Dreamworld by Zaphod Beeblebrox Morning. One of the best and worst times of the day all at once. I got out of bed and got dressed, then went upstairs to get some breakfast. After seemingly eons the bus finally came and I'm off to school. School. What a rotten place! I really don't like to be here at all, except for chemistry, and especially my lab partner Alishia. I know very few people, but everyone knows me, and I have only a few friends which I see once a day. The day is a drag, and up until fourth very uneventful. "Hey, Alishia." "Hi, what's up?" Her eyes flashed as she said that. Her fragile smile glints pearl through full lips. "Ohh, nothing really." "Alishia, would you please be quiet?!" shouted the teacher. Alishia sighed a despondent sigh as a slight pouting look came to her face, I couldn't resist. "She wasn't talking, ma'am. It was me." I replied. "Alright then...SHUT UP CHAD!!" That got a couple of blank looks from the other students, but my plan worked...Alishia smiled again. I melted in my seat. "Alright class whenever you're ready you can go to your lab stations and start number thirty-one." said the teacher, rising above the din. We did what we were told and got to work on the lab. I watched Alishia as she poured the different chemicals, mixed them, observed them, and weighed them. Her movement was fluid. I examined her hands, her fingernails were the same length, all real. They were painted a light pink which glimmered in the light. Her hands were silky smooth and decorated with a silver ring. "What are you doing?" she asked "Huh? Uhhh, nothing." She caught me in a trance again. She smiled, I melted. She was about the same height as me, five foot five, with brown flowing curly hair. "Okay, folks. that's all the time for today, clean up." said the teacher. "Well, see ya later." said Alishia as she left. She was a senior and always left five minutes early. I watched as she left. She walked like she was floating. Despondently I cleaned up. Lunch lines always bothered me, mainly because I was rather short and people felt that they could just cut right in. After purchasing what the school calls a 'meal' I went past Alishia's table to get one last look. She was with friends, people I didn't know but probably knew me. I went to my place upstairs, across from my chemistry class, and ate. Alone. I ate on the west side facing east. To my right and left the hall extended. On my left, however, the hall only went for a- nother hundred feet. There it ran perpendicular to another hall and made a 'T' intersection. At the top of the 'T' was a large window and several students ate below that. Suddenly something came through the window and the halls light up with light as a loud explosion rendered me deaf for a minute. Then the sound of panic, screams in every direction, and the sound of more explosions and automatic weapon fire. Quickly I scrambled to my feet and ducked in between some lockers and a door. I peered down at the window and saw a man with an automatic rifle running my way, taking pot-shots at the kids who were try- ing to run away. I saw my chance, as he passed I leaped from my hiding place and caught him around the ankles. He flew face first into the floor, and hit with an unnatural 'Crack'. His gun skit- tered off to the side lockers and I scrambled for it. I needn't have though since he had fallen on the bridge of his nose and sent bone fragments to his brain. I killed him. I stood with the gun pointed at him and watched as blood poured from his lifeless face. Once I regained my control I searched him and found three full clips. I reloaded, reading 'Guns and Ammo' really came in handy! I charged down the hall and rounded the corner to the stairway to the cafeteria. A man in his mid twenties looked at me, utterly stupified. Around him lay ten or eleven dead students. Without hesitation, and still running I pulled the trigger. His stomach burst in crimson redness, as his face took a look of utter horror. He doubled over and dropped to the ground. Dead. I leaped over his body and zipped down the stairs. I rounded the final corner to the entrance to the cafeteria, three men were about to enter. I squeezed the trigger until my knuckles turned white. With the gun at my hips I pulled it up diagonally as it sprayed forth lead death. The first of the three fell face for- ward as his legs received four blows. The second's side opened up to reveal his intestines to the floor. The third dropped back- wards as his head violently spewed fourth the remnants of his brains. Since I had not killed the first one he retrieved a pistol and as I charged at him, he shot and glanced my left shoulder. I winced as my shirt ripped open exposing my bare flesh, the flesh slashed open by hot lead. I screamed, and the pain went away. I screamed and shot the first man in the chest, I was so close that I heard his last breath as he collapsed in a bloody heap. I burst through the doors and saw all of the students hud- dled in a corner, scared, crying, some wounded, some dead. I saw a man with a hunting knife who was about to stab a young oriental girl. I came to an instant halt as time momentarily froze. I put the gun butt to my shoulder and took aim. I pulled the trigger. I remembered a time six years ago, on a camp-out with the Boy Scouts. I remembered the rifle contest and the target as I fired and pierced the center. As I fired and pierced the head of my foe, he dropped like a sack of lead, the girl screamed as his blood squirted upon her dress. Time was back, the moment was real, lives were at stake, and two men threw a table on its side and ducked behind it. I leaped behind a corner which extended from the wall. The gun was