English 9 Acc
Mrs. Green
1/23/13
Sandy Hook
(Told from the point of view of a child)

As we sat outside in the parking lot, I felt confused. My parents had not yet arrived. I was scared that they wouldn’t. Everyone else’s parents came in speeding cars, yelling and crying. I watched as several parents fell to the ground looking like they had just lost everything they'd ever owned. All I could do was watch and wait. The day had been a strange one. Nothing that I could've ever expected. All I could think was, "Something feels wrong."
The day started as my normal school day always does. I woke up, brushed my teeth, got dressed and prepared to leave for school. I have been going to Sandy Hook for four years and I am in third grade. As my mom drove to school I sat quietly in the back seat. We pulled up to the school and my mom walked me in. As I said hello to Principal Hochsprung, she kindly walked me to my locker. I emptied out my backpack and got my folder ready for class. Then, I turned in my homework that I had done last night to my teacher. My teacher's name was Ms. Soto. She was very kind and she always smiled. She was my favorite teacher at Sandy Hook.
Later, I heard something that sounded like the banging of lockers. It was really hard to describe because I had never experienced it so close before. I heard distant yelling and my class got quiet. Ms. Soto quickly looked at the small window in the center of the door. She looked frightened, but I didn't know what to think or do. Most of the class sat quietly, but a few kids were giggling in the back. I suddenly got a strange feeling in my stomach. The quiet combined with the look on my teacher’s face frightened me in a way that I can't describe.

"Bang!" I heard it again. This time a couple girls in the back began to cry. My teacher shut off the lights. She shuffled to the back of the room and whispered to the girls, trying to quiet them. Then, she came to the front of the class and asked everyone to be quiet.

The sound came again, this time more rapidly. It went on for a while and the noises of yelling seemed closer. Whatever the noise was, it was coming closer. My teacher looked sadder than I had ever seen her. The smiling and kind woman I knew, seemed scared beyond belief. I felt as if I was going to throw up but I didn't let anyone know. I wanted to stay tough because my teacher looked so sad. The feeling in my stomach worsened as the blood looked to be draining from my teacher's face.
As the sounds got even nearer, I recognized them. They sounded like the guns that the bad guys used in the movies. I also thought of the guns that the police used to stop those same bad guys. It had to be a gun. I then realized why everyone was screaming, and why my teacher looked so terrified.....
My curiosity took over and I asked my teacher what was going on. She told me, in a soft voice, that there was a bad man in the school. She said not to worry.
Time went by and my teacher began to look more frightened . I could tell the "bad man" was getting closer and was probably in the room next to us. The other kids didn't know, but I did. I think my teacher knew also.
Suddenly my teacher sprang up. She told all of us to get into the closet behind her desk. I felt very uncomfortable. As Ms. Soto ushered us into the closet, she urged us to stay quiet. As she shut the door, she failed to close it the full way. Realizing that she probably wanted the door closed, I stood up to do it. The other kids didn't speak as I made my way towards the door. I grabbed the handle, but I didn't close the door. Something made me stay still.

I heard the door open, but all I could see was Ms. Soto. A man yelled, "Where are the kids?"
Ms. Soto replied, sobbing "They're in the gym."
Then I heard the bang from the gun. Ms. Soto fell down and I shut the door. He was gone before we could move. I fell back and sat with my classmates. I was in shock. I didn't move and I didn't speak.
We sat quietly for what seemed to be years. Finally the door burst open, and I saw a fireman and a couple policemen. Ms. Soto was no longer on the floor. I don't know what happened to her or where she went.
We walked in a line, just like any drill. But, I knew this wasn't a drill. We walked out into
the parking lot to the sight of an army of parents. Kids ran out of the line crying and jumped into their parent's arms. As we sat outside in the parking lot, I felt confused.
My parents had not yet arrived. I was scared that they wouldn’t. Everyone else’s parents came in speeding cars, yelling and crying. I watched as several parents fell to the floor looking like they had just lost everything they'd ever owned. All I could do was watch and wait.
The day had been a strange one. Nothing that I could've ever expected.
All I could think was, "Something feels wrong." My mom arrived in the same car she had dropped me off in. I had stayed so quiet all day and I couldn't do it anymore. As my mom ran out of her car crying, she spotted me . I ