12.14.12
“Bye Mom! I love you!” I shut the door to the grey volvo, and ran up to the big brick school. I saw one of my friends walking into the school. I only could see her from behind but I knew it was her because of her movie “Frozen” backpack. I called to her, “Jane!!” She quickly turned around, and gave me a big warm smile. She hollered back, “Hi,Cas!” Jane and I met in Kindergarten when we were only five years old! When I first met Jane, I was sitting at a table alone during lunch. She saw me all alone and immediately rushed to my side and gave me a tap on the back, asking me “are you okay?” I replied, “yeah just a little lonely, want to sit with me?” She sat down in the seat across me. She told me, “my names Jane, want to be friends?” Of course I said yes. We have been very good friends ever since. Jane is always the person I can go to if i’m down about something or upset. She always cheers me up with a big smile that stretches from ear to ear. I caught up with her and we walked through the double doors where everyone enters the school to get to their classrooms. I hung my backpack up on its hook, and walked into my classroom. “Good morning Ms.Soto!” I greeted my teacher and sat down at my table. Our class sat in table groups. At my table was Jake, Alice, Benjamin, Caroline, and I. Most of them just talked quietly about Barbie or Hotwheels, but the others just read in the book corner. I was one of the kids who likes to read. I read two years ahead of my level so I can read short but perfect chapter books. The book I am reading is called “Jumanji.” It is a story about these two kids who get stuck in a scary board game that has tough challenges. Ms.Soto rang the bell, that means that everyone has to gather on the big alphabet rug to do attendance and read our schedule. Our first class of the day was gym. Ms.Soto lined everyone up into a single file line to walk down to the gymnasium. Everyday, we have a line leader, who gets to go to the front of the line to lead the class. Yesterday’s line leader was a girl, so today, it had to be a boy. Ms.Soto asked the boys to quietly raise a hand if they would like to be the line leader. She chose Kyle, a very smart and funny boy who I had a crush on. Kyle lead us down the two hallways to the gymnasium. Mr.Coakley was waiting by the door for us. He greeted us and high-fived all of us. We lined up against the blue and red mat wall and started doing our exercises. “Today, we are playing a fun game of freeze tag!” Mr.Coakley announced. The entire room burst into cheers and everyone was super excited. The song started, it was “Let it Go” from Frozen! That was everyone’s favorite. Mr.Coakley had the entire soundtrack from Frozen. Everyone always had a great time in gym class.
Time flew by like a racehorse and gym was over. Kyle, still the line leader, walked us back to Ms.Soto’s classroom. Our next class was Math. Math is my favorite because I am very good at it. Ms.Soto was writing up our morning questions when all of a sudden, the intercom buzzed in. We listened quietly to the main office. “Put the gun down! Put the gun down!!” My blood ran cold. Ms.Soto replied. “Hello?” We heard dead silence, and then we heard a huge “BANG! POW!” It was the sound of a gun.
Ms.Soto announced, “Kids, don’t worry okay? I’ll be right back.” She quietly walked out the door and peaked around the corner to the main office. Ten feet away, was a tall man, dressed in all black, a pair of yellow sunglasses, pointing a gun right at the principal. The ladies who work at the office were telling the man with the gun, “Don’t hurt him, please don’t shoot.”
The gunman was holding the principal in a headlock, with the gun pointed at the side of his bald head.
“Another word and you're dead.”
The intercom was still on. “Everyone please go into lockdown. Everyone into lockdown.”
Ms.Soto rush back to the classroom.
“Kids, do not panic, but we need to hide okay? Half of you in the closets, and half of you in the bathroom.” Everyone was pushing their way into a hiding spot to try and survive. Ms.Soto walked out into the hallway and saw two little boys bringing the attendance down to the office. She grabbed both of them and pulled them into her classroom. She put them in the closet with the other ten kids, and then bolted out the door. She looked into the little window in the classroom next to her room. The teacher was hiding her kids in the closet and under her desk.
