Locked In

TW: gun violence, blood, death October 27, 3030 8:26 a.m.         My body instantly goes numb once I hear that gunshot. I can't breathe, frozen in place as I helplessly watch Madison collapse to the ground.          Seconds later, I finally come to my senses and force myself to rush forward. I tackle Ashton, twisting the gun out of his wrist until I hear a sickening snap. He howls in pain and I use that opening to force him on his stomach and pin his arms behind his back. I take the gun and press it against the back of his neck.         "Don't move," I hiss. I glance over my shoulder and see Scarlett hovering over Madison, applying pressure to the bullet wound.          The sound of doors slamming open rings through the air as Karter and Chloe rush out of the school toward Madison.          "Guys, help, she's losing too much blood!" Scarlett begs, looking down at Madison. "Come on, Maddie. Keep your eyes open!"         My heart clenches as I hear Madison take deep, raspy breaths. A pool of blood seeps into the ground, staining her clothes and Scarlett's hands. Madison coughs harshly, a stream of crimson dripping from her lips. Tears stream down Chloe's face and Scarlett is doing her best to stop the bleeding. Madison suddenly stills, her empty and blank eyes staring up at the sky.         "Maddie?" Scarlett wails. "No, no! Maddie wake up!"         I feel shaking beneath me. Rage floods my blood as I realize it's Ashton. Laughing.          Before I could do anything, Karter pulls out his pistol and fires several rounds into Ashton's skull. I stumble onto my feet, backing away from Ashton's dead body. Blood and brain matter splatters against my skin and clothes.          "What the fuck, Karter?" I demand, enraged.         "He killed Madison!" Karter seethes.          Sobs rack over Chloe as she sobs against Scarlett, both grieving over the loss of their friend. Karter rakes a hand through his tousled hair, pacing around rapidly. I swallow hard, trying my hardest to keep my emotions in check.         "What's the point?" Karter mumbles.          Scarlett looks up, eyes bleary with tears. "What?"        "I said, what's the fucking point in all of this?" He yells, the sudden volume and rage causing us to flinch. "We're all going to die! Even if we do live, how the fuck are we supposed to live through the drama? Either way, the president wins!"         I step forward and rest my hand on his shoulder. "No. He doesn't."         Chloe sniffles, finally standing on her feet. "Yeah. We're still alive and we're together. We're so close, Karter!"         "Close?" Hysterical laughter rips from Karter's lips as tears stream down his face and he collapses to his knees. A shaky hand brings his gun to his temple, finger ready to pull the trigger. "No... we aren't."         "Karter, no!" Chloe lunges and pushes the gun away just in time. The bullet grazes his temple, plodding dripping from the wound. "Damn it!"         "That was my last bullet, you bitch!"         "Good," Scarlett says, glaring at Karter. "We've made it this far. We can't give up now. And Chloe is right- we're still here and still together. We're here for a reason, damn you!" She stands up to her feet. "We have to open the barrier, then we can get the hell out of this city."         "We have to," I say softly. "For Ryker. Veronica. Bentley."         Scarlett sighs, tears slipping down her face. "Madison. Ashton."         I straighten up, a new determination running through me. "We've lost so many people in the last month and we're still standing. There are so many other people out there that died that we don't know about. I don't even know if my parents are still alive. But it doesn't matter because I know they'd want me to get the hell out of here. We're getting out of here, guys. But we have to move now before we lose our chance." ****** 8:35 a.m.        Footsteps echo through the empty halls as we all run toward the nurse's office. I shove various medical supplies in a backpack and hand it off to Scarlett as Chloe cleans Karter's wound, wrapping his head in gauze.          "What do we do now?" Karter asks once Chloe's finished.         "I think the control panel is in the front office," Scarlett says. "I'll go there and turn off the barrier."         "I'll go with you," I tell her, then turn to Chloe and Karter. "Both of you stay here and look around for more supplies we can use. We'll come back once we shut down the barrier. Then we're getting the hell out of this city." ****** 8:40 a.m.         I guard Scarlett as she heads toward the main office, watching for any intruders. There's no telling whether or not someone could be waiting to attack. I'm not taking that chance. I slip into the office seconds behind her.          We frantically look around the room, trying to find anything that would at least give us a clue to shut down the barrier. I search everywhere, shoving objects and papers off the desk. Desperation grows the more we search around with no sign of the control panel anywhere.          "Do you think we have to override the system or something?" Scarlett asks.         "I hope not," I say. "The power's down."         Scarlett growls in frustration. "There's no fucking button anywhere!"         "Hey, calm down." I walk over to her and cup her face. "We're going to find it. We can't lose hope now, Scarlett."         She sucks in a breath, then suddenly kisses me. It's a small peck, but it still sends my mind reeling from the softness of her lips. "Just in case we don't make it."         "Hey, don't say that. We're going to make it." I kiss her lips firmly, pulling her close to me. It's my promise to her. "We'll make it."         Scarlett stares up into my eyes for a moment, then finally nods. "Okay."         "Well, that was sweet."         I freeze when I hear the voice behind me. Scarlett's eyes widen, seemingly recognizing the person. A gunshot rings through the air and for a moment I don't feel anything. Seconds later, I feel a stinging pinch spread through my back. Confused, I look up at Scarlett, fear evident in her eyes. I glance down at my shirt, watching a bright red stain spread across my chest. My vision blurs and I look back at Scarlett right as my world goes black.