Ch. 3 Retzach/ Murder
No.
It couldn't be.
But when the screams started, the footsteps grew panicked and the second set of gunshots went off - Esther realized that what was happening was exactly what she thought it was.
Without a second thought, she grabbed her backpack - and headed into the handicapped stall, where she climbed onto the narrow shelf to the side of the toilet.
She hugged her bag tightly to her chest while biting her lip to keep herself from crying out. She tried to block out the sounds of terrified screams. This couldn't be happening. Not at her school. Not at Harvey Westfield.
But that's probably what everyone in these situations thought.
As carefully as possible, she pulled her cell phone out of her bag and immediately began to text her dad.
Shooter at school. In bathroom. Love you 2 the moon n back.
Esther wasn't sure whether to wait for a response. Dad would probably still be at the bakery - ever since Mom died he'd thrown himself into his work. He never really looked at his phone…so at least he wouldn't be worried about her.
She just had to remain calm.
If she was lucky - the shooter wouldn't even get close to her before the police came. What was the statistic she had read? That the average school shooting lasts for 12.5 minutes?
She just had to make it that long.
Esther looked down at her watch. 1.5 minutes down…Only 90 seconds. And seemingly countless gun shots. 11 minutes. The length of a Steven Universe episode…She should be able to make it.
She focused in on her watch.
91 seconds. A shot rang out.
A scream.
92 seconds. Another shot.
Sobbing noises.
93 seconds. Two more shots.
A stampede of footsteps. There was so much going on - she couldn't tell where the gunman was, where people were running from or where people were to…And here she was, in an empty bathroom with only a god of death for company.
97 seconds.
98.
99.
100 seconds.
For all she knew - the 911 operators hadn't even gotten the call yet. Let alone the police.
As she started dialing 911 - she suddenly remembered the second half of that statistic. On average it took 18 minutes for law enforcement to respond to this kind of event. And that was time they didn't have. But what could she do?
She had no real physical strength, no height advantage, no weapons…
Thwump.
Esther looked down. In her panic, she had knocked her bookbag over, its contents scattered all over the floor: pencils and erasers had fallen out of their case; her math textbook had landed in the toilet, and the Death Note had fallen onto the floor…
The Death Note!
How could she have forgotten about it? It was just what she needed.
2 minutes.
Only one problem…
"H-h-hey, Zellogi?" she said in a whisper. "Can you go outside? S-see who's shooting?"
He stared at her for a moment, before his mouth broke into a smile and he began to laugh. Laugh. Fucking laugh. Uproariously. "Why would I do that?"
"I thought you wanted me to kill people! And right now I want to kill whoever is shooting up my school!" The words came out in an angry, whispered hiss. "C'mon!"
"No can do. It's against the rules. I can't do anything that may extend a human's life."
"Fine! But if I die -"
"Which you won't. I can see your lifespan…You got a good while."
Is that why he was cavalier? Because she wouldn't die? Was he even telling the truth? She had no way of knowing. But if the cops were still at least fifteen minutes out - well, somebody had to do something.
She started gathering her things - aside from the soggy textbook and the Death Note and stuffed them back into her bag. She clutched the little black notebook like her life depended on it.
3 minutes.
The door suddenly slammed open. But it wasn't the gunman. It was Keith. Fucking Keith. She was not going to die next to fucking Keith Rivers.
Keith looked at her wide-eyed as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His shirt was splattered with blood, his black hair pasted to his forehead with sweat. His eyes were wide with fright and adrenaline…he slowly sat on the floor, underneath one of the sinks, trying to catch his breath.
"Hey. Is this the Keith you were talking about earlier?" Zellogi asked. "Cause really - I don't think he's worth it."
She doesn't have time for Zellogi's weird cryptic comments.
She snatched up her Death Note, that Keith had been staring at and looked at him. "Keith - do you know who the shooter is?"
"What?!"
"Do. You. Know. Who. The. Shooter. Is?"
She looked back down at her watch.
