Your feet pound at the tile floor of the school hallways as you start to hurry past door after door. You push through a forming crowd all jostling to move in the opposite direction, and your chest tightens as you have to shove your way forward. Finally, you emerge into open hallway and dash down its length, finally reaching the stack white doors sealing you off from the outside. The doors swing open with a squeak inaudible over the sounds of stents and teachers clamoring over each other, and thud shut behind you. You are once again in silence, but you keep running, the only sound the echoing slaps of shoes on blacktop.

  You pass the parking lot, seeing a shuffling Mr. Euss moving towards his car for some reason. You keep running, moving through neighborhoods, across quiet streets and alongside rows of still houses. You have to pause every so often; you aren’t superhuman. But you keep moving.

  Soon you see police cars blaring their sirens as they peel around a corner and speed off towards the school. You turn your head, but they don’t even slow down. Soon those sounds fade too into the day.

  You reach your house and, knowing the front door is locked, jog, panting, around to the back. Ignoring your mom’s shocked questions, you dash upstairs and throw yourself onto your bed. It’s still only the afternoon, but you’re exhausted, and force your eyes closed as your heart pounds.

  What does it matter if today was special or not anyways? Time will move on, and today will end. You think it was time you got your head around that.

• The End •