"Lockdown. This is not a drill."--Naomi

 

“Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." I

yawned as my teacher read aloud. It was 9 am in the morning so I wasn't particularly in the mood

to read confusing Shakespearean language. Since I was in the back of the class, I secretly opened

my chromebook and began messaging my friend on google hangouts, who ironically was sitting

right across from me. Bored to death, we both spammed each other with random emojis.

Beeep ! The school bell rang out of the blue, filling the classroom with a mysterious woman's

raspy voice from the speaker above. "Lockdown, this is not a drill. Lockdown, this is not a drill.

Teachers, lock your doors and close the lights."

I raised a brow. Lockdown? I thought. Is this a surprise drill or something? I looked at my friend

sitting across from me. We both stared at each other in confusion. The teacher walked to the light

switch, closing it. "Come on guys. Go to this side of the wall and sit your butts down" she

exclaimed.

I heaved a sigh while I got out of my seat and looked at my friend. I heard students groan as they

rose as well, and began meeting up with their friend groups. Smiling and whispering to each

other, we foolishly acted as if the lady on the speaker didn't say we were in a literal lockdown.

"Where do you want to sit?" I asked my friend. She pointed towards the corner, which was

behind the bookshelf. My teacher began to move towards her desk, which was in the corner

where we were and told my friend to move towards the wall, separating us. Noo… I thought as

we sadly looked at each other from afar. W ho am I gonna talk to now? I pouted.

We sat there chatting quietly for a few minutes. Then thirty. The whispering eventually

disappeared, with only the sound of the ticking clock filling our ears. A few people, as well as I,

started getting antsy. What's going on? A drill would've ended long ago by now. Is this actually

real? It can't be...Weren’t we reading Romeo and Juliet just a few moments ago? Just then, I felt

my phone vibrate. I felt my heart drop as I read the screen. My friend sent me a screenshot of a

news article, reading "AKINS HIGH SCHOOL CURRENTLY IN LOCKDOWN". I could not

believe it. Shoot, we really are in a lockdown. Wait...This can't be happening. What the heck is

going on!? My classmates started glancing at each other in shared confusion and worry while we

stared at our phones in shock. I began to realize the severity of our situation as I checked social

media. My friends were posting on their stories telling their loved ones and friends how much

they loved them. Within minutes, rumors spread that there was a school shooter and began

speculating who it was. Thoughts of denial filled my head. This can’t be happening… No way…

I felt my phone buzz for a second time.

"She's crying..."

"Who?" I asked.

"The teacher,” my friend replied.

I looked up from my phone. It was true. She was crying. I still remember the fear on her face.

Dread surged over me from head to toe, paralyzing me in shock. My heart hammered in my

chest. I felt my shoulders tense. Am I…going to die? No….I just started high school! I can't

die…! I looked around and was horrified to find my classmates beginning to cry as well. I took

out my phone with my trembling fingers and began texting my mom. "Mom, I’m in a

lockdown." I sent her a screenshot of the news article. What do I say? Should I say I’m scared?

No. Do I comfort her?...Should I tell her I love her? I hesitated. Our family usually does not say

stuff like that. To me, saying I loved her felt as if I was saying goodbye. No...I don't wanna die!

God…please! Save me! Save us! I don't want to die today….I promise that I won't take life for

granted again. If you can’t save me, at least save my brother! I could feel a painful lump on my

throat while tears began to blur my eyesight. I leaned forward with my head in my hands,

covering my face which was wet with tears. Mom...Dad...Josh...

My mind was racing with thoughts on what would happen if the potential shooter came in. I kept

thinking about how I would escape or, if I couldn't, how I could attack him, her, or perhaps even

them. I looked at the window as a potential escape route. I saw the scissors in my pencil case or

the bookshelf near the door as weapons to attack the shooter. We sat in the corner for what felt

like 2 hours.

And finally, the bell rang. Once again, a voice filled the room. "This is your principal speaking.

I'm so, so sorry for what happened today. But, the school is now secure. Please sit tight while we

slowly let you guys leave according to alphabetical order." I felt my shoulders slump as I let out

a long sigh of relief. I looked around me, seeing others do the same. We were loaded with

overwhelming gratitude. Thank you God...Thank you.

My name was soon called. As I walked down the crowded hallway, I finally spotted my mom.

Her face was pale, tired, and puffy due to crying. I’m pretty sure mine was as well. My brother

and I went home, thankful and relieved.

After Message: We later found out that the potential shooter ran off and hid in the mall close to

our school. The reason why it took so long was that the police were trying to find the bag where

he kept his weapon. Our teachers told us that on the day of the lockdown, a student reported

hearing a boy chatting with his friends about shooting up the school. Thankfully, the student

reported it. My teacher said that without the student taking the threat seriously, we wouldn't have

been so lucky. Therefore, I urge people to not be quick to assume that what someone says is a

joke. Do not assume that someone else will report it for you and be responsible.