A birthday symbolizes one of the happiest day of your life, a day meant to celebrate one’s birth. But today was not worth celebrating at all.

“Happy Birthday!” the voices of my parents ring like an alarm. I roll back away from their faces and burry my face back into my pillow. Ugh, it’s too early for this. Once I finally decided to roll out of bed, I was greeted by the door with a special breakfast and a big present. The only thing I asked for, the new Apple Watch, I got it! I am also super excited because a couple weeks ago my parents got me my dream car, a 2018 Toyota Four Runner!

“Alise! Jake! Hurry up and get in the car, I don’t want to be late!” I yell angrily as I slam the car door shut. Jake and Alise finally get in the car then I see my best friend Tyler running towards me. Tyler is holding something in his hand and I can’t quite tell what it is. I suddenly get super excited knowing that Tyler is a good gift giver. As he gets closer I see him holding Cavalier vs Warrior basketball tickets!

“No way Tyler is this a joke? You know how much I love the Cavaliers!

Tyler screeching with excitement saying “Ya dude! Happy birthday!”

Thank you so much!” I am so excited I can’t contain myself!

Tyler hops in the car and we head off to, Stoneman Douglas High School. I take Tyler to school every morning since he doesn’t have a car yet.

“Did you watch Donald Trumps speech last night?” Tyler asks me.

“Tyler you know I don’t get into politics.”

Halfway to school Alise shouts

“Oh crap, Dalton I need to go home I forgot my project!”

“No Alise I’m not going to be late on my birthday. No turning back now!” We pull up to the school, I run to the English room and ask my teacher will fix my grade.

***

Once I get to gym class, the fire alarm goes off and we all have to evacuate outside. Ugh, I hate when they do these drills. They are pointless. The drill was over so I walked back inside and went to the gym. Me and a group of my buddies started a game of basketball before the alarm went off so when we walked back inside, I go right to the court. It was 2:21 we only had four minutes left of class, so I went to the bathroom to change. I was looking at my iPhone and heard a weird sound. a sound forever engraved into my head: a gunshot.

Panic, fear, and confusion run through my mind.“Code red, code red” starts blearing through the speakers meaning: lockdown. I look around to see everybody panicking and in shock.

“Is that what I think it is?” Morgan says as tears begin to run down her face.

Questions begin flooding out of people’s mouths. “What is happening?” “are we going to die?”

This is not happening. This isn’t real. What do I do? Where is my sister. Is she okay? How do I get out of here alive? Suddenly I hear one of my teacher say “Stay calm and hide behind the bleachers.” All I’m thinking about is my sister. I have no idea where she is or if she is okay.

A couple seconds later I see out of the corner of my eye Mrs. Young and Mr. Smith begin to panic whispering “What do we do? We need to move to a different building! This isn’t safe!” WHAT, I don’t want to go outside we don’t know where the shooter is!” All of a sudden Mrs. Young shouts “Hurry up we are moving to a different building!” Terrified, I did everything they told me to do. The teachers didn’t show any fear but I know for a fact they were scared. I put my hands over my head and ducked just incase anything was to hit me. I was only outside for a couple seconds but it felt like eternity. Running past the Spanish room window, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Tears begin rolling down my face as I looked at Tyler lying on the ground surrounded in blood. No, that wasn’t Tyler. I don’t think I got a good enough look. There is no way that was actually him.

“Stay here and don’t make a sound.” Mrs Young told us as she locks the door shut.

So many emotions are going through my head at this very moment that I just break down and start crying. Its 3:53 and I hear talking in the hallways and fear fills my body once again. The closet door swings open. The cops finally arrived. Thank you Jesus. The lockdown is finally over.

I walked outside with my hands over my head just as the police asked of me and we all pack into a bus. I hear my mom scream at me across the street

“DALTON, WHERE ARE YOU? COME HERE!” I run into her arms.

“MOM” I yell as I jump into her arms.

“I’m so sorry Dalton.” my mom says to me holding me tight.

She won’t let go of me and I don’t want her to. A couple minutes pass as my mom and I are looking around for my sister. I see Mrs. Black, Alices teacher, walking towards me. I can tell by the look of her face something is wrong.

“Mom come here” I say trying to get her attention.

“Mrs. Thomas, I have to tell you something. You daughter Alice….”

“NO, NO WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER” my mom screams while Mrs. Blacks eyes begin to tear up.

“She didn’t make it.” Mrs. Black says with a shattering look in her eyes.

“NO, she is still inside go get her!” I will never forget the feeling of losing the two most important people in my life.

This is the worst six minutes of my life. I never thought that six minutes could change my life so much. I honestly thought this was just something you would heard on the news.

Bibliography

Detman, Gary. “17 Dead, Gunman in Custody in Shooting at Florida High School.” WPEC,                                    cbs12.com/news/local/shooting-at-marjory-stoneman-douglas-high-school-in-parkland.17 April 2019.

Vassolo, Martin. “How Killer’s Path through a School Left 17 Dead in Six Short Minutes of  Terror.” Miamiherald, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2018, www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article200661169.html. 14 April 2019.

Chavez, Nicole. “Here’s a Timeline of the Deadly Florida School Shooting.” CNN, Cable News Network, 9 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/02/15/us/florida-school-shooting-timeline/index.html. 16 April 2019.