Last Light Falling by J. E. Plemons

my back to avoid the lunacy of people scampering over one another.
    I veer past the administrative offices and notice that it’s empty, so I dash down to the next intersection of hallways. To the right is the gymnasium, and to the left is a back door that leads to the parking lot, where two federal officers stand. I’m forced to either backtrack or go toward the gymnasium. It’s evident by the sheer panic that no one followed the rules about dismissing to their designated areas. Everyone is supposed to be sitting down by their lockers, but that’s not happening. If I know Gabe, he would have gone to a place that has more than one exit. I taught him to always leave his options open if there ever came a time he were to encounter a dangerous crisis—I guess this would be considered one.
    I run to the gym as fast as I can, but it’s empty. I hustle over to the double doors that lead to the back of the men’s locker rooms where I hear a small noise. It sounds like heavy panting near the back corner of the bleachers, but I can’t make out who it is. I go behind the metal stands to get a better look and find Juliana. She’s curled up in a fetal position on the floor behind the bleachers, crying.
    I rush over by her side. “Juliana, are you hurt? Was Gabe with you?” She looks like she is in shock. The only thing she can do is point to the double doors where Gabe must be. She doesn’t seem to be injured, just scared.
    “Okay, stay here and don’t move, I promise I’ll be right back,” I assure her. I slowly open the doors and peek in both directions. Small drops of blood dot the floor around the corner.
    I hurry around the corner and find Gabe sitting up against the wall with his hands on his face. I kneel down so I can get a better look at his face. His cheek is swollen, blood is dripping from his nose, and his clothes are soaking wet. “Gabe, are you all right? What the hell happened here?”.
    “I got lost in the crowd when everyone started to run. I couldn’t find you, so I took Juliana toward the gym, thinking that maybe everyone would be gathering there, not to mention there are at least three exits that gave us options if something bad were to happen,” Gabe says with exhaustion.
    “I knew you would come here, I taught you well, young Padawan,” I say, smiling.
    “Yeah, well don’t flatter yourself, Obi Wan, I still got the shit beat out of me,” he says.
    “Let me guess, Derrick?”
    “Juliana and I were coming through the gym, and when we noticed no one else was here, we decided to go through the locker-room exits. I pushed the doors open right when Derrick was coming out. He fell backward and just stared at me. I tried to apologize, but that obviously failed. He recognized me, and he and two other guys dragged me into the showers, hosed me down, dragged me back into the hall, and punched me twice in the face. I didn’t really feel anything. My swollen head felt numb. The siren was so loud—no one could have heard anything going on in here even if there was somebody around to help. When the sirens started to wind back down, two gunshots fired, and the guys just took off and left me here,” Gabe says.
    “Are you sure you heard gunshots?” I ask.
    “I’m almost positive, but then again, I could have imagined it too since I was hit pretty hard in the face. Not sure why they felt the need to throw me in the shower. Was a beating not enough?” Gabe says.
    “That would explain your soaked clothes,” I say, examining him. “Let me see your face. Yep, we’re going to have a hard time explaining this one to Myra.”
    “Where is Juliana?” he says, concerned.
    I almost forgot I left her behind the bleachers. “Come on, she’s in here,” I say as I lift him up.
    When we walk back into the gym, the ear-bleeding sirens stop. Juliana is still there, crouched down under the bleachers. When she sees Gabe, she immediately gets up to help him, and I can tell there’s a special relationship building