Chaos.
It was everywhere.
All around her students rushed to flee the scene. Screaming, shouting, crying.
But she couldn't move. Her legs were failing her, no matter how hard she willed them to run.
Another shot rang out, and the tempo of the moment seemed to increase even more. She felt the floor vibrate, as if a heavy object had fallen. Something brushed her leg.
It was a hand. A hand that connected to a body.
A body that was no longer breathing.
She had to get out of there.
It seemed that her legs had finally heard her.
She joined the running mass of people as they took corner after corner at reckless speeds. All longing to get out, to live.
"Come on, Blair!"
Sometime in the chaos, a hand had slipped into hers, and she heard Dan Humphrey's voice, willing her to run faster. Together, they led the crowd towards the glass double-doors at the end of the corridor, Blair's heart pounding in her ribcage, knowing freedom and safety were merely a few feet away.
Until she came face-to-face with the barrel of a gun.
If Dan hadn't pulled her down with him in the last second, it would have been her brains splattered all over the floor, not the girl's behind them.
The screaming was louder now. Helplessness filled Blair's entire being. They were surrounded. They were trapped.
They were all going to die.
Cold and mercilessly, just like that.
They say that when you're faced with death, time slows down, and your life flashes before your eyes. For Blair, that was exactly what happened.
She thought of her father. How he used to tuck her in at night, kiss her forehead sweetly, and whisper "Goodnight Blair-bear," in her ear.
She thought of her mother, whose expectations she had always strived to live up to.
She thought of Dorota, a mother, a sister, her most loyal friend.
She thought of Nate. Sweet Nate. Someone she had loved and still did, with all her heart.
Serena. Closer than a best friend. Closer than a sister. Her family, and always would be.
And Chuck.
Blair felt tears well in her eyes.
Chuck who had pulled her plaits the first day of kindergarten. Chuck who had teased her about her headband on their first day at Constance. Chuck who had defended her when Gabriella Lawson accused her of cheating in her English test. Chuck who had helped her take Gabriella Lawson down.
Who had always helped her take anyone down. Who had given her a shoulder to cry on when Serena disappeared. Who had saved her from herself when her father left.
Who knew when things were wrong, when no one else noticed. Who was always there for her in a heartbeat, no matter what.
Chuck. Who she loved more than anything in the world. Loved so much it hurt.
She just hoped he knew how much. And that he would forgive her for not being there for the rest of his life. Forgive himself, for letting her live in dorms.
Gun shots were going off. Everywhere. One by one, students fell like rag dolls into the sea of collecting bodies.
It was like a movie; a cheap, gory, horror flick. The ones that Blair detested, and deemed not worthy of her time or effort. Only it was real. And that was real blood on the ground, seeping into her tights.
She felt something tug at her side. Dan was still holding her hand.
His eyes were searching the crowd frantically, clearly looking for someone. Vanessa. Blair's heart thudded sickeningly in her chest. She didn't recall seeing her at all.
Tears were streaming down Dan's face when he looked back at her. She could see he had assumed the worst. Blair bit her lip, suppressing a sob. She had never been close with the girl, but she would never have wished this on anyone.
She thought back to Serena, and for one terrifying moment, imagined what it would be like to lose her. The pain would be unbearable, life unliveable. She couldn't imagine what Dan was feeling.
Something seemed to harden in his eyes at that moment. With a determined grunt, he began to crawl towards the doors, dragging Blair along with him. The moving bodies provided cover, as they made their escape.
Blair tried very hard not to think of what, or who, she was crawling on top of. Every now and again her hand or knee would land on a head of hair, or a soaked torso. She kept her eyes forward determinedly, refusing to look down.
Just keep going, she willed herself. Just keep going.
She was crying with happiness when she touched glass. She could see flashing lights drawing nearer and men in uniform, clutching guns, running towards her.
Dan was already on his feet, pulling her up with him. With all the strength she had left, she shoved open the glass doors, and breathed in freedom.
Then she saw the most comforting sight of all. A black limo was pulling up against the curb. The door flung open before it had even stopped, and Chuck Bass, in all his glory, was running up the steps, twisting his head around in desperation, searching for her face.
The most unbelievable emotion surged in her when his eyes met her own.
He began to run towards her and her towards him, like some cheesy, romantic, movie couple running through fields.
His face drew nearer, and she could see the relief in his eyes, feel the love from his heart.
But something was wrong. Something was holding her back. Her right leg seemed to be dragging along.
Frowning, Blair looked down to see what was wrong. It was covered in blood.
It took her some time to figure out that it was her blood.
But she was still confused.
Then the pain hit. It was the most excruciating pain she had ever felt. It seemed to tear into her muscles and burn in her bones. She was vaguely aware that she was screaming, her eyes clamped shut, and her body bent over.
She heard, rather than felt the hard ground when she collapsed. The screaming was going down now. So was the light. It must have been getting late.
Somewhere far away, Chuck was shouting. She could feel his hand on her shoulder, and she tried to reach out to touch it, to comfort him.
Somewhere further away, Dan was calling for help.
"Just stay with me, you hear me Blair? Just stay with me," Chuck was saying.
Just keep going.
But she couldn't. She was tired. And everything was blurring around her.
She forced her eyes to focus on her distraught boyfriend, her love of her life.
"Please Blair, stay with me. Oh god, please".
She couldn't do it. Everything was fading.
She managed to will her hand to brush his, in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, before she gave in, and let the darkness consume her.