empty and I checked the ammunition to find a clip of teflon coated bul- lets. They fired and I heard it pierce the cinderblocks I hid behind. I reloaded and they fired again. I sprang around the cor- ner and let loose the bullets, which went through the cheap ply- wood table as if it wasn't there. I heard the screams of agony and when I got to the table witnessed one of them go through the throes of death. The cowering students now stood completely still, the crying stopped, the moaning ceased. They stared, shocked, they knew me, they thought I was a whimp. Then one boy took a cautious step away from the crowd, slowly he moved in the direction of the door. His eyes never left mine. I couldn't tell if he was scared of me or just dazed. Then in a flash he bolted for the door. Then others ran past. I ran into their midst. I saw Alishia, I grabbed her and dragged her away. The crowd ran on, now not intimidated, they were panic stricken, a few were trampled at the door. "Are you okay?" I asked. She grabbed me and put her head on my shoulder and began to sob. I tried to condole her. "Shhhh. It's alright, you're safe now. Don't cry." I was pleading. Her weeping began to stop. I found a tissue in my pocket. I offered it to her, and she wiped away the tears. "Are you alright?" "Y-y-ye-yes. I'm fine." I heard more fire, I knew now that the students had been cut short in their efforts to escape. I grabbed her hand and made her follow me, I knew a back way out. We picked our way through the heap of bodies at the door and ran down towards the east end of the school. We got to the end only to find the door and area ceiling collapsed, three mugs guarded a make shift ammo-dump. Quickly I let loose a stream of bullets, which impacted into the throat of one and the left arm of the other, until the gun jammed. Luckily they didn't have their guns in hand. The only un- injured one leaped to his feet and pulled a long hunting knife. His arm went up and pulled the knife down towards my chest. I remembered one year ago, in self defense tae kwon do, re- ceiving my blue belt. I remember going through the self defense techniques of knife fighting. Instinctively I threw my left fore arm up in a high block as his wrist hit mine. I then pushed up and my arm around his, pul- ling him a little off balance. I brought up my leg and kicked him in the ribs. As he flew back, I caught his wrist and snapped his forearm over my knee. The bone splintered in three pieces and ripped through the skin. As he screamed I jump-kicked his face and the force threw his head back so violently that his neck snapped. The last man with the wounded arm had by now found a hand- gun. He leveled it at me and began to laugh. As he laughed I dropped to the floor, at that move he fired, but missed. I grab- bed the knife and launched it. It sailed through the air like a dart and found it's mark in his right eye. I now realized that Alishia was screaming. I turned to see her on her knees crying. I looked around for a new weapon and found an RPG and a handgun. I went to her and tried to comfort her. "You could have been killed!" she cried. "I did it for you. I came back for you. I-I..." I couldn't say it, my stomach turned weak for the first time, "I love you," it finally came out, and the words flew from my mouth. She looked at me. Amazed. "C'mon." I grabbed her and we headed for the last exit. We were running down the main hall, I saw through a window that the National Guard, Army, Swat, Police, Fire Dept., curious on lookers, and concerned parents had arrived. The noise of all of those people rose to a crescendo, and then died. It was entirely silent. Alishia's grip on me firmed. Time slowed to a snails pace. The main entrance was in sight. Ten men with automatic weapons stood there holding the head of one of the teachers. Displaying it to the onlookers as a sign. The people outside were trying to negotiate. I stopped. One man looked my way. Too late, I pulled up the RPG. He pointed my way and raised his rifle. I pushed Alishia to the floor. Four others looked in unison, shocked. I released the safety. They raised their rifles. I heard my heart beat, Alishia's breath, and the click of the trigger. In an instant the place where they stood went ablaze. The ceiling shook, windows shattered, and smoke filled the hall. A drop of water splashes on my cheek and I opened my eyes. There was a very bright light above me. I saw someone hovering over me, crying, calling my name. My vision was blurred and I couldn't tell who it was. I blinked and saw Alishia with her face in her hands, sobbing, another tear hit me. "Alishia." I whispered, afraid of my own voice. "Chad! Chad! You're alright!" she cried more. She threw her arms around me calling my name. "Chad, what's up?" asks Alishia. "Huh? Uhhh, what?" I say as I awake to find myself on a bed at a party. "How's it goin'? Isn't this a great party?" she asks again. "Wait, we were just in school...right?" I'm really confused now. "Boy, you really are trashed. Why don't you let me give you a ride home?" "Yeah, I guess I'd better no drive." "I'll wait for you in the car. Okay?" "Sure, I'll be right there." I look around and it hits me that I'm at a party and I got smashed and passed out. I sit up and wipe my face and feel a cold clammy liquid on my hand. I look at my hand and find no cuts, but blood. END. A NOTE TO THE READERS: Please feel free to post this story on boards, I like people to see my work. But please don't change my name, I've worked very hard on this. Look for 'The First B.A.D.' coming soon! Zaphod Beeblebrox Also, if you have any questions you can reach me on The Alamo BBS: 301-434-1028 3oo/12oo baud 24hrs 365 days a year.