Locked In

October 3, 3030 12:00 P.M.         "Get out of here!" Scarlett orders. "Try to find them outside."         I shake my head. "I'm not leaving you!"          "Bennett." She places her hands on my shoulders, shouting over the chaos. "You gotta get out of here!" Another shot goes off, and more screams fly through the halls. "Go! We have to hurry. I promise I'll meet you out there." Before I can even respond, she bolts in the opposite direction of the crowd.         I growl in frustration, praying she can keep her promise as I run with the crowd. I try to not let fear paralyze me as I hear gunshots raining behind me. The exit doors finally reach my eyesight and I run harder, reaching out to push the doors open when--         BANG!          A bullet flies past my right shoulder, just barely missing me. The student next to me isn’t as fortunate, and I wince at the sickening sound of the bullet piercing skin. I hear the body hit the ground, but I can’t bring myself to look at it. I need to get out of here.          I continue to run. The sun nearly blinds me as I finally feel fresh, outside air hit my face. I frantically search for my friends, but I can’t find anyone. I try to breathe, telling myself everyone's okay and they made it out of that school.         A familiar voice calls out to me.        "Bennett!" Chloe runs up to me, her face streaked with running mascara, and relief floods my body. "I'm so glad you're okay. Do you know where everyone else is?"         "I have no idea," I reply. "But we don't have time to stand here and look. We need to get as far away as possible." I grab her wrist and try to start running, not wanting to take the chance of the attackers following us outside.         Chloe doesn’t move, staring at the school in shock. I tug at her wrist. “Come on, Chloe!”         She looks back at me, determination set in her eyes. "My house! We can go there, we’ll be safe.”         I nod and follow her, moving as fast as we can. We don’t stop until we reach her front door. The guards are gone, most likely responding to the attack at the school. We hurry inside the house, slamming the door shut. I bend over, trying to catch my breath.          "Mom, Dad, I’m here!" Chloe searches around her home. "Mom? Dad?" Panic laces her voice when there’s no response.          Footsteps rush down the stairs as Chloe’s parents finally respond.          "You’re okay!" Mrs. Slater pulls her daughter into a hug. "As soon as the alarms went off, we wanted to leave and find you!”         "We were so worried," Mr. Slater pipes in. "But the guards told us to stay put and wouldn’t allow us to leave. Of course, then they left." He joins in on the hug. "I'm just glad my baby girl is safe." He touches her cheek, and she leans into his palm.         Mrs. Slater makes eye contact with me. "Who's this?"          "Oh." Chloe blushes in embarrassment, as she probably forgot about me at the moment. "This is Bennett Hall, my friend from school."         "Nice to meet you, Bennett." Mrs. Slater nods to me. "I'm Layla, and this is my husband Richard."          "Nice to meet you guys," I say politely, shaking Mr. Slater's hand.         "Mom, if the guards left, why didn’t you come to find me?" Chloe asks.         "The President ordered us to stay in our homes and hide. He explicitly told us not to leave until his guards come to escort us to the Capitol," Layla said. "But now you’re here and we can wait until the guards come."         I immediately shake my head. "I'm sorry, but I can’t stay. I have to go back and find her."         “Scarlett," Chloe says softly, nodding in understanding.         "Mr. Bennett," Richard says, "I'm sorry, but you can't leave until the President’s guards arrive. You need to stay with us."         "I can't." I try to stay as polite as possible. "I need to find Scarlett. I have to make sure she's alive and safe."         "I'm sure Scarlett is a very sweet girl," Layla says, "but my husband is right. You can't leave, not until the guards come to escort us. If you have faith, Scarlett will be fine."         I stand firm. "That's not enough to convince me if she's still alive. I have to go find her."         "Bennett." Chloe places her hand on my shoulder, a sad smile lingering on her face. "My parents are right. Just stay here. And when the guards come to escort us, we'll look for her. . . I promise."         I hesitate but nod my head. I’m not fully convinced, but I know the Slaters won't let me leave. I follow them upstairs, taking cover in a walk-in closet in the master bedroom. The closet is just large enough for the four of us to fit. Chloe and her parents huddle together, leaving me in my own small area a foot away. We sit in the dark in complete silence. I count the seconds, praying that Scarlett is okay.         I flinch as a hand suddenly touches my arm. I relax, realizing it’s Chloe trying to comfort me and rub my arm. It’s obvious I’m worried about Scarlett and I’m grateful for Chole as she wordlessly soothes me. She was right that day at lunch, I soon realize. I do look at Scarlett differently than I would look at anyone else in this world.         I close my eyes, trying to calm down and envision Scarlett. I can see her shining green eyes when she looks at me, her glasses sliding down her nose like always and adjusting them every five minutes. I can see her brown hair, falling over her shoulders as she moves. I can feel her soft hands, the ones I held during the chaos. I can see her pink lips--         My eyes shoot open. Why am I thinking about her lips? I shake my head to get rid of the thoughts, burying my head in my hands. Hours seem to go by, and I begin to dread that Scarlett didn’t make it out.         "I can't do this," I gasp. "If she's injured or-or dead on the streets, I wouldn't even know. I need to find her."          "We're just trying to protect you," Layla whispers. "We just met today, but you’re our daughter’s friend. We want to ensure your safety. If we let you out there, who knows what would happen? You could get killed, we don’t know where the terrorists are. They could be on the streets!”         I huff in frustration. "I just need to see her! I'm going crazy over here, not knowing how or where she--"         BAM BAM BAM         There's a pounding at the door.