I spent a while digging through the room I was in, the counter yielded nothing other than food. I really needed something for my leg, it hurts so much to walk. I was getting floppy? No that’s not the word, uhhh tipsy?. Once again, wrong word. 

“Dizzy!” I screamed out almost jumping. I was feeling tired, the same terrifying cold was creeping up from when I..I died. I just want to go home.

Bandages! There they are! Thank whatever is out there! Thank you for not ‘killing’ me and when I made the rash decision to do something stupid you let me live a third time! There’s something watching out for me. Even as a atheist there’s no way somebody gets this lucky without divine intervention or something, maybe a speed-runner could get this lucky. As I wrapped the bandages around my leg, repeatedly, they grew dark with blood so fast I almost panicked.

Actually, I’m too tired to panic. I ate some of the man’s food on the counter, pulling myself up with my arms and using my leg to hold me up. Then I looked for a crutch of some sort. Maybe a the broken chair? The shot did hit the seat mostly. I was so fortunate that it had no padding. I could probably break off the rest of the seat.

Though, do I have to go back to my parents? I’m so scared they’re going to blame me for getting my friends killed. Or they’re going to be mad that I was used as a...hostage. Everyone at school will look at me with anger. Why was I the only one who lived? There has to be some other kids who made it away in the commotion. They had sharp nails or something. Or they got shot in the leg.

My wound ached as I thought that. I don’t want to face any of this. Maybe I can just curl up and die. For real this time.

...

I sat for hours. Mentally beating myself, eventually it just became ‘nonononononononono’ I coul... I had to go back, my sisters and parents shouldn’t have to buy a funeral for a living boyo right?

...

Using the chair crutch I had made, I walked down the hallway where the man took me out. I felt so bad. The cops would... The cops! I can ask them to take me home! I needed to think... the man had a phone. I know that apple phones have an emergency call feature even if you didn’t know the password. I felt the cold shudder, then thought how am I still so... word... lucid! That’s it! I’ve been bleeding for so long. I needed to move, I turned up the crutch walking pace back to the man’s body. 

I reached to open the door and ka-tunked my way over to his body. I rifled through his pant pockects before finding. A phone! And iPhone at that! My dad’s worked at IBM and talked with people from apple every once in a while. They convinced him to try an iPhone for a while and he didn’t ever go back. So I ‘had’ one too. I used the emergency call. 

A man picked up and said “9-1-1 what’s your emergency”

I needed to be honest.

”I just killed someone, I really didn’t mean to but he attacked me and shot me and I got lucky and... please.”

”We’re on our way, don’t hang up, tell me about yourself.”

I didn’t know what to say.

”I’ve been considering something the past few... Awhile, I didn’t think to call you until I was trying to walk out after bandaging my leg”

”so he hit you in the leg? Is it bad?”

”The cold from before is chilling my soul.”

”from before?”

”I woke up in a morgue, then the man tried to kill me after I claimed to want revenge on the people who killed my schoolmates according to him.”

”no need to bend to story, how did you get to the morgue.”

”I was at homecoming, where I was used as a hostage. That’s where I think I died.”

”did you lose yourself in emotion or rage?, please stop with the metaphoric language.”

”I told my friends to come to the event. I killed them by trying to bring them together.”

”...”

”I want to die.”

”no you don’t, your parents are probably in grief thinking you dead.”

”I want to sleep then, for a year until I’ve forgotten about this and it doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”

”you won’t forget.”

I heard sirens outside, and said

”they’re here, thanks.”

”what’s your name?”

”Clay Jack Wiley”

”One moment”

I heard keys clicking, then more keys clicking.

”real name.”

”Clay Jack Wiley, No wait, it’s Clay Wiley Jack I’ve been saying it wrong.” More clacking.

”You were at Hill High? Describe to me what happened, also that’s a weird name for a school.”

“I fell asleep after drinking the punch and eating the food. I was one of the last to pass out, I think. Then I woke up and tried to get a look outside, I saw police cars and riot shields and a white tent.”

”What happened as you were looking outside? Some guards drag you somewhere specific?” They sounded winded, excited as I kept going.

”I was caught and dragged out to be used as a hostage, the white tent had a woman inside. She was ambushed by other police officers. She shot them, then she shot who seemed to be the leader of the group holding us kids hostage through me.”

”Yes, agent Sheila was in charge of the situation. She’s also one of the only survivors. She would never endanger a hostage.” They said matter of factly. I continued as if I didn’t hear him.

”As gunfire erupted, I saw blood spurt out of the back of her head and she fell to the ground.”

”Impossible, she’s alive. I can call her right now.”

I heard a yell from the door I hadn’t opened “Please yell so we can locate you!”

”I highly doubt we’re talking about the same person. I saw her get shot”

”She di-“

I hung up and said “In here!”

...

I lay in the back of the ambulance, while they sat next to me. We didn’t talk about the corpse that they walked in on. I’m feeling warmer. I really hope they don’t send me to jail and just execute me. The cop that walked through the door first jumped out the back as paramedics ushered the cop in. He was muttering 

“Definitely not the same kid”