Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE



Katara walked out of the large building, listening to where people were and where they walked as she navigated the crowd. It was almost a month after the shooting and life had gone very slowly back to normal. That is, if you don’t count the guards on the roof of the building, cameras on every door, metal detectors, and alarm systems ampt up. Being blind and all, she supposed it shouldn’t matter too much to her. But it did. It does. The fact that it actually did happen was troubling enough. The fact that they weren’t even ready and twenty-one students died was even more so. How come she hadn’t sensed it? She was close enough to do so. She could’ve stopped it..but for some reason, she didn’t know he had a gun. Kat sighed, shaking her head; this wasn’t helping.
“Hey Kat! Kat!”
She smiled, pushing her thoughts away till another time. She stopped and turned towards him, arching an eyebrow that sat just above her sash. “Sup?”
He came up before her, holding his own in a massive crowd. He smiled when he saw her, “Hey Kat. I was, I dunno, wondering if you were open tonight to hang out.” Then he added quickly, “If your parents are okay with it, of course.”
She chuckled, though the pain in her chest reopened when he said that. Her parents...she swallowed the pain, and nodded, “Yeah, totally cool. Where?”
She could hear the smirk in his voice when he said, “Well, we could go see a movie.”
She snarled, “Oh, aren’t you the joker? You’re so funny, Sammy. So, so funny.” She shook her head, “I would be rolling my eyes right now, Sammy.”
He laughed, “I know, I know, I figured. Anyways, I wasn’t quite sure, I was thinking you should choose.”
Kat smiled, shrugging. “Heard there’s ganna be a wicked party tonight. Wanna go?”
There was a pause, then, “You sure your rents would be cool with that?”
Katara tried hard not to punch him upside the head.
“Yeah, they’d be totally cool with that. They’re pretty chill. However, tomorrow I do have work. So can’t stay there too late. Cool?”
“Yeah, sweet. Pick ya up tonight?”
She laughed, “Well, I could always walk.”
“Oh yeah, I’m just ganna let my blind friend walk down to a party at night. Heck yeah!”
She smiled, nodding. “Alright, round eight, okay? Don’t forget to finish homework.”
“Woo-hoo, can’t wait.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot your classes suck and mine all rule.”
He punched her on the side of her shoulder lightly, playfully, “You’re mean, you know?”
She smirked, “Oh yeah, that’s how I like it. Anyways, later!”
“Yeah, later!”



He couldn’t believe it. She actually said yes! Crap..what would his family think? She’s blind..he shouldn’t be falling for her. Find someone who can actually see you. Wonderful..maybe..maybe he just won’t tell them he’s going with Kat..maybe..make up a name. Yeah..cause otherwise they’ll kill him. He watched Kat leave, slipping through the crowd expertly, then sighed, pulling his own bag tighter, then walking through the crowd. He walked to his car, sitting in it and throwing his bags next to him. It was a large, blue truck, and he started it and pulled away from the school. He worked the problem over in his head, his parents weren’t going to be happy with this either way. He sighed, he really shouldn’t love her. His family didn’t approve of a blind girl. But what did they have against her? Only that she was blind? It was ridiculous..she was amazing..she was beautiful...she was a great student, a great friend, and..did he already say beautiful? So what if she was blind? That shouldn’t count for anything..but..they were his parents..and he still lived in their house..he had to follow their rules. Maybe he should call in sick..no..that’d be too obvious..maybe he’d tell her his parents wanted him to stay home..maybe too much homework? He sighed, shaking his head, it wasn’t going to be easy. But he wasn’t calling this off. He’d finally built up enough nerve to ask her..even if it wasn’t a date, it was close enough..He smiled weakly to himself, preparing for the yelling at home. Preparing to run off if they tried to keep him there.

She was laying in the hammock on the front porch of her house when he drove up. She was swinging back and forth gently, wearing a shirt with a star, her favorite white hat, shorts, and a chain belt. He smiled, she looked ready to party. She turned her head in his direction, wearing a white sash around her eyes now. He felt pain for her; it had to be hard to dress herself. What, with her parents out of town all the time. He blinked, speaking of which-
“Hey Sammy.” She said, sitting up, “Sup?”
He smiled, shrugging, “You ready?”
She paused, as if seriously contemplating it. “Do I look alright?”
“Yeah, you look great.”
She smiled, causing his heart to hit his chest hard and fast. He walked up to her, taking her hand. He lead her to the truck and opened the door for her, helping her up. “Alright, Kat, now, this is a car-“
“Oh be quiet! I know what a car is! I’ve seen em before I was blind, mister!”
He smiled, laughing softly, “Alright then.” He walked around the truck, hopping in, and driving off.

The party was massive. It happened to be at the school and it looked as if the entire student body came. He had lead her in and she laughed aloud when she heard the song “Getting Away with Murder” blaring on the speakers.
“Can you dance, blindy?”
“Oh shut it, jerk!” she growled back at him, shaking her head. He laughed, “Alright, you want anything?”
“Nah,” she took his hand, pulling him through the crowd. His heart nearly stopped. “C’mon, lets dance.” There was a smile on her lips, joy clear in her face. She was able to pull them close to the claustrophobic center, and started dancing. Her hair whipped around as she jumped up and down, shook her head, and danced to the beat. He joined her, dancing along. Then she froze. Just like that. Stopped moving. Her body went rigid, looking right past him. He paused, turning around. A man stood there, hood covering his face in shadow. His hand was in his pocket, and when he pulled it out-
Kat screamed. Panic erupted. The ring of the fired weapon echoed through the gym. Kat collapsed and he ran to her, holding her in his arms. Her leg had a bullet hole in it, the man starting to reload. Samuel roared out, throwing his hand in the man’s direction, flame roaring up around him. He looked shocked, then disappeared. He lifted her up into his arms as she curled in on herself, eyes shut tight. He ran out of the building, laying her in the truck, then driving it towards the hospital. She didn’t stop screaming the entire time. She yelled constantly, making no sense, except for a few words. “Dr. Vain! Dad! Mom! Stop! Make it stop! Take it away!” and then, she fell silent. Dead silent.


