"I dare you to put the gun down, Sam. I dare you."

Samantha Hill had always been a daredevil. She was the class clown, causing laughter in the most serious of times, daring to speak out against teachers and administrators. When you played truth or dare at parties, you hoped to be the one who got to dare Sam. She did anything. Her friends admired it in her, people loved it about her, but sometimes it got her into trouble.

"Come on Sam, you can't turn down a dare, can you?"

She clutched the revolver in her sweating hands, swallowing hard. She thought of the events that had brought her to where she was right then, aiming a gun at her two supposed best friends.

"Sam?"

"What?"

Her voice was hoarse, like she hadn't spoken in days. The gun trembled in her hands, but she kept aim. Colt spoke to her through a bullhorn on the other side of a police barrier. A large crowd of students were gathered, worried and scared, some crying. Howard and Zoe crouched on the ground, holding each other, cowering at the sight of a gun pointed at them.

"You need to do the dare, Sam. You're the king of dares, you can't pass it up! Put the gun down and keep your title,"

Sam turned her head slightly to address him, but kept her gun trained on Howard and Zoe. "I can't."

"Why not, Sam?"

"Don't you see? That's what started everything, these stupid dares! I could never turn one down and look where I am! I'm in deep shit and I can't be the daredevil anymore, Colt. I can't do your dare!"

"Sam, you can do it. Just put the gun down slowly."

"No, I can't! You don't understand at all!" Her throat closed up and she felt the tears falling. "This is so fucked up, it never had to come to this, but it did!"

"Why do you want to hurt Howard and Zoe?"

"You know why, don't pretend you don't!" Sam's finger tensed on the trigger and Colt sucked in his breath. She relaxed her grip and he sighed.

"Okay, maybe I do know, but this isn't the way. This isn't the answer."

"Yes, it is! Why don't you tell them why this is the answer, Colt? Do it or I'll shoot." Sam swallowed hard again and looked back and forth between Colt and Howard and Zoe. Colt sighed.

"Fine, I'll tell them. But this is a deal. You don't shoot if I cooperate?"

"Whatever!"

Colt turned to face the crowd of onlookers. Some looked horrified that he was somehow associated with this hostage situation, but he paid no mind. "Everybody, if Sammy wants me to do this then I will. There's an important reason to what she's doing, and you all have a right to know."

Sam nodded slightly, staring at Howard and Zoe.

"It started like this,"

Oooh, cliffhanger. Tell me what you're thinking of this so far so I know whether or not to continue