position. The fire escape dropped quickly to the ground, faster than Alex had anticipated. Once again Alex was smashed to the ground causing the pain in his back to flare again with a white hot intensity.
With great effort, Alex was able to maintain his grip on the staircase. The pain receded and his vision cleared, and after a moments breath Alex regained his feet and began to climb.
Faster than he would have thought possible, he reached the third floor landing of the fire escape. Yells and screams reached him from below, the fear and despair of so many parents just like him. More gunshots rang out and were quickly swallowed by the cries of the desperate trying to reach their children.
Alex turned to face the door and peered through the dirty window. Teachers were everywhere trying in vain to calm hysterical children and angry parents. How had throngs degenerated so quickly? Couldn't the parents see that what they were doing was only creating a bigger problem? Alex then remembered where he was; standing on fire escape three floors up after breaking in to the school yard. Everyone was losing their grip on reality, including himself.
A quick tug on the door and Alex realized something else; of course the door would be locked from the inside. The school needed to keep the children safe from those on the outside. Alex's frustration boiled over and he began banging on the door. Either someone would let him in or he would have to go back down and find something to break the glass.
Alex's shouts and pounding fists seemed to reach no one, when finally a teacher stepped into the hall and looked his direction. Alex recognized her immediately as Mrs. Toolson, Gemma's school teacher. Alex began shouting her name and pleading with her to open the door. She hesitated, looking towards the parents forcing their way onto the floor, then to the children in her classroom and finally back to Alex. Mrs. Toolson started towards the fire escape.
Mrs. Toolson was steps away from the fire escape door, seeming to move in slow motion and taking forever to reach Alex. Someone behind her began yelling loudly, enough for Alex to hear him over any other commotion going on.
"Get the fuck out of my way, you bitch!" Another teacher was thrown aside, slamming her head against the wall and slumping to the floor. She lay there motionless. Alex looked into the eyes of the man responsible, the same man who had shot and probably killed another father outside the school. His arm raised.
The flash of the gun; the explosion of sound; the look of confusion and pain across the face of Mrs. Toolson. Blood and bone exploded from her chest as the bullet tore a fist sized whole from her. She was standing so close to the fire exit that the bullet smashed through the glass of the door, spraying Alex with broken glass and narrowly missing him.
Mrs. Toolson's body continued forward and slammed into the fire exit door. Her momentum carried her through the shattered window expelling what remained after the bullets destructive path. Her body slumped over the frame, blood pouring from the bullet wound and now from gashes carved into her from shattered glass. More screams of sheer terror erupted from the school, the panic of students and teachers fighting desperately to escape.
Alex reached down for Mrs. Toolson in a vain attempt to help her. Grasping beneath her chin and shoulders he began to lift her. Toolson's body shuddered once and remained still.
Panic sought to overwhelm Alex. The witness of two murders, moments apart screamed at Alex to run, hide and only come out when he was sure it was safe. A child's scream was all that kept him there, alone on the fire escape. Alone save for the still warm body of Gemma's school teacher. Gemma...Gemma was screaming. His daughter was screaming for him, terrified. The world closed in around him and then disappeared.
Everything was very clear at that moment. Alex did not think about what he needed to do, he simply acted, and in
With great effort, Alex was able to maintain his grip on the staircase. The pain receded and his vision cleared, and after a moments breath Alex regained his feet and began to climb.
Faster than he would have thought possible, he reached the third floor landing of the fire escape. Yells and screams reached him from below, the fear and despair of so many parents just like him. More gunshots rang out and were quickly swallowed by the cries of the desperate trying to reach their children.
Alex turned to face the door and peered through the dirty window. Teachers were everywhere trying in vain to calm hysterical children and angry parents. How had throngs degenerated so quickly? Couldn't the parents see that what they were doing was only creating a bigger problem? Alex then remembered where he was; standing on fire escape three floors up after breaking in to the school yard. Everyone was losing their grip on reality, including himself.
A quick tug on the door and Alex realized something else; of course the door would be locked from the inside. The school needed to keep the children safe from those on the outside. Alex's frustration boiled over and he began banging on the door. Either someone would let him in or he would have to go back down and find something to break the glass.
Alex's shouts and pounding fists seemed to reach no one, when finally a teacher stepped into the hall and looked his direction. Alex recognized her immediately as Mrs. Toolson, Gemma's school teacher. Alex began shouting her name and pleading with her to open the door. She hesitated, looking towards the parents forcing their way onto the floor, then to the children in her classroom and finally back to Alex. Mrs. Toolson started towards the fire escape.
Mrs. Toolson was steps away from the fire escape door, seeming to move in slow motion and taking forever to reach Alex. Someone behind her began yelling loudly, enough for Alex to hear him over any other commotion going on.
"Get the fuck out of my way, you bitch!" Another teacher was thrown aside, slamming her head against the wall and slumping to the floor. She lay there motionless. Alex looked into the eyes of the man responsible, the same man who had shot and probably killed another father outside the school. His arm raised.
The flash of the gun; the explosion of sound; the look of confusion and pain across the face of Mrs. Toolson. Blood and bone exploded from her chest as the bullet tore a fist sized whole from her. She was standing so close to the fire exit that the bullet smashed through the glass of the door, spraying Alex with broken glass and narrowly missing him.
Mrs. Toolson's body continued forward and slammed into the fire exit door. Her momentum carried her through the shattered window expelling what remained after the bullets destructive path. Her body slumped over the frame, blood pouring from the bullet wound and now from gashes carved into her from shattered glass. More screams of sheer terror erupted from the school, the panic of students and teachers fighting desperately to escape.
Alex reached down for Mrs. Toolson in a vain attempt to help her. Grasping beneath her chin and shoulders he began to lift her. Toolson's body shuddered once and remained still.
Panic sought to overwhelm Alex. The witness of two murders, moments apart screamed at Alex to run, hide and only come out when he was sure it was safe. A child's scream was all that kept him there, alone on the fire escape. Alone save for the still warm body of Gemma's school teacher. Gemma...Gemma was screaming. His daughter was screaming for him, terrified. The world closed in around him and then disappeared.
Everything was very clear at that moment. Alex did not think about what he needed to do, he simply acted, and in
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