Ms.Soto ran back into her room, and didn’t see any kids, they were all hiding. She heard footsteps coming down the hall. It could only be one person, the gunman. She bolted into the bathroom, crammed into the little space that was left with the other children, and locked the door.
The only thing that I was thinking of was I am going to die. Kyle was next to me in the closet. I looked at him, and he looked at me.
“It’s going to be alright.” He told me in a kind, quiet voice.
Our classroom door was shut, but not locked. I heard it open a crack. Then, I heard footsteps. They were getting closer, and closer and closer, and then a pause.
“BANG POW!” It was the gun. I jumped from the ear piercing sound.
Kyle peaked through the little crack in the doorway. There was nobody there. He quietly opened the door. Still nobody there. It must have been safe to go out. Kyle and I quietly opened the door and stepped out of the dark, congested closet. Caroline went over to the bathroom door and told everyone to come out. Kid after kid came pouring out of the tiny space in the bathroom.
I looked out the classroom doorway. It wasn’t safe to come out. There was a man, across the hall, dressed in all black, with a gun. He turned around. I was frozen in shock. I was face to face with death. Ms.Soto ran in front of me and pushed me in back of her.
“Please don’t shoot. These are innocent, young children.” Ms.Soto said in a shaky voice.
“Another word and you're dead.” The man said in a harsh voice.
“Please, I beg you.” Ms.Soto told him.
And that was it. The sound of the trigger being pulled. Then, the shot. Ms.Soto collapsed onto the floor, blood oozing out of her head.
I fell to the ground, right next to Ms.Soto, trying to duck from the flying bullets. Kyle ran over to both of them, shaking, trying to wake either of them up. A tear ran down his cheek.
“You monster!” Kyle screamed at the gunman, tears running down his face.The man shot several more times, hitting four more students. He ran off down the hallway.
I bolted up when the man was gone. Kyle was sitting right next to me. I sat up, and looked around. All I saw was blood, shards of glass, and dead bodies of my fellow friends, peers, and teachers. A tear ran down my cheek. This world is a cruel place. I saw the dead bodies of Ms.Soto, Caroline, Benjamin, Dylan, and Madeleine. I was shaking, I just saw all of my friends get shot.
The sound of sirens started getting closer. Within five minutes, I saw police officers running by. Three of them ran into my room, giving CPR to the people who were shot. None of them had a pulse. They were dead, and that was it.
Four EMT’s ran into the classroom door. They dove onto the ground, rushing to the kids and adults who were shot. All I was thinking was that they are not alive, they are gone, and we can’t do anything about it.
I was also thinking of Jane. Was she hurt? Is she okay? She is my best friend. We have done everything together. What would I do without her?
The EMT’s looked at each other. They didn’t need to say a thing. They all knew. They are gone. We couldn’t save them.
The two women EMT’s looked up at the remaining students. Everyone was still processing what had just happened.
“Kids,” The EMT’s began. “I’m so sorry about what you just went through. We are going to go outside and find your family or friends. I’m sorry but, if these were any of your friends,” They stopped. “Just, everyone line up.” They finally got the words out, in a quiet, sad voice.
The sight was horrific. blood, glass, and bullets were on the ground of the hallway. Luckily for us, the two double doors going out to the front of the school, were right next to our classroom.
I ran outside. It hit me, I just saw half of my friends and teachers get shot. When I ran outside, all I heard were the sirens of police cars, firetrucks, and ambulances. I looked around and saw black dots everywhere. I felt super dizzy and panicked. After a minute of blackness, I became worried.
I didn’t see my parents anywhere. I ran around the parking lot, franticly looking for my mom, dad, and my little brother. I turned around and saw a woman with brown hair, green shirt, and khaki pants. It was my mom.
