Taking Contol

• Deahn Joyce, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2018

I couldn’t stop worrying. I stayed awake for 2 hours trying to distract myself. Before I left for college that day, I turned on the television to the news channel and got my books out to study for the test we had. I was casually studying about agriculture when an interesting story came up on the tv. A gang was on the streets and they’d already killed 9 people. I had only one choice. I left to go to class and I ran in case that gang jumped me. Jadrian was hiding something big, because we’d been together for 2 years and he’d never left the apartment late at night or acted suspicious until now. I couldn’t find him anywhere on the way to class.
I arrived in class and we did the test. “Agriculture and Forestry.” I hated this subject. Despite my hatred toward this subject, I started taking the test and, 5 minutes in, Professor Elkerton left the room to get more whiteboard markers. 15 minutes after he left, I had finished my test and looked around the class. Everyone else was finished, too. Andre and Leilani started to talk and somehow everyone started talking about the Professor. He hadn’t come back for 20 minutes when I realised something was wrong. I walked towards Elkerton’s desk to hand in my test when the door burst open and 5 guys with bandannas came into view.
I stood where I was, too much in shock to move a step. The leader ordered one of the other guys to get me. I started to shake and panic as he held a gun against my neck. He whispered to me that if I talked or moved, I would die. I really didn’t want to die so I kept my mouth shut. At what felt like a million beady eyes staring at me, I had to get out of there. The guy still had the gun to my neck and started forcing me to walk outside to the empty car park. He told me to stop at a pole and I did as he said. He took the gun away from my neck and I instantly felt a wave of relief wash over me. He tied me to the pole and started taking off his bandanna from his mouth. He started talking to me about explaining everything to me and how he was sorry. Why would he be sorry and wanting to explain everything when we didn’t know each other?
Suddenly I knew what he was talking about. He took off his bandanna and stared at me.
It was Jadrian.