[What does Memory Lane look like? How do you get there?]

“Line up against that wall.” Gertrude pointed at the back of the classroom with her gun. “Backs facing me, hands on your head.”

I noticed that her face and mannerisms were eerily calm and controlled as she held the pistol. No shaking in her hands at all.

“Oh, shut up. You all bitch and rave like you’ll die if you don’t annoy everyone in class every other day. Where’s that attitude you had yesterday when the substitute asked you to be quiet? Why aren’t you so fearless now?”

The boys and girls Gertrude singled out to stand against the wall all shook and cried, none of them able to keep their composure. It was rather pathetic, really. They all had that “tough guy” personality that had them talking loudly in class and being rude to anyone that wasn’t their friend or agreed with them on everything. But, when it came down to it, they were just losers acting cool with no regard for other people. If I was as stupid as Gertrude, I’d have also relished in killing them, and many more. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to watch Gertrude take the fall by doing it herself.

“Keep crying or I’ll shoot.”

Immediately, the panicked atmosphere grew heavier as the kids along the wall attempted to force themselves to stop crying. Well, “kids” isn’t the right word. We were all seniors in high school, so they were at least seventeen, most of them eighteen. Thus, it was inexcusable that they acted like such brats.

BANG

A bullet blew up the head of one of the girls. She deserved it. The gossip she spread in the locker room was always insidious.

Like rats, the students jumped at the gunshot. Most cowered in fear, but a few made a dash for the door while one jumped at Gertrude.

All died within seconds. Who knew she was so good of a shot? Though, I wasn’t happy about the blood that splattered all over my desk.

Besides the half of the class still in their seats, the students resumed their crying and resigned themselves to their fate.

“Alright then. It’s better this way.” She finished them off.

When she was done with her business, Gertrude lowered her head and sighed. She didn’t look sad or anything—Hell, she looked satisfied with her actions—but her sigh was long, as though she regretted what she’d done. Though, I doubted it.

“If I’m going to Hell, I might as well take as many as I can.”

No, she didn’t what she’d done, she regretted what she decided to do from there.

I watched as Gertrude raised her pistol toward an innocent classmate—a quiet boy whose only sin was probably spending too much time with his nose in a book—and began to take action. Letting her kill shitty people was fine, but innocent ones? No way.

Luck was on my side, as she stood within two meters of my desk. Perfect.

“HIYAH!” I yelled, accelerating my heavy desk into the air in her direction. Gertrude went down before her finger pulled the trigger, causing the bullet to hit the ceiling. Fast as I could, I lifted someone else’s desk and chucked it at her as well, further disorienting her mounting the pressure.

“EVERYONE, RUN!” I screamed, trying to make my voice as low and commanding as possible. Having such a cute voice, it wasn’t easy.

My frightened classmates and teacher hesitated no longer, bolting for the door. The teacher even tried pulling me along to safety. Where was her bravado a minute ago?

“Nah, I’ll stay here to make sure she doesn’t hurt anyone else.” I said, coolly shaking the teacher’s hand off my arm.

When they left, besides the stomping of shoes on the floor as my peers fled, all I heard was Gertrude yelling from beneath the two desks.

“Let’s make that three.” I mocked, throwing another on her. Then another, and another.

In the end, all the desks in the classroom surrounded the whimpering Gertrude and I could hear the police on their way.

“Serves you right. I wouldn’t have had to hurt you had you just left after killing those losers.” I uselessly motioned towards the corpses against the wall as if Gertrude could see me.

“Anyway, it’s about time I go.” I bent down in front of the huge pile of desks, my lungs working hard to replenish the energy I had used from throwing the tables. “Bye, bye.”

Yet, fate another plan, because as I crouched in front of the pile of desks, I noticed a shimmer of light reflect off of something black.

“Oh, no.” I thought to myself as I tried jumping out of the way of Gertrude’s view.

BANG

I’d managed to not get shot in the face, but the bullet still hit my breasts, almost exploding out of my back.

I could do nothing but wallow in agony as I lost control of my body and slumped forward face first.

“Bitch…” My last word toward Gertrude.