Chapter 4: a blood-lusting pistol

AMY SIDE

"Miss, may I go to the toilet?"

Amy suppressed her buzzing phone, and politely asked the teacher.

The teacher signalled for her to leave the classroom. Just as soon as Amy walked out of the room, she whipped out her phone and answered the call.

"What the fuck do you want, Hannah?" Amy whispered in frustration.

"C'mon, just talk to me while I skip class won't ya?"

Hannah was just a carefree girl that did not care about her studies. She didn't even study for their VCE exam, but she still somehow received better grades than Amy.

"Don't fuck with me, Hannah, I have a future unlike you."

Amy hesitated for a few moments, and decided to not go back to class. While talking to Hannah, she wandered to the Library, for a place to sit down in. The librarian did not question Amy when she walked in, even though she's obviously skipping class; she didn't even question why Amy was on her phone in a mobile-free school.

"So, Amy... Have you met any boys lately?"

Amy was dumbfounded.

"Hannah, we are not having this talk again. I do not like any guys and I won't."

Amy could feel Hannah's smirk over the phone.

"Amy, that's like, literally the most cliché foreshadow ever."

Amy cringed.

"Oh, shut the fuck up Hannah, I'm not going to stoop down to the same level as you."

Amy angrily ended the call while Hannah laughed her ass off from the other side of the school.

"OH GODFUCKINGDAMMIT!" Amy shouted. Stares came from all corners of the library and hushed her.

Amy flopped onto a bean bag and grabbed a random book from the shelf right behind her.

"Deceased: Fight of Humanity...?" Amy quietly read the title a few times over and opened the book. "Is this a dystopian novel?"

Amy skimmed through the first few pages and was deeply intrigued about the rest of the book. Taking the book to the front counter, she decided to borrow the book. However, no one was to be seen at the counter.

"Hello...?" Amy warily looked around.

She looked around the counter, and knocked on the library office door next to the counter.

"Miss? I want to borrow a book, please!"

No response.

Amy knocked a few more times for an answer, but to no avail. No one answered. She opened the door to the office, and saw scattered paper and files scattered all over the floor. One of the files was stained with spilt coffee, it seemed like the people left in a hurry. Amy quickly left the office and looked around the library. She shouted out, hoping to get an answer, or even for someone to come hush her.

No response.

Amy started panicking. Where did everyone go? What has happened in such a short time she was reading her book? Amy ruled out the possibility that she was so immersed with the book she didn't notice her surroundings, as she only quickly skimmed through the first two pages. Amy started quivering and her voice trembled. "Anyone? Please, anyone..." Amy continuously repeated, until she finally became autophobic and quickly walked out of the library.

Walking around the building, Amy constantly heard voices whispering, but when she went to check, there was always no one. She was convinced that her mind was going crazy, and wondered if it was all just a dream.

Amy remained as calm as possible, remembering the instructions from all the evacuation videos she watched on YouTube. She made an entire loop around the big building, and came back to the library. She walked inside, wanting to check once more if anyone's inside, but as she walked in, there was a boy facing downwards right in front of her, unconscious on the ground.

"Oh. My. God. Are you ok?" Amy hurriedly ran to the boy and kneeled down beside it. She flipped the boy over onto his back, so he can breathe easier. Amy checked the boy's pulse and breathing, and fortunately, he's pulsing and breathing fine.

Amy took a deep breath and sighed. She was relieved that the boy was alive, that she was able to somewhat help him out. She looked at the boy one more time and recognised his face. He was the school captain, who always gave out speeches and performed music during assemblies. She stayed by his side a few more moments, and called Hannah.

"...Click."

"Hannah, you there?"

"Yeah, wassup girl? You're not mad at me anymore right?"

Amy took a deep breath and explained everything that happened to Hannah.

"...Wow." Hannah responded to Amy's long story, she was fascinated. "Hey, Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't know you did pot..."

Amy hung up her phone immediately.

All in a sudden, a fire alarm went off and screams filled the corridors. Amy was startled, but managed to get back onto her feet and checked outside the library. Just a second ago, the whole building was empty, not a man to be seen, but people came flocking from all directions, squeezing their way to the oval.

"What the fuck is happening?"

Amy walked down the corridor and noticed a middle-aged man standing right next to the panic button. People seemed to not have noticed this man while running for their lives to the oval.

"Huff... huff... I did it... they will reward me now..."

The man hunched over and sweat dripped down from his face.

"Shit... shit..." He repeated.

Slowly, the man took out a pistol from his pocket and aimed at his own head. Amy, terrified, sprinted over and stopped the man from shooting himself. She firmly grabbed his hand and aimed the pistol to the floor.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" The man struggled and fired a shot. The bullet went in his feet, and the man immediately fell to the ground. As the man screamed in agony, Amy let go of the man and stepped back slowly. The man, after seeing an opportunity, snatched the pistol which fell on the ground and quickly shot himself in the head. Amy came back to her senses and quickly kneeled next to the man. Blood gushed from his head and bloodied Amy's hand. Her knees gave out and tears swelled up in her eyes.

Amy wiped her bloodied hands on her clothes and she dialled Hannah's number. It took a while, but Hannah eventually picked up. From over the phone, Amy could hear screaming and shouting from other students.

"AMY? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GIRL?" Hannah shouted over the phone.

Amy wanted to talk, but her voice refused to obey her. All she let out was a series of gasps.

"AMY, DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? YOU GOTTA SPEAK UP GIRL. EVERYTHING HERE'S OUT OF CONTROL, WHERE ARE YOU?" Hannah continued shouting over the phone. "GIRL, IS THE BEEPING COMING FROM YOUR SIDE OR FROM MY SIDE?"

Amy's eyes widened and she let out a weak voice, "No... no..."

"WHAT? DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? HELLO? AMY?"

"...no... no... NO... NO... NO!"

Before Hannah could respond, a loud explosion went off, and the call ended.

Amy was too stunned to move, her brain refused to process anything. All she could do was let out a quiet cry. Her hands fumbled around the ground, wanting to find something that could help her. Amy noticed the pistol resting on the ground next to her and she went silent for a few seconds.

In despair, Amy snatched the pistol and aimed it in her mouth, her hand was shaking, but she firmly had her finger on the trigger. Tears went streaming down her face, and her hand fell to the ground.

In the middle of the corridor outside the library, a girl can be seen sitting next to a man in a pool of blood, crying. Even though what she's been through today could traumatise her for life, it was all a truly spectacular sight.