I screamed, “MOM!!” I jumped into her arms, bawling my eyes out, and gave her a huge hug. I closed my eyes, still hugging her, then I felt like I was safe, in my mother’s arms, as if it was a normal day at home. I looked up at her, she had tears running down her face. She asked me, “Honey, are you okay? I was worried sick!” I replied in a sad voice, “Well, I just saw all my friends and teachers get shot, blood everywhere, and a man standing ten feet away from me with a gun, but other than that, I guess so.”
She looked at me and told me in a choked up voice, “I love you.”

the day after:
I hadn’t slept all night, having nightmares of what had happened the day before. I laid awake in my zebra print bedspread, looking to see a tall man dressed in black, pointing a gun at me.
The first thing I did in the morning was call Jane. I hadn’t gotten any news, and hadn’t talked to her the morning of the accident.
“Ringggg, ringggg.” Second ring. third ring.
It stopped ringing.
“Hello?” It was the voice of a older women. She sounded exhausted. I replied in a quiet voice, “Hi Mrs.Marin, its Cas. Is Jane there?”
“Hi Cas! How are you? Jane is upstairs in bed. She hasn’t slept all night because of you know what…I will call her down, it will be a moment.”
I waited about ten seconds. Jane picked up the phone.
“Hello?” Jane sounded like she had just woken up.
“Oh my goodness! Jane!! I didn’t know if you were okay or not!! How are you? I haven’t slept all night! I’m exhausted.”
“Same here. Listen I have to go, I have to go out to the food store. I’m afraid to leave my house Cas, I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s okay, you have me and I have you. That’s what best friends are for. We’ll get through it, together” I told her in a calm voice.
“Thanks Cas. Talk later okay?”
The call ended. I was relieved. But, on the other hand, I was worried. I don’t know how I am ever going to get over this. It was a horrifying thing that no seven year old should go through.
I walked into my living room, and saw my little brother pounding on the ground.
“Thomas, what are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m killing the man who shot all my friends. BANG BANG BANG! There, now you don’t need to worry.”

2 MONTHS LATER

These last two months have been the toughest time in my life. Jane and I are still best friends and have continued to go to each other for support. I started going to a counselor who has guided me through my way to a “normal” life. Thomas has still been beating the ground, but if he continues to worry and “kill” the man, he will start going to a counselor with me. The Sandy Hook School has been torn down because of the history behind it.
My family and I are going to the funeral and memorial for the victims. In, all, 26 people were killed. Six of them were teachers, and twenty of them were students. We first are going to the funeral at a church down the street. We arrived to the tall wood building. As we walked through the old doors, a sign was propped against an easel. It read, “To the six teachers and twenty students, may you forever rest in peace. Heaven has gain 26 more angels. Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel Davino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana M. Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley,
Dawn Hochsprung, Madeleine F. Hsu, Catherine V. Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison N. Wyatt.”
Tears filled my eyes. These are all of the children that i have grown up with. These are some of my greatest memories, and now, they are gone.
After the funeral had ended, I basically looked like a strawberry because I was crying the whole time. We were on our way to the memorial service. My mom turned back to me and said,
“Honey I am so sorry that you have to go through this.”
  We pulled up to the “what used to be” our school. It was completely gone.Our community had built us a memorial which was a small school playground, and they named it after our principal.
Hundreds of people gathered to the playground. It was covered in pictures, candles, stuffed animals, and cards. It was silent. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. It was peaceful. The parents of the victims each brought a balloon, and inside, they wrote a small letter to their child. In total, there were twenty six balloons.
All at once, the balloons were released into the air, floating into the sky.
It was a moment in my life that I will never forget.
This horrific tragedy was a very tough time in my life. This world can be cruel. There are the good people and the bad people. What ever happened to peace on Earth? Together, as a whole entire world, we got through this. We stayed strong. We didn’t give up. This one of the many challenges that I have faced, and there are many more to come. I will never forget, for as long as I live, December 14, 2012, the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting.