Status: I have based this story off of a subject that is very important to me. I find that we need to learn how to control our usage of automatic guns and I hope that my short story is able to bring this message across others that we all need to find a way to address this issue together.

A Fresh Start

Chapter 4: Officer Johnson

It all happened too quickly and the way that I found out that my daughter was a victim tore me apart. I just wish that I would have noticed what was going on at my children’s school, Paddington High School for the Gifted, and that I would have been able to go save them. And, like always, I was the last person in my family to find out.

Linneah and Jeffie have been arguing for a while about being true to yourself. Their bickering has made it much more challenging to be able to spend some quality time with my entire family. As the man of the household, I am used to being the peacekeeper in sibling arguments. My wife, Martha, is always too busy working day and night shifts at El Cajon Hospital in the ER as a surgeon. The guys at the station keep telling me that I need to learn how to be “the man” of the household and how to “control” my children, but it is not as easy as it sounds. Because I currently got a raise to becoming an undercover police officer, I have been very distant from my family as has been my wife due to drunken college students breaking bones or coming in because they have gotten so wasted that they need their stomachs to be pumped. I just wish that for once, my wife would be able to take care of the children for one day without having to leave in a hurry to get to the ER.

I was sitting at my desk and studying files when I heard something about a school shooting near my house on the television. I was outraged! I had also heard that students have been shot due to alumni who have came back to shoot students because they hated the school so much. I had just grabbed my jacket and I was just about to rush out the door to my car when my boss stopped me.

“Johnson! You stay here. This is a conflict of interest and I need you to stay out of it.”

“But, sir! My children are there! I have to make sure that they are okay!”
“Follow my orders and stay here!”

“With all respect, sir, no. They are my family. And you would probably do the same thing if those were your children who attended that school!”

By then, I think that I got to him.

“Fine, but you are staying by my side no matter what and you will follow my orders or else I can strip you of your job. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good. Let’s go.”

Before I knew it, I was rushing down the freeway in my boss’s car at top speed with his sirens blaring overhead and I tried my best not to cry. I could not stop my hands form trembling as I took out my phone to text Jeffie. The car came to an abrupt stop as we parked in front of the school.

“Stay by my side and do not get in my way!” Ordered my boss.

Nodding my head, we rushed into the lunch harbor and there is where I saw Jeffie trembling in fear.

“Dad!” He cried out as he rushed to give me a tight hug.

“Jeffie. What happened? Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Where is your sister? Is she okay? Oh, I am so glad to see you!”

“Dad. I’m fine. I am not hurt. When I rounded the corner, my friends told me to duck under the tables and to stay quiet. I did and they saved me from the shooters, dad! The second that I got underneath the tables the shooters came out. But, I did here gunshot from Linneah’s classroom. I hope that she is okay.”

“I’m just so glad that you are fine. As for Linneah, I will take care of her. Come on.”

“Not so fast, Johnson.” Said my boss stopping me and my son in our tracks. “You take your son back to the station and we will have investigators talk to him very shortly. I will find your daughter and take care of her.”

“But, sir.”

“Remember what I said, Johnson! Disobey me and you will lose your job! Now, follow my orders and don’t forget to use the siren as you take Jeffrey back to the station.” Ordered my boss as he tosses me the keys.

Grabbing the keys, Jeffie and I left the campus and rushed over to the station in silence with the sirens blaring overhead. And all that I could think about was Linneah somewhere on campus without me by her side.