“This is it” by Ana H.

Slowly I opened my eyes. They felt so heavy and everything was so blurry. I tried to focus but I couldn’t pay attention to anything with the huge headache that I had. My heart was racing and it felt like it was on fire. I didn’t know where I was. I looked around but could only make out shapes and colors. I heard something from afar but couldn’t make sense of what it actually was. I couldn’t move. I felt like my body was so much heavier than what it actually was. I tried to stand up but then realized I was strapped to some sort of chair. Although I was still a little drowsy, my vision started to become a little clearer.

 I was in some sort of basement. Everything was dark and dusty. The walls were made of some sort of brick material and there were pipes connecting throughout them. A staircase on the opposite side of the room led to a door which I assumed led to outside. There was one light hanging from the ceiling and in the top corner there was a small window. I had no idea what time it was or where I was and I couldn’t remember anything whatsoever. It was so cold.

 I looked down and all I had on was what seemed like a hospital gown. It was covered in dirt and there was blood around my stomach. I looked up and I saw a mirror in the corner reflecting some boy with his face half swollen. I started to look around for the boy only to realize that the reflection in the mirror was actually me. My hair had been cut off and one of my eyes were swollen shut. I had cuts and scratches all over my face and body. There was dried up blood that was coming out of my nose. I didn’t know how long I had been here or why I was here.

 I started to freak out. Suddenly, it became super hard to breathe and my heart began to race again. There was tears coming out of my eyes and, because of my swollen eye, it hurt even more to cry. There was a sharp pain coming from my right side. I screamed from how much it hurt.

Once again, I tried to get my hands untied. Aside from all the agony, I managed to break free. Instantly I stood up and immediately realized what a mistake that was. Everything got blurry once again and I began to feel very dizzy. I fell to the floor and hit my head on the ground. I began to crawl towards the window. Pain going through every inch of my body with every movement I made. I pulled myself up but soon realized that it was locked. There was nothing around to break it open. I stumbled to the stairs and slowly made my way up. The door had five different locks on it and all of them keeping me from escaping.

Suddenly the door opened and there was a big man standing at the doorway. With his big deep voice he yelled, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!”

 I turned around and tried to run down the stairs but he grabbed me and pushed me down. I reached the bottom of the stairs and every part of my body ached. It felt as if I was paralyzed. He was coming towards me and I couldn’t move. He dragged me back to the chair and tied me back up.

I began to cry, “Why are you doing this? Who are you?”

“Don’t act foolish Amanda you know who I am,” he responded.

 “My name is not Amanda, it’s Samantha. Please you have the wrong girl. I’m 18 and from San Diego,” I cried.

 He then pulled out his gun and pointed it at my head. My breathing was heavy once again. I wasn’t ready to die. I wasn’t ready to leave the people I loved. My mom. My dad. My brother. My friends. My teammates. I wasn’t ready to stop living life. I didn’t know what to do.

“Please,” I begged, “don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry Amanda,” he said as he pulled the trigger.

Suddenly I woke up. It was 6:00 am. Time for another day at school.