticandthatIshouldjustfacemy
fear.Iwalkedtowardsit,butashadowyfigureemergesinfrontofmeandmade
mestop.Thefigureraiseditsarmandaloudandobnoxiouscannonlikesound
wentoffallaroundme.Aftertheshotechoedaroundtheroomlikeeverything
elseinthisplace,Iwasfinallyabletomovearoundfreelyandnotfeelasinglebit
ofpain.Butmysurroundingsweremuchhotterandhardertobreath,anditwas
immediatelyclearthatIwasntintheoriginalspotIwassittingatbeforeallofthis
happened.Iwaslyingontheground,coveredinsomeredwetsubstancethat
appearedtobebloodseepingthroughmyshirt.Therewassmokefillingtheair
allaroundme,makingitincrediblyhardtobreathandsee.WhenItriedtostand
up,Ifeltasharpagonyinmyleg.Ilookeddownatmyfootandsawthatthere
weresmallshardsofclearcrispglassallovermyshoeandinsideofit.Itried
multipletimestostandup,butthetorturethatwasmyfootwasnevergoingtolet
megetupaslongasIhadtheseshardslodgedinmyfoot.Afteralongwhile,I
finallygainedenoughstrengthtogetup.Ileanedagainstsomethinghardand
lookedupatmysurroundings.WhatIsawwassohorridandtraumatizingthatI
couldntturnawayfromit.Therelyingbeforewasthehorrificscenethatwasnow

theruinsofmyschool.Itwasreallyhardtomakeoutaclearpicture,itwaslikea
cameralensetryingtofocusinthedarknessofanabyss.ButonceIfinally
quietedmywaythroughthedarknessapaintingwasbeingcreatedinthebackof
myhead.Halftheschoolwasdestroyed,demolished.eradicated,andonblazing
hotfire.Ifeltmylipsmove,butnowordscameout,theschoolshorridpainting
canceledoutallnoise.FinallyIwasabletoheareverythingmuchclearlythrough
theringinginmyears.Iheardscreamsofpainasfireengulfedtheteenagers
clothesandfollowedthroughontotheirflammableskin.Theyreshriekswereas
powerfulasalionsroarandweresuretotraumatizeme.Itriedtoavoidedthe
screamsoftheagony,butonlytobehorrifiedbyadifferentsceneplayoutin
frontofme.Isawthefieryredtormentintheeyesofallofthoseunluckytohave
beencaughtonfireandwerekilledinthepainfulandhorrificprocess.Theyre
bodieswerecoveredinbloodfromheadtotoe,theyrefaceschargedand
unrecognizable.Andofcourseasiftheshrieksoftortureandthecharredbodies
wasntenoughIwasforcedtoseesomethingthatcouldntbeunseen.Theblood
ofallthosepoorstudentswhohadbeencrushed,mutilated,mauled,or
pummeledbytheshardsofglassfromtheshatteredwindows.Shardsofice
stuckoutoftheirbodieslikeicicleshangingofthearcticcaves.Atsomepoint
whileIwaswalkinginthedisaster,Isawapoorsoulsheadgettingcrushedbya
wallthathadbrokenoff.Butthehardestthingtoseewasthatthepoorcrushed
soulwasstillaliveandinmytorture.Theimagesallaroundmestartedtoblurout
offocuslikethedarkroomIwasinandallIrememberwassomeonecallingmy
namethroughalltheshrieks,criesandpleadsforhelp.
Skylar!Skylar!!Whereareyou?Ahighpitchedfemalevoicescreamed,
whoIguessedwasMirandayelledoutintothewideopenbattlefield.Ilookedall
overthebattlefieldforher,butIcouldntreallyseethroughalloftheashesand
smoke.Itriedtoquintmywaythroughthesmoke,butthatwasntreallyeffective,
especiallysincemyglasseswerefoggingupfromthehotsurroundingair.
Miranda!Whereareyou?Ilimpedtowardsashadowyfigurethatlooked
likeitcouldhavebeenanyone,butatthispointinthegame,Ijustneeded
someonetoexplaintomewhathadhappenedhere.ThefigurewhoIthought
wasMiranda,wasindeednotMiranda,butsomeotherstrangeperson.This
personseemedtobeamalesincehewaslookedaroundmyage.Theperson
seemedtobefacinginmydirection,althoughIcouldntmakeouthisface.
Dontworry.Thiswillbeoversoonenough.ItllbeoverfastThedeepvoice
exclaimed.HisvoicewastheexactsamevoicesIhadheardinmyhead,
althoughIneverthoughtthatitwasreallyinmyhead.Howdidhegetintomy
headorintomythoughts?HewasgettinginmyheadtooeasilyandIcouldnt
giveupmythoughtswithoutafight.

Whoareyou?Didyoucausethishorridpainting?Didyoujustmurder
innocentkids?Wasthisyourfault?Iscreamedathimincompleteandtotal
angerwhilstworkingmywaybackwards.Ididntknowwhothisguyactuallywas,
butifhehadknowntheexactsamewordsthatwereechoedinmyheadoverand
overagain,thanhemustvebebehindallofthischaos.
Iamheretoterminateyoubeforeyoucauseanymoretrouble.Youhave
alreadygottenyourselfintothis.Iwasnttheonewhocausedthisgirly.Itwas
yoursHeliftedhishandthatheldagunlikeshadowstraightatmyhead.Point
blank.WasthisthelastimageIwasgoingtoeverrememberbeforefallinginto
thehandsofsomeguyanddieingrightthereandthen?WasIreallygoingtodie
surroundedbymyfellowclassmates?Iwasseverelyscaredthatthiswasgoing
tobemylastbreath,mylastmomentinmylongjourneyaheadofme.Outofall
thewaysthatIcouldhavedied,thiswasthewayIwouldgo.Agunpointed
straightatme.Ifellonmykneesandclosedmyeyes,readyfordefeat,butinthe
midstofallofthesmokeIwitnessedtheshadowyfigurefallonthegroundand
immediatelycrumpletotheground.Iwassoconfusedatwhatjusthad
happened.Ihadabsolutelynoideawhatinthehelljusthappened.Foralong
whilethereweregruntscomingfromthegroundandarmsbeingraisedinformof
afist,butthensomethingelsestoodup.Itlookedthesametome.Thesame
height,thesameshadowyfigure.Istartedpanickingwhenthefigurewalked
fastertowardsmeandkickeditintheshinwhenitwascloseenoughtokickit.I
triedtorun,butthefiguregrabbedmyarmandexclaimed,
Skylar,itsEvan.Dontrun.ThedarksmokearoundusclearedandIwas
abletoseehisfacemuchclearer.Hehadscratchesandbruisesonhisfaceand
onhisarmsandwasbleedingfromhismouthbecauseofhiscutlip.Thesparkle
inhiseyeswasgoneandhisfaceexpressionless.
Whatthehelljusthappen?Doyouknowwhathappened?Whatsgoing
on?Istartedtofreakout,startedbreathingreallyfastandmyheartquickened.
AsItriedtoloosenhisstrongbutgentlegriponme,Ihesitatedwhenhereached
formyfaceandfellbackwardsontothedebribelowourfeet.