James and I trotted into the Union building.
"Have you
started those tute questions yet?"
"You mean
the ones we'll never get through in class? Nah." we dodged random people as we tried to walk two abreast down the corridor.
"Well anyway, I'm going to meet the boys in the bar. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Have
fun in bio!"
"Yay,
mutagens!" I half skipped. We split up at the end of the corridor.
It was peak lunch hour in both the cafeteria and the bar. There were bodies everywhere. I walked slowly, trying to find my
friends. Doug waved at me. "Hey guys," I kneeled down.
"Do you want a chair?" Ben asked.
"If
you can show me a spare chair, by all means I'll take it."
"Touche!"
"Hey I'll be back in a sec." I struggled to stand up. "Damn knees! I'm ju..." Loud bangs echoed through the building. They
were so close together, the sound became one continuous drone. It was a foreign noise. What the...
I looked through the glass doors to the cafeteria. Terrified people ran from seemingly invisible enemies. Random people fell.
Others were crushed in the chaos. Screams powered over the gunfire. I gripped Doug's hand. He squeezed back just as desperately.
Everyone else sat frozen. All other eyes were fixed on the television screen. No one dared look.
I stared through the seemingly impenetrable doors. Why isn't anyone panicking? People fell. Blood spattered across
the laminex tables. Oh my god! That's... "James! Abby!" I screamed out. They both crumpled to the floor. My cries
barely made a dent in the chaos. I buckled. Go! I tried to run to them. Doug pulled me backwards. I tried again.
Go! He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back. I reclined into his lap. His warm arms were the only
thing stopping me running to certain death.
The final ringing shot. It was different to the rest. Silence. No one moved. Nothing moved behind the glass doors. I could
feel Doug's tears trickle down my shoulder. I gripped his hands. I don't want to lose sight of them! I couldn't look
away.
No one looked at the TV. All eyes were trained on the floor. Silence. They must have turned off the radio. Lifeless. No one
even flinched. I kept staring at the bloody bodies. Why aren't I crying? This has to be a dream. Please be a dream!
The silence was broken by approaching sirens. Chaos gripped the cafeteria again. Swarms of blue and white moved between blood
pools. There are more bags than stretchers! I shivered."Shit!"Abby's face disappeared behind black plastic. Several
white shirts bustled around James. He's still alive!
"Don't you have a class now?" I didn't turn to see whose hand was on my shoulder.
"I
think I can get away with missing one tute."
I put my hand up against the glass. The forensic police were still working the scene.
"Hey, we're all staying at Matt's place tonight. We've gotta pick Amy up from the hospital first. She managed to get out."
I sighed in relief. "At least she's one person I know is okay. I don't know if I want to see the list or not."
"I
think its a good idea not to check up on James tonight." He led me out of the bar.
"When
trajedy strikes we tend to ask 'why?' There is no answer to this question. The official report is that it was a deluded political
statement gone wrong. For those of you who know him well, the question may hold some weight. However, there is only one certainty.
We can't try to rationalise everything. All we can do is remember and cherish our lost friends and support those still
with us. The question to ask is 'what am I going to do tomorrow?'"
