BAILEY'S P.O.V.

For those of you who have never been shot in the back - and I hope that you never will or anywhere else - it hurt like heck! Pain spread throughout my body, and I coughed up small amounts of blood. I wanted to stand, but could not.

"B-Betsy..." I sputtered. "...I-I c-cannot move my legs..."

"Oh, no," Betsy blurted out. "Your spine might be damaged. You may never walk again!"

"Do not even start and get me out of here!"

I was not trying to be rude. How would you feel if you were shot and in excruciating pain and possibly about to face a worse outcome?

My sister helped me to my feet and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. The other was wrapped around the back of my legs, and we started towards the double doors that separated the outside world. That is when one of our worst fears came to life.

The intercom was on, and the secretary spoke into it. She said that there was an active shooter and that every one of us had to remain inside the building. We then were instructed to retreat to our classes, and the teachers had to lock the classroom doors.

My choir club scurried out of the gym like mice and passed us. Betsy screamed for them or anyone who was around to assist me. Alas, they were too much in a panic to help out a shooting victim, so my sister had to take it upon herself to get me to safety and treatment.

As if hearing that there was a school shooter was bad enough...

Betsy and I jumped at the sudden sounds of banging, and I clung to her. I asked who or what was making those noises, and she scanned the area...and cried out bloody murder.

"What is it?" I demanded. "What is the matter?"

Her only response was that I did not want to know and practically dragged me down the hall. I continued bickering her on what she saw and turned my head a certain degree.

That is when I spotted him. The shooter.

There was no mistaking that it was him. His clothes were faded and wrinkly. His eyes were wild, and his hair was in tangles. He was angry - furious - and banging on the double doors with a fist. And in his other hand...was a gun.

"You all will die when I get in there!" he screamed. "I will find you and kill you! Then the whole world will know me!"

"Crazy," I murmured. At the same time, I sort of felt bad for him. If he was raised correctly, none of us would be going through such an event.

Thank gosh that the nurse's office was far from the double doors. Betsy opened the office door and gently pushed me inside. I collapsed on my side and breathed as hard as I could.

We were not alone, for three other people were in the nurse's office. The nurse and two young kids.

"You girls should not have come in here," the nurse warned. "There is no way for me to lock the door."

I wanted to facepalm. She was right! Unlike the classroom doors that had locks on them, the only way that you could lock this door was by using the yellow key, and unfortunately for us, the nurse did not have it on her.

"Where is the key?" Betsy questioned.

"I left it in my car this morning."

"What is the color of your car?"

"Red. It is a fairly small car. Why do you want to know?"

"I am going to break into your car and get the key."

The nurse was about to object, but I beat her to it.

"You are as crazy as that shooter if you really think that you are going to be in the open!"

She put a finger to her lips. "Shh. He will hear you."

"And he will shoot you if you are not careful."

"I will be watching my surroundings. I promise."

"Over my butt!"

"Bailey, I am doing this for you. You—"

We heard glass shatter.

"Welp, that is my cue! I will be back." She shut the door and headed for the exit.

"Betsy?!" I cried her name. "Gosh, she is an idiot!"

"Are you okay, Bailey?" the nurse asked.

I pointed to my back. "My back...I believe that I was shot..."

"Oh, dear." She carefully rolled me onto my belly and uttered a startled gasp. "Yep. That is definitely a gun wound."

"Thanks for the reassurance," I mumbled.

She ordered the two children to stack things against the door and rolled up my shirt. The children did so without hesitation and scooted chairs and stools.

The four of us soon heard knobs shaking, and my skin was completely covered with goosebumps.

"The bad man is outside," one of the kids whispered.

"Here." The nurse handed two sharp knives to the children. "Use these in case that he breaks in."

"Ooh," the second kid said. "Never have I had so much power."

"You will be stabbing a bad person," I reminded both of them. "Not much power there."

Bang!

The kids screamed, and I was instantly covered in sweat.

Bang! Bang, bang, bang!

"I am coming in!" the shooter sang. He jiggled the doorknob and pushed open the door. "Who is ready to die?"

"Leave us alone!" the kids ordered. They held up their knives, but the shooter knocked them out of their hands. "Hey!"

He aimed the gun at them and smiled evilly. "I wonder if your parents will remember the shooter who murdered their beautiful children."

"Nooooooooo!" I protested.

Without much thinking, I hurried in front of the kids, and the shooter shot me in the stomach. I flew back and hit the wall.

"Bailey!" the nurse shouted my name.

The shooter would have continued his spree if not for the officers who shot him.