Black Light

“Are you planning on leaving your bottom half here? ‘Cause all of you ain’t leaving.”

Bright lights above swirl endlessly. Before all was well, the party was almost perfect, aside from being packed in a sardine can with a bunch of high and drunk-- just turned twenty-one-- kiddos. Now, suddenly the constant headache-inducing flashes have me feeling nauseated.

--Wanting to get out of her at soon as possible. Needing to get out of here as soon as possible!

Fear seizing my veins in an almost unbearable vice-like grip. Just barely able to move my head. Trying to see clearly is almost impossible. Flashing bright lights and a sea of colors swim before my eyes, but I am unable to make out any concrete form.

--So this is what true fear feels like.

It reminds me of what you see in typical horror movies. Blonds constantly tripping over nothing or standing still knowing the killer is on his way to do them in. I always laughed at those actors, called the directors stupid for using those tropes, it never made sense to me.

Until now. Oh, it’s all too clear what that was about. The fear mechanism that grips a person's brain is not something that is easy to control or manipulate. It is not something to laugh at. Hell, I am the biggest idiot for laughing at fear.

--Yeah, those were just movies, but I am not getting paid for this performance.

It must be karma. Karma is knocking all the sense out of me and making me quiver like I am stuck out in a snow storm.

I feel like I have become that typical character, except I am not some blond bombshell, quite the opposite in fact.

I am the person who always dies first in those typical horror movies. I’m kinda starting to see why now.

I forcefully whip my head around. “There isn’t time for this!”

Even if it’s one thing, just one thing I need to focus on one thing! I look to my left, If I’m remembering correctly, that’s where we came into the club from, so there is one of my exits, tall chance getting out that way though. These guys have this place on lockdown.

Right as my focus is starting to come back to me, I hear it over the loudspeakers, more gunfire rings out in the middle of Rihanna’s Umbrella chorus. Screams break through the crowd once again, which elicits more gunfire. Now the whole place is in a panic.

--Shooting stars fly across my head, as a sharp pain shoots through my leg up to my pelvis.

Again, I feel my heart explode with anxiety and fear. Trying to calm myself down from fearing the worst, I attempt to look myself over to see where I got hit--no blood. That’s when another pain hits me, this time in the shoulder, but it’s not a bullet. I finally look up to see a young girl--way too young to be here--trying to scramble on top of me and run for her life.

--This is my chance! Amidst the chaos, if I could just find a different exit, I’m free!

With all my might I begin to focus. “I have to look for the best way. Going with the crowd can end up turning into a massacre!” While orienting myself, I pull away from the struggling young girl, she falls behind me as I roll away under a nearby table. From there I have a small bit of cover and a good area to check out the club. I can somewhat see it.

Now from where I am facing is the entrance--turned to emergency exit-- that people are attempting to reach. There are three large sections of seating and tables between the entrance and my hiding spot. A circular bar, now filled with broken glass from bottles of alcohol is to the right of me. Behind me is an opening into a hallway where the restrooms are just about two tables down.

“I was in there earlier with Tesha, and there were windows in there. But maybe too small for me.” I look down at my body and curse for the umpteenth time that day. “You are always getting the way.”

--But not today.

If I can Break out all of the glass, I can get make it big enough that I can get through. Surely I'll be able to get through and get the police here quick before this shit gets any worse.

Now I definitely wish I hadn’t thought that. Thinking back on the situation, everything that had already happened that day, why did I think it couldn’t get any worse. Right as I turn to crawl under the tables to get to the hallway, bullets begin to rain down on the young people trying to escape. The screams were horrendous.

--It was like time froze and I could hear everything still! I could hear people pleading, and crying, and calling out to God, to anything or anyone for help.

I felt it hot and swift, bile erupted from my mouth onto the floor, leaving my mouth feeling numb. I couldn't taste anything, could barely feel anything, but the desire to get out. “How did I get into the bathroom?”

The brief thought left my mind immediately. Everything at that point was a blur. I was in full panic mode again, except this time I could move. I could still hear the screams as the blood rushed through my head. Heartbeat ringing in my ears, matching my insistent banging on the window glass, as I tried to demolish it with all of my strength.

--Tesha! Where is she? Is she hidden? That young girl! Tell me she didn’t try to go through with those other unfortunate people! Police! Once I get the police here it will be okay!

“Are you planning on leaving your bottom half here?”

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“Are you planning on leaving your bottom half here?”

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“Are you planning on leaving your bottom half here?”

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“ ‘Cause all of you ain’t leaving.”