She could see no God in this. No God in this. How could she? They were all massacred in front of her. Massacred. The word rang through her head, holding her back pack in her left, shaking, hand. She stood in front of reporters who had found their way to her house. Again. She closed her eyes, looking down with all the flashing lights. The shouting people, trying to get their questions out. She wished she was like the vanishers. Disappear and run. But no, she was a healer. Cursed to heal those injured. But hey, got a job position already worked out, huh? She sighed, sitting down on the steps of her house, leaning against the wall.
“One at a time.” she murmured, just loud enough for a few in the front to hear. They passed the word and a man stepped forward. He held the mike to his mouth, asking, “How is it you survived when the killer was not caught? And that no one saw him out? Did you see him run off?”
“I survived cause I was lucky. Have I not said that before?” she snarled, the mic close to her mouth now. “And the killer wasn't caught cause he was apparently lucky too. No, I didn't see him get out. I was trying my best to lay on the ground, act dead, and not move to watch his every move. Nor did I get up and ask him how he was going to escape. Any other questions?”
The reporter retreated, a woman stepping forward. “And how are you faring now?”
That question caught Alex off guard. It was not often-no..actually, she had never been asked the question. Any question in fact, relating to how she was faring.
“Um..” she bit her tongue so she wouldn't cry. Bitting her lip was too obvious. “I-I...don't know.” she said at last, the reporter looking sympathetic. The reporter knelt next to her, touching her shoulder. “Hey,” the mike was thrown on the ground. “It'll be alright.”
“Jess! We're live you know!” the cameraman shouted. She waved him off. Alex looked at her, attempting to bite her lip off.
“I..don't think so.” she breathed, and Jess shook her head. She smiled sadly, “I promise. It will be alright.” she handed Alex a card, “Call me if you need anything. Alright?”
Alex nodded slowly, “Th-thank you.”
Jess nodded, then stood up, “All of you low life reporters back up now! This girl doesn't want anymore interviews! Off now or I'll sue you for trespassing!”
That got them off her property and scurrying to their vans pretty quickly. Jess smiled at Alex, then picked up the mike and walked back to her van. Alex sighed, pocketing the card and walking inside slowly. Her dad wasn't home. Surprise. Probably out clubbing again. What, with his recent divorce and what not.
His fault.
Alex turned and walked through a small hallway, then headed up a small stair case to her room. She walked inside and closed the door. God she wished she was at her mom's. At least her mom was upset about the divorce. After all, she still loved her dad. She sighed, jumping onto her bed face down and pulling a pillow over her skull. She still couldn't get Zack's image out of her mind. Oh God, how could she? She loved him, he loved her. And yet, he's dead. Completely and utterly dead. She sat up, leaning against the head of the bed, feeling weary. Now lets see, she thought to herself, not only are my parents divorced. Not only is my dad totally fine with this, my mom still loves him, and Zack's dead... She took a breath, trying to push away the pains, well, I'm probably missing a wicked party. She got up slowly, walking to her closet. Maybe some distraction will help her.
“Maybe,” she mumbled. She scanned her closet, pulling out a black shirt with the words in crimson across the chest reading “If you believe in demons, you must believe in angels.” The back read nearly the same thing, “If you believe in angels, you must believe in demons.” She smiled faintly, laying the shirt out and undressing. She put the shirt on along with black jeans. She pulled on red and black striped gloves that cut off at the first joint in the finger. She clenched and unclenched her fingers, looking at herself in the mirror. Her long, black hair, her pale skin, her brown eyes. Full lips, skinny frame..she closed her eyes and turned away. How is it she could find everything wrong with herself when no one else could? She rolled her shoulders back, then headed downstairs, pocketing money and her phone. She opened the door, looking at the setting sun. She walked out, closing and locking the door. She hid the key under a small pile of loose dirt near the wall of the house. She walked down the street with her hands in her pockets when a truck drove by. She recognized the guy in the car. Samuel from school. It drove by then slammed on the breaks, then was thrown into reverse and came to a stop before her. The door flew open and Samuel stepped out. She saw a girl in the car, laid out and there was a crimson color covering the seats-
“Oh God, you're the healer that survived right!? Dear Lord I'm happy to see you! Kat was shot! You've got to help her!”
Alex took a step back, blinking, and before she knew what she was doing, she nodded, saying, “Get her inside, hurry.”
He nodded, running to his car and taking the girl out, her body limp in his arms.
“She was screaming like mad,” he said as he followed her in the house, “but then she just stopped and hasn't breathed a word since then.”
Alex glanced at her, trying to hide her worry. “Great. Set her on the couch and I'll see what I can do. Sadly the killer left the worst healer in the entire damned class.”
She could see by the look Samuel gave her she wasn't helping. She smiled apologetically, then as he laid her on the bed, she rolled up the girl's jeans. A bullet wound was there, causing a lot of bleeding. She winced, she'd seen that before.
She checked for pulse and found a faint one, then rested her hands on the wound, starting to seal the wound, the bullet being pushed out. The girl started screaming again, jolting up into a sitting position, the sash over her eyes becoming lose. Alex stared, then looked at Samuel.
“She's blind?”
He nodded slowly, lifting his hands to untie the sash. “She's sweating..we should take this off, right?”
Alex nodded, “Right. Then you should get an ice pack from the-”
The sash came off.
But what was staring blankly were not eyes.
They were empty eye sockets.