Author's note - the italizied is from one tree hill. I hope this chapter really hits the right spot for people. I tried to lengthen the chapter -- but it's still kinda short. Not as short as the last one. I just wanted to wrap up everything - because you can't keep playing it out. I feel that I've exhausted everything I can with this issue and this is the conclusion. Please don't hate me but I think I like the ending quite a bit. So, enjoy, and give advice for future chapters because I've only gotten the next one written and after that, it could be days before a new chapter. So, enjoy this chapter.

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"A total of twenty five students are now trapped inside of the school," a local reporter said into the camera. "The school is currently on lock down and the gun man has been identified. He is fifteen years old and his name is Chad Bueick."

"They sure aren't doing him any justice," Taylor murmured, laying back on the table.

Beaver nodded. "An attack is an attack, Taylor," he muttered. "No matter how bias you are toward it. He's gonna go to jail." Beaver hesitated. "It doesn't matter how the TV talks about him, he's going to die today."

"What?" Taylor asked, glancing over at Beaver. "Where's your crystal ball, Beaver?"

Beaver shrugged. "Very few shooters are arrested," Beaver murmured.

"What happens to them?" Taylor asked, staring hard at Beaver.

Beaver glanced over at her, the beginnings of a sad smile gracing his lips before evaporating. "They do what they feel like they have to do - to achieve happiness. They can't go on living, Taylor. I know you don't know how it feels, to be completely alone and then some, but...it's this lonliness, something like nothing ever distinguished before. The feeling of complete isolation, like nothing you do ever amounts to anything; like nothing you put forth ever leaves an imprint on this earth, on these people...I dunno, it's just...sometimes it seems like it'd be better to just...die, I guess."

Taylor was still staring at Beaver but he looked away from her. "Everybody's the same, Beaver," she told him quietly. "To poeple, people like you, the rich kids seem to have a lot. But if you take away all of the money, what else is left?"

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Jackson edged forward, his eyes focused hard on Chad. Melissa had only seen Jackson like this before when Jackson had been in Rodney's pressence. Sometimes there's things only family members can extract from you. But now Jackson was eyeing Chad and Chad was eyeing Jackson right back. "You don't want to do what you're about to do, man."

Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty, this hatred?

Jackson lunged forward, quicker than Melissa had ever seen him move before. Chad lurched back, almost prepared for this exact action. Jackson hit Chad hard, using his force to drive him backwards, right into the chalkboard. There was little struggle between, both unwilling to move first and lose the upperhand on each other. Chad moved first, removing his hands that were pressed hard against Jackson's chest, and shifted to the side slightly. He hit Jackson hard in the face even though Jackson tried to dodge it.

Jackson shifted back slightly, unaware of the movement behind him as the class formed a loose circle around them. Chad had brought the gun up, but Jackson gripped his hand tightly with desperate fingers, and the struggle between them erupted once more. Chad brought his hand down to the gun and gripped Jackson's hand tightly, surprised when he received a sharp yelp from the unharmed boy.

Did it steal into our lives or did we seek it out and embrace it?

Jackson lurched back quickly, hot tears jumping to his eyes. He could dimly remember how the bullet felt, breaking his skin and lodging it self within his flesh, but this pain somehow seemed worst. Rodney had shot him in the hand and the doctors all claimed he healed remarkably well - but he wasn't healed completely. He still experienced the dull throbbing that sometimes captured his hand. But now he was sure Chad had broken something inside of him.

What happened to us?

"Stupid moron," Chad shouted, taking advantage of Jackson's distraction and hitting him hard in the jaw with the butt of the gun once more. "I was gonna let you all go! I was going to let everyone live! You stupid stupid child!"

That we now send our children into the world like we send young men to war;

Jackson stumbled back more, cradling his vulnerable hand in a loose grasp, watching Chad with weary eyes. "What are you gonna do, Chad?" Jackson asked, his voice distorted slightly. Melissa couldn't quite place the emotions that surfaced in his voice, or the emotions that she was sure was clear as day to Chad, reflecting in his eyes.

hoping for their safe return.

"I was trying to help you," Chad reasoned softly.

"Chad, don't do it," Melissa said, trying to step forward, but flinched back at the same time as Chad's angry eyes flashed toward Melissa.

But knowing that some will be lost along the way.

"Stay out of this, Melissa," Chad told her, his voice betraying the anger that his eyes and heavy gaze only hinted at.

When did we lose our way?

Jackson, compelled by some deadly voice, whispering sweet nothings in his ears, lunged forward and Chad, unsure of what he exactly wanted to do, lunged forward simultaneously. They hit each other hard, Jackson instinctively holding his arm tightly against his body. Chad's weight over powered Jackson and forced him back; forcing them both to lose their balance and fall hard to the always moving Earth.

Consumed by the shadows, swallowed whole by the darkness.

Jackson couldn't recall when Chad had dropped the gun or exactly why he now extended his arm toward it. He couldn't say why Chad never managed to stop him even though it felt like hours before Jackson's fingers wrapped around the gun's heavy exterior. Jackson couldn't remember Chad throwing a punch but he lunged his arm forward, hitting Chad hard in the chest with the barrell of the gun.

Chad was unaffected by the underlying strength and force that Jackson had unconsciously put behind the hit. Jackson was unaware of his fingers tightening around the grip and his finger inching down slightly, pulling back on the trigger. Chad's hands were around his neck but he didn't feel it. He didn't feel the struggle that his lungs were force to indulge in, and he didn't see the black dots appear at the edges of his vision. Further more, he didn't feel the impact of the gun, or the recoil that ran roughly down his arm. He didn't see Chad's body fly off of him, and he didn't see the blood smeer across the wall. He didn't hear the loud bang that the other students had to cover their ears to bare. And he didn't hear Melissa's gasp and sob that filled the suddenly silence room. Jackson wasn't there, he had passed out before the bullet had entered Chad's body and before Chad's life had come to a utterly complete stop. He had been graced with the darkness that he used to fear, the darkness that he had once been forced to embrace.

Does this darkness have a name?

Is it your name?