4 minutes gone. It already felt like a lifetime. The screams and bullets still hadn't stopped but to Esther they had faded into the background. They had been overtaken by the dripping of the sink, Keith's heavy breathing, Zellogi's snicker and the beating of her own heart.
"I don't know. The voice sounded familiar but I didn't get a good look at his face. He went on some crazy rant about Kira. Going on about how he was going to help him rid the world of evil - and he just started shooting…" Keith looked up at her. "I think it might have been Kyle Kavanaugh but I'm not sure."
4 minutes and 35 seconds.
She reached for the Death Note that had fallen onto the floor in her surprise. Even if Kyle wasn't the shooter - it would be no loss. He'd probably would have gone on to do something like this. A heart attack would be ironic and auspicious, if what Keith said was true. A sign that this isn't what Kira wanted.
But She didn't want him to get the credit. Suicide. Plenty of school shootings ended that way. That wouldn't be suspicious at all.
"What are you doing?" Keith climbed over and stared at the notebook. She turned away.
5 minutes and 10 seconds.
She didn't respond. Instead she closed her eyes and pictured Kyle Kavanaugh's face. Light blue eyes. Greasy blond hair. Always wearing that disgusting hoodie. She had been partnered with him for a project once - he refused to meet at her house, called her a "kike bitch" and didn't do any real work.
She could do this.
5 minutes 12 seconds.
But a thought bothered her: What if Keith was wrong? What if it was someone else?
"Can I have a piece of paper? I dropped my phone…I want to leave my parents a note."
He reached over.
Esther yanked it away before Keith could grab it, "I'm sorry… I can't."
A hurt look spread across his face. "I'm sorry - you know. For all the teasing. And I know it sounds silly now - but, I am…"
The door slammed open once more.
5 minutes 25 seconds.
It was Kyle.
He grinned as he stepped across the floor, the gun slowly aiming at the two of them "In the name of Kira: "But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.' I heard you disrespect his name. I am doing his work…"
"No, you aren't," Esther said, opening the Death Note.
"Put that down!"
A gunshot. Esther's ears rang and she felt a warm liquid splatter across her face and chest. She hunched down so that he face was nearly covered by the Death Note and as fast as she could she scribbled:
Kyle Kavanaugh. Suicide by gunfire.
5 minutes and 33 seconds.
This would all be over in 40 seconds. That's what Zellogi had said several nights ago as she stared at the blank pages of the Death Note.
39 seconds.
"Put that down! Or you're next."
38. 37. 36. 35.
She felt the warm, thick, stickiness of blood creep on to her pants and for the briefest of moments thought she had gotten her period and cursed the timing. Then she glanced to her left - Keith was crumpled onto the floor, blood pouring out of his chest.
She had no idea if he was still alive.
30. 29. 28. 27. 26.
She put the notebook facedown on her right and quietly raised her arms. Under her breath, she recited Shema, "Shema Yisrael Adonai eloheinu Adonai ehad."
It felt a little weird, yes, to be saying this while under the eye of a shinigami and a crazed gunman…But what other choice did she have?
"Shut up!" he cried. Esther gave a whimper and looked down at the tiled floor. Kyle smirked and bent down. "Let's see what you wrote!"
He grabbed for the Death Note and flipped through the pages. "There's nothing here! Just some rando name…What is this? My name? Suicide by gunfire? What? Do you think you can make me commit suicide? The only way I'm going down -"
He dropped the notebook.
Kyle looked up and his eyes widened with fear. "W-w-what the fuck is that thing?"
Esther said nothing.
12 seconds. 11. 10. 9.
As though compelled by some unseen force, he turned the gun around and aimed it at himself, eyes locked on Zellogi.
4 seconds.
3 seconds.
2 seconds.
BANG.
Kyle Kavanaugh was dead.
And she killed him.
Zellogi lay his hand on her shoulder, "Good job."
Esther wanted to puke.
She looked at her watch.
6 minutes and 13 seconds.