Silence
The day it all started, a hiss had been heard from Pennsylvania Avenue.
It seemed to linger, almost tantalizingly, as passerby turned, questioning.
Suddenly, the hiss seemed to gain more air, building up in a crescendo, like a sinister
piano piece that no one wanted to hear.
Eyes widened in recognition.
Run.
People screamed. Children wailed. Ambulances howled. There was a distinctive metal
scent in
the air, slightly rusty.
It stank of death.
And there, in the middle of it all, stood a figure.
People far away from him would have thought he was scared, with his shoulders
hunched and wide eyes.
However, people close to him would have been able to tell that the expression on his
face was not fear.
It was elation.
Two hours earlier
2
Outside the Washington Monument
2 15th St NW,
Washington, DC 20024
11:03 AM
Footsteps scuffed along pavement, laughter echoed within shops, and voices lilted in a
murmur down the street.
The young teacher smiled.
It was a beautiful spring day, and there was a field trip to the capital. There was nothing
that the children could have wanted more, after weeks of constant rain and bored
classroom days.
Well, there was nothing that she wanted more.
She just didn’t understand why they hated her so much.
She was a long-term substitute for their teacher who had an untimely accident. She was
fresh out of college, and it was her first year as a teacher, but she was doing her best.
Last week, she enthusiastically brought children’s clay and paints from the dollar store
across the school. It seemed great, until…
Until the paint ended up splattered all over the classroom, and she soon found herself
huddled over the floor with wet wipes as laughter echoed throughout the classroom.
That wasn’t the first time either.
As the children sped forward, laughing, the teacher cautioned them not to run. There’s
nothing here to break your fall, she said.
3
But the children never seemed to listen. It was almost endearing sometimes, she
thought, as she looked at them laughing, the corners of her eyes crinkling. One boy
stuck her tongue out at her.
Never mind.
She walked faster to catch up with him before scolding him. That’s very rude, she said to
him. Please don’t do that to other people, all right?
The boy shrugged her off and ran to his friends.
The teacher sighed. She sat down on a nearby bench that was covered with markings of
past love and curses.
What had her life come to that she was being bullied by eight year olds? She thought
wryly.
Her hair blew in the wind, and she closed her eyes to take in the warmth.
Thank god for parent chaperones.
She would just take a nap for a couple minutes.
No, she thought, thirty seconds.
She didn’t trust her children that much.
Still, as the laughter continued, and the breeze lifted her spirits, she thought to herself…
They weren’t so bad after all.
4
Lincoln Memorial
2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW,
Washington, DC 20002
11:05 AM
Shouting reverberated through the building. Murmurs started to rise in the back of the
crowd, as people shoved others aside to inspect what had happened.
He screamed as loud as he could, trying to get away from the grasp of the guard, who
only seemed to glare at him more and pin him down harder. People around him started
to back away, fearful, their phones held out in front of them.
He loved the look in their eyes. It made him feel like he was on top of the world.
If only he could get rid of those damn phones.
Twisting his arm out of the grip of the guard, he lunged forward to snatch the phone
from the hand of a teenage girl. Terrified, she ran back, her bag in front of her like a
shield.
It was expensive. Louis Vuitton. If he could find a way to run off with it, he could pawn
it for a pretty penny…
Ignoring the yells of the guard who was starting to catch up with him, he darted
through the crowd and out into the sun.
Victory felt so good.
5
But this scuffle was nothing compared to what he had planned.
They would see. They would see him get what he deserved, what he had deserved all of
his life. What he should have gotten.
Respect.
Pennsylvania Avenue
Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC
12:15 PM
Smooth jazz waltzed in the air. The children giggled as the performer winked at them,
his president mask slightly sliding down his face due to the heat.
It was Armstrong, the teacher recognized. It had been a long time since she heard the
saxophone.
Surprisingly, the children seemed to be showing some restraint. She didn’t know
whether it was because they were too excited to be acting out, or if the speech she had
given earlier today about the importance of good behavior had worked.
It was probably the excitement.
She threw a couple dollars into the performer’s hat and he nodded at her slightly, his
smile curling up in a slight dimple.
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She walked faster to catch up with the children as they made their way to the White
House. The chaperones were discussing excitedly about the restaurant choices in the
capital.
Ignoring the muffled conversation, the teacher noticed a young girl standing a bit far
from the other children, staring into space.
She caught up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.
Hello, she said. Are you doing okay? Are you lonely?
The girl nodded, then shook her head.
Alright, the teacher said. Do you mind if I walk with you then?
The girl gave a sign of agreement, and the teacher slowed her walk, her heels clicking
against the pavement.
Is there a reason you aren’t hanging out with other kids? The teacher asked.
The girl was quiet for some time, then spoke.
