It was a ten pace showdown, but I was unarmed and had taken one pace too many. I noticed the clear glass lockers; they appeared to be less than an inch wide. “What idiot decided to make high school lockers glass?” I couldn’t ponder this to long because his hand had reached out to the locker next to him. The florescent lights glinted off the silver latch that held the locker closed. With a flick of his white bony wrist the locker swung open. He never took his eyes off of me. Well I couldn’t tell if he had eyes because long black shimmering hair fell in front of where his eyes should be. What I could see was his wide gleaming grin. Not a funny amused grin, an evil deadly grin. His hand reached into the locker only to reemerge holding a small gun. Don’t ask me for a name or model all I knew was it was meant to kill. My feelings were lost in presence of obvious death.

I should’ve seen his next move coming but I couldn’t react to anything. It was as if invisible chains were holding me. His arm moved to shoulder height so he could take aim at my heart. As I heard the click of the gun my eyes glued themselves shut for impact. I waited to die, but instead I heard the shatter of glass from behind the protection of me eyelids. My eyes flashed open and I stumbled to my right. My arms instinctively covered my head to protect me. Of course me being me I had to trip. I landed hard on the speckled floor. I could only imagine the bruise I was going to have if I survived this. Somehow he had missed and the lockers to my left where now just pieces on the floor.

My left arm throbbed as I looked away from the mess he had made. A shard of glass about the size of an eraser had wedged itself into my arm. I assessed myself and realized I was covered in scratches silently pumping out my blood. I grabbed the glass and pulled it out of my arm. I winced as the act caused more pain. I heard slow deliberate footsteps and looked away from the blood on my arm to see him just a yard away.

No feelings enveloped my body like they should have. Screams couldn’t escape my mouth no matter how much I needed help. Desperately I wanted to run but I was again frozen by something stronger than fear. My eyes locked on the spot where his should be. His menacing footsteps where the only thing I could hear. His four short steps took a lifetime to complete.

Once again he raised his arm. The grin on his pale face broadened. One last step and he was standing over me. This time my eyes wouldn’t close. His hair spread apart revealing blood red eyes. My heart caught in terror. My body had been released from its invisible bind. Time slowed and I heard the click of the trigger. I yanked my body off the floor.

In the same instant I was sitting upright in a cold sweat on my bed. I was twisted up in my purple sheets. Breathing heavily I looked around trying to see through the darkness of my room. “It was just a dream.” Relief flooded me for a fraction of a second. A glint caught my eye. He was standing there as real as ever, gun in hand. “No! This is impossible.” My eyes adjusted and I could clearly see his outline in the night.

Brain whirling I tried to think of a way to save myself. It came to me. I spoke one word. A harsh word that held years of mistrust and treachery. This one word was all I could do to save my life. I opened my mouth to speak the whispered, cracked word. His name

“Keven.”

I should have pleaded my case further. Keven wanted me dead but I couldn’t stop him now. I wanted to tell him it was never my fault. I wasn’t the one who left him in his time of need. He needed me now but I couldn’t console him for what she had done. She left him nearly dead and I was the one who sat next to him every day in that hospital waiting for him to get better. All it took was to see her, talk to her, and then it was entirely my fault. She twisted words and manipulated his love to get out of everything. Now me, his best friend, was going to have to die. I could imagine her standing by his shoulder telling him to continue in his revenge. This wasn’t the friend I had once known. My friend so full of life and energy. All I saw was my friend back in the psych ward who couldn’t comprehend who I was. A tear slid down my cheek as I stared up at my best friend.

My eyes closed as his bullet sunk into my heart.