Katrina, or Kat, Fletcher sat in History class, messing around with her pencil. She was twirling it in her dark, curled hair, ignoring whatever the class was being lectured on today. Something about a Mongolian. She sighed and chewed on her pencil, deciding she should probably listen. She assumed she'd have a test on this sometime in the near to distant future. The color in her face faded as her eyes followed Mr. Teasdale to the window. There were people with parachutes landing in the yards of the school. All the kids, except Katrina, went to the window, also. She stood up, though, trying to get a better look out the window. She didn't know why she wanted to see. She was already feeling sick to her stomach. Mr. Teasdale walked outside. All of the kids watched him, and then screamed in horror as he was shot and killed. The men began shooting at the windows as she felt someone pull her down. She turned her head frantically, only to see Daryl. She tried to smile at him, but she couldn't. She was absolutely terrified. Everyone ran out of the classroom and out of the school. Katrina saw the few bodies that were astride the hallway. This was an image that she would never get out of her head.
Everything happened in a blur. Katrina couldn't pay attention to anything. If someone she knew grabbed on to her, she'd follow. Her eyes were always wandering, trying to find her best friend. But, he was nowhere in sight.
Next thing she knew, she was in the back of Jed Eckert's truck. She barely knew Matt Eckert, but she was just glad that someone was there to help her. She terrified and horrified… The way she was feeling just couldn't be put into words.
"Katrina!" She could've sworn she heard someone call her name. Then, she felt arms around her neck.
"Robert!" She yelled back, grinning widely. She couldn't believe she was smiling, but that thought was at the back of her mind. He was alive! Her best friend was alive! She turned to try and look at him, but he let go of her. She saw a couple other people in the back of the truck. She didn't really know any of them, but she knew their names. Danny and Aardvark. Daryl was there, also. She heard more gun shots and got down, closing her eyes tightly. She didn't open them again.
"Dad!" Katrina heard Robert yell. She sat up slowly, looking around. They were at Robert's father's gas station. Robert was frantically explaining what was going on to his father. She couldn't believe he understood him. Everyone was getting out of the truck. Fear just came rushing back to her as she hopped onto the ground. She stayed absolutely silent and just paid attention to everyone's actions.
"We're goin' to the mountains, we're getting' outta here," Jed said. Katrina glanced from her shoes to him. She was surprised. It was September and it was beginning to get cold. She didn't want to stay up in the mountains through the freezing winter. She weighed her options. She could go to the mountains and be safe, which is what her grandmother would want her to do, or stay in town and risk death… She decided to go to the mountains.
There was an explosion in town, followed by a loud boom and giant puffs of smoke. Tears filled Katrina's eyes. She tried to be strong and hold them back, but a few rolled down her cheek.
"Oh my God…" Jed's voice was full of worry and sadness. He was scared, too. They all were. Some were just better at hiding it.
"Boys!" Mr. Morris exclaimed. He probably didn't see her. She was being quieter than usual and was behind everybody else. "Get in there and get sleeping bags and food." They all did as told.
They grabbed all of the food and drinks that wouldn't go bad. The guys were getting a couple of knives and guns. She attempted to grab one, but Matt got the last one before her. Katrina stopped and glared at him for a millisecond, then continued to grab anything she could get her hands on. She had no idea how long they would be up there. No one did.
They loaded the truck up, leaving barley enough room for some of them to get in the back. There were little spots, but Katrina was telling herself she wouldn't fit. Jed, Matt, and Daryl would be in the front, which left Katrina, Robert, Aardvark, and Danny to stay in the back.
A helicopter flew over their heads. Everyone ducked, making sure the chopper didn't shoot at them or anything.
"Is it ours?" Someone asked. They all focused on not getting shot, so no one was really looking or paying attention.
Everyone was in the truck, where they had been determined to sit. Katrina smiled softly at Robert and his father, who were saying a heartfelt goodbye. Robert would do anything for his parents and she thought it was adorable. She wished she had had a great relationship with her parents like the Morris'. Then again, she was only seven when they died.
She had a gun in her hand, but she really had no idea how to use it. She sat in the right corner of the bed of the truck, looking at the empty fields. They were almost like deserts. She was nearly crying now, just thinking about her family. She prayed to God that the Spanish or whoever the hell they were wouldn't touch her grandmother. She was really the only person she had left.
They turned sharply into a field, ramming through the little fence that was there. Katrina saw the foreigners standing there. There were a bunch of them. She got down as far as she could, holding onto her gun for dear life. They were going over bumps and everyone nearly flew out of the back of the truck. The attackers were shooting and threw a bomb or something. She had no idea what it was. It just barely missed the truck. She was shaking now, she could feel it.
They stopped behind the smoke as another helicopter flew over their heads. She sat in the same position she had been, as low as she could possibly be. Her face, along with everyone else's, lit up as the chopper shot at the terrorists, as she decided to call them. That's basically what they were, right? Everyone cheered and whooped happily, then began to drive off as soon as Aardvark got to take a victory shot at the already-dead attackers.
A little while later, the car stopped. Everyone except Katrina got out. She heard that something was wrong with the radiator, then giggled at what Matt suggested. Now, she didn't know anything about cars, but she didn't think that peeing in the radiator was going to fix it. Sure enough, she was wrong. Well, at least she thought she was. Jed said it would work, so it probably would. He definitely knew more than she did.