Amiss Death
[A/N: This is dedicated to all the kids who died in various school shootings. The one a few months ago at Fort Worth was very close to my school; in fact, many of the kids there went to my school. My best friend's older brother was going to go to the church, in fact, except he didn't go because he had a test to study for.]
[A/N: Anyway, this is dedicated to all those people who died, and didn't have to. For you peoples . . . . ]
We never thought it would happen that way.
You know, sure, we thought of Death.
Of what it would bring to us.
I mean, Death. When you fight a war, it comes up often. Way too often for comfort.
And then it happens.
Rachel's gone. Dead. Gone.
It still makes me numb.
If it'd happened some other way, any other way, I'd feel better.
If she'd been struck down in war, killed by a Hork-Bajir, it would have been different. At least she'd have died in war.
For a good cause.
And how did she die?
She got shot.
Rachel, my best friend, Xena, got friggin' shot with a gun at school.
By some guy I knew. Brian Johnson. I had two classes with him.
I knew him, you know? I mean, he was the quiet type. Not the kind of kid who does this kind of stuff.
And then he went and sent bullets flying through the school dance.
I don't even know why we were at the dance in the first place. Just hanging, trying to relax. And then it got ripped apart by the bullet shots.
If I close my eyes, I can still see it engraved in my memory.
Rachel and I were hiding behind a table.
I don't know what came over Rachel, but she stood up in her cocky way, walked over to Brian. Told him that what he was doing was ridiculous, that people were dying.
He laughed, and sent a bullet through her head.
She died instantly.
I wonder if that's supposed to help. Knowing that she didn't feel any pain.
It never helps.
After Rach died, I don't remember much else.
Running to a bathroom, morphing to wolf. I wanted to kill him. Rip his throat open.
Jake stopped me. He'd gotten hit in the arm twice, trying to get Marco and Ax to cover. He told me that we shouldn't blow our cover.
So I listened to him, let it go. Demorphed, and hid with the others until help arrived.
We ended up fine. Marco was hit in the side, and had a graze wound. The bullets in Jake's arm were only superficial wounds. Ax and Tobias were able to morph and demorph, getting rid of the injuries they had.
And me? I escaped fine. Unscathed.
Yeah.
Rachel's funeral's going to be later today.
I have to go up there, make a speech about her. Jake, Tobias, they're going to speak also. Originally, Jake didn't think Tobias should talk, because of the security risk, but I talked him out of it.
I told him that Tobias needed to let go.
Marco and Ax will be at the funeral too. Cover story, Marco's Jake's best friend, Ax is a friend of Jake's, and Tobias is . . . . was Rachel's boyfriend.
I don't know. Something inside me just feels dull and empty.
I forgive Brian, yes, for what he did. Maybe he had problems at home, maybe he couldn't deal with it all.
But I have one thing to say.
Rachel – Rachel, Tobias's girlfriend, Xena: Warrior Princess, Jake's cousin, Jordan and Sara's sister, my best friend?
She shouldn't have died that way.
[A/N: Well? Liked it, loved it, hated it? Send any and all replies to me at anifuture@hotmail.com. And take a look at my webpage, at http://anifuture.hypermart.net.]