I like being by myself, she said.
The teacher could understand. She herself was an introvert all throughout high school,
and only had a few close friends that she trusted with her life.
So, she asked. What do you want to be when you grow up?
The girl’s face lit up.
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An artist, she said. And as if it was planned, the girl pulled out a tin, rumpled
sketchbook from her bag, giving it to the teacher.
The teacher flipped through the sketchbook. And filled with it were paintings of
mystical worlds, filled with beautiful creatures and plants, color bursting through the
pages.
She was impressed. This girl was definitely going places.
Smiling, she knelt down to the girl’s height and asked if she could tell her the story
behind each of the worlds.
And as if she had flipped a switch, in the next hour, the girl talked more than she had
every seen her talk in the past year.
Near the White House
Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC
12:45 PM
Heavy breaths echoed from his body as he ran. He was starting to be aware that his
stamina was running out. The extra weight didn’t help.
They had sent out a search party for him.
Damn it.
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He had made sure that his pre-show would be minimal, drawing as little attention as
possible while still being enough for his satisfaction.
This was his way of being merciful, you see. He was giving a warning.
And yet, he thought as he tried to gather himself, he had been too nice.
This kind of misstep would not happen again. The end was just in sight.
Grinning, he took the object from his parcel and made sure everything was just as it was
designed to be.
He looked out from behind the column into the crowd of tourists, each of them grinning
as they clicked their cameras at the buildings.
It was disgusting. He hated that look and how it made him feel, like there was
something heavy in his stomach.
He stuffed the object back in his bag, and sat against the column and prepared himself.
There was time. He could wait.
After all, this was everything he had worked for.
Near the White House
Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC
12:57 PM
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The little girl was still chattering as the class made their way towards the White House.
And the teacher didn’t mind. It was beautiful to be able to listen to the girl's hopes and
dreams.
The class stopped in front of the house, and the children were excitedly talking. Imagine
if we lived in that house, they exclaimed.
The teacher laughed to herself. She’d forgotten what it was like at that age, dreaming of
magic and miracles for the future.
Hopefully they’d get their act together before they became president.
Near the White House
Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC
1:00 PM
People were screaming again.
He loved it.
The security guards had found him, and he had revealed the gun in hand.
Little did they know that wasn’t the reason they should be terrified.
As he gazed down the street, he realized that there was a class of children there, who
looked no more than ten.
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This was perfect, he thought. He could save them from this world before they had to
face its monstrosities themselves.
Walking forward, he prepared himself. There was only a few seconds before they caught
up to him and found a way to disarm him.
Taking a breath, he took the object from his parcel.
Then, he let the world burn.
Near the White House
Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC
1:00 PM
Glass shattered as windows broke from the impact. There was screaming. So much
screaming.
The teacher couldn’t feel anything. At the last minute, she leapt in an attempt to cover
the children. But she failed, a metal beam striking her legs.
She looked around, and saw her children.
Her children who once were full of vitality, looked lifeless.
They were covered in so much blood, she could barely differentiate between them.
Tears streamed down her face. Never before had she wished for them to act out one
more time.
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Call me stupid, she wanted to scream. Knock down chairs again. Throw food at each
other. Refuse to learn your times tables.
Do anything.
Please do something, she whimpered.
She looked to her left and saw the girl.
The girl who had so much hope for the future. So many dreams. So many changes she
would make.
She was the one covered in crimson paint now.
And suddenly, the teacher had the flash of a memory once past, when she brought
dollar-paints to school.
She didn’t see children causing trouble. She saw children having fun and being full of
life.
At least she was able to make them happy once. She had wanted to do so much more..
As she prepared to close her eyes, she realized that she couldn’t hear any laughter
anymore. No footsteps across the pavement, no giggling, no murmuring.
It was just silence.
The White House
12
Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC
7:00 PM
News reports a bombing that took place this afternoon near the White House.
Twenty-two children, six adults, and one teacher were killed in the tragic event.
…
The victims include eight-year old Daniel Wallace, seven-year old Mackenzie
Hernandez, and eight-year old William Fargo …
…
Mackenzie Hernandez was described as an aspiring artist by her parents. They reported
that her paintings and drawings always gave people joy.
…
The teacher, Ms. Julia Henry, graduated from the University of Idaho one year ago. She
was a long-term substitute for the class, and was described as being vivacious,
passionate, and kind. In her last moments, video footage showed her attempt to cover
her students from debris. Her bravery will be remembered.
…
The bomber, seventeen-year old Bryan Crosby, was a dropout of Newsbury High School.
…
His trial is currently being discussed by the court. A set date will be given later this
week under the charges of first-degree murder in twenty-nine counts.
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…
America, take care of yourselves today. Look after yourself and your family. It has been a
dark day in history.