Sending Our Condolences to Uvalde

Through Her Eyes by Dariana Pallasco 5/22 
As I’m hiding under the table, there’s nothing but silence, we all are way too focused on if the door handle shakes, that will be our sign of relief if it’s a drill, but I don’t feel too good, I get a bad feeling it’s not, my friend shows me a post of a kid with a gun, my heart leaves my body, I stare at the door knob knowing it won’t shake, knowing if it does shake it won't be my principal, I close my eyes and start to pray, I know I don’t talk to you as much but please keep me safe and everyone in here, please let nothing happen, I’ll go back to church, please god. Boom. first shot fired, I start to sink to the ground, I text my mom I love her, there’s someone in the school, send. Boom. two shots fired, I can’t tell if it’s close or far away, my teacher trembles in fear trying to calm the class down, the class whispers all around talking to their parents on the phone, I’m still looking at the door knob shaking, trying not to break down. Boom. Third shot fired, it sounds close, we start to grab desks and use them as shields, the door knob shakes, the second I look away I stare at the door knob as if some powers were going to shoot out of my eyes and hold the door shut, but no powers. Boom. louder than ever, the door knob falls off, I start to lose my balance, sick to my stomach, I clench on to my friend’s hand as tight as possible, not caring for sweat, the devil walks through the door taking souls with him, the life’s vessels hit the ground trying to stop the devil, but the devil has a weapon that can take us out with one hit, so how are we supposed to protect ourselves? I freeze as I see the teacher, lifeless on the ground, I can’t make sense of anything that’s going on, I feel something go straight through my leg as I slowly collapse, my friend goes down with me but she drops fast, I feel her life slip through my hands as the devil walks out of the room leaving the vessels on the floor, talking all the souls with him, I hold my friend’s lifeless vessel in my arms not worrying about my leg or my phone blowing up, my mom asking me if I am okay, I try not to shut my eyes but all I see are lifeless vessels on the floor of people I’ve seen every day who I made connections with, still hearing shots fired farther and farther away, I hear sirens in the distance, but they sound like angels singing from afar.