No Ordinary Day
Just the Beginning
“I can’t wait until I graduate. My life is going to be perfect once I’m able to get away from my parents.”
“They’re not that bad, Valerie. I’m sure they’ll miss you and want you right back with them.” I glanced over at her as we walked toward the huge building.
“Sure, you can say that for yourself, Marley, but not all parents are as cool as yours. However, let’s not talk about that now. We are at the mall for you and you only. We have to impress Daniel for your date tonight.” Valerie gave off a wide smile. I think she was more excited about my date than I was. “Let’s eat something first though. I’m starving.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “Of course you are. You always say that when we go here because you want to eat at the Palmetto Hut.” The Palmetto Hut was a nice little restaurant with big windows and a Caribbean feel to it. They prepared and served their food right from the other side of the bar area.
Valerie feigned offense. “Well, I’m sorry I’ll be stuck on the couch all night watching a movie while you are out having a nice date at a fancy restaurant with a handsome man.”
I looked down to hide my blush as we walked through the automatic doors into the mall. “Ok, just for you we can go to the Hut, since you so insist.” I smiled at Valerie knowing I had just given her what she wanted.
“Thank you.” She smiled back.
We made our way to the escalator to take us to the second floor of the mall. The restaurant was just around the corner. Once we made it inside, we were seated by one of the windows. I sat down opposite of Valerie and looked down at the menu.
“Why do you even bother looking at the menu? You get the same thing every time anyway.”
“I like to keep my options open.” I said to Valerie as I looked over my menu at her.
She shook her head and smiled. “You are too fu-“
Her sentence was cut off when glass shattered all around us and stung my exposed skin. I was too shocked to scream. All I could do was drop under the table and cover my ears with my hands. I didn’t know what was happening, but I did know that it wasn’t good.
The constant gunfire drowned out the screams. And I dared not to move. My eyes were sealed shut and I had no intention of opening them soon. After crouching under the table for a few minutes, I willed myself to open my eyes one at a time. The ground was covered in shattered glass and ever-spreading pools of blood. I crawled over to Valerie who was on the ground not moving at all on the other side of the table.
“Val, come on. You gotta get up.” I whispered to her in a shaky voice as I lightly rocked her back and forth. “Valerie.” It wasn’t until later that I noticed the slow stream of blood seeping out from underneath her and staining her once perfect light blue blouse. My hand moved to her neck to check her pulse. I couldn’t find one. Tears began to well up in my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I just sat on my haunches over her dead body.
I was brought back to reality when I heard the crunching of glass near the entrance to the restaurant. Quietly, I crawled over to the bar area where they prepared the food on the other side. The pounding of the person’s boots got closer and closer. My heart was beating so hard I thought it was going to come straight out of my chest.
From where I had taken cover I could hear him on the other side of the bar area now. I could hear people pleading for their life before several bullets were fired and the room became silent again. I covered my mouth so I wouldn’t scream and give my position away.
I could see that the path to the door was clear, so I slowly crept out of the restaurant and into a store next door. Before I passed through the threshold into the other store I looked back cautiously to make sure no one had seen me. As soon as I rounded the corner I came into direct contact with someone else’s body. I swear my heart stopped. Their dark hair contrasted with my blonde hair and their brown eyes bore into my blue ones. Time seemed to have frozen in place. Nothing could be heard. Nothing could be said. The world seemed to no longer exist at that moment. Fear overtook my body and paralyzed me. This was the end for me and I had come to terms with it.
“They’re not that bad, Valerie. I’m sure they’ll miss you and want you right back with them.” I glanced over at her as we walked toward the huge building.
“Sure, you can say that for yourself, Marley, but not all parents are as cool as yours. However, let’s not talk about that now. We are at the mall for you and you only. We have to impress Daniel for your date tonight.” Valerie gave off a wide smile. I think she was more excited about my date than I was. “Let’s eat something first though. I’m starving.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “Of course you are. You always say that when we go here because you want to eat at the Palmetto Hut.” The Palmetto Hut was a nice little restaurant with big windows and a Caribbean feel to it. They prepared and served their food right from the other side of the bar area.
Valerie feigned offense. “Well, I’m sorry I’ll be stuck on the couch all night watching a movie while you are out having a nice date at a fancy restaurant with a handsome man.”
I looked down to hide my blush as we walked through the automatic doors into the mall. “Ok, just for you we can go to the Hut, since you so insist.” I smiled at Valerie knowing I had just given her what she wanted.
“Thank you.” She smiled back.
We made our way to the escalator to take us to the second floor of the mall. The restaurant was just around the corner. Once we made it inside, we were seated by one of the windows. I sat down opposite of Valerie and looked down at the menu.
“Why do you even bother looking at the menu? You get the same thing every time anyway.”
“I like to keep my options open.” I said to Valerie as I looked over my menu at her.
She shook her head and smiled. “You are too fu-“
Her sentence was cut off when glass shattered all around us and stung my exposed skin. I was too shocked to scream. All I could do was drop under the table and cover my ears with my hands. I didn’t know what was happening, but I did know that it wasn’t good.
The constant gunfire drowned out the screams. And I dared not to move. My eyes were sealed shut and I had no intention of opening them soon. After crouching under the table for a few minutes, I willed myself to open my eyes one at a time. The ground was covered in shattered glass and ever-spreading pools of blood. I crawled over to Valerie who was on the ground not moving at all on the other side of the table.
“Val, come on. You gotta get up.” I whispered to her in a shaky voice as I lightly rocked her back and forth. “Valerie.” It wasn’t until later that I noticed the slow stream of blood seeping out from underneath her and staining her once perfect light blue blouse. My hand moved to her neck to check her pulse. I couldn’t find one. Tears began to well up in my eyes and I didn’t know what to do. I just sat on my haunches over her dead body.
I was brought back to reality when I heard the crunching of glass near the entrance to the restaurant. Quietly, I crawled over to the bar area where they prepared the food on the other side. The pounding of the person’s boots got closer and closer. My heart was beating so hard I thought it was going to come straight out of my chest.
From where I had taken cover I could hear him on the other side of the bar area now. I could hear people pleading for their life before several bullets were fired and the room became silent again. I covered my mouth so I wouldn’t scream and give my position away.
I could see that the path to the door was clear, so I slowly crept out of the restaurant and into a store next door. Before I passed through the threshold into the other store I looked back cautiously to make sure no one had seen me. As soon as I rounded the corner I came into direct contact with someone else’s body. I swear my heart stopped. Their dark hair contrasted with my blonde hair and their brown eyes bore into my blue ones. Time seemed to have frozen in place. Nothing could be heard. Nothing could be said. The world seemed to no longer exist at that moment. Fear overtook my body and paralyzed me. This was the end for me and I had come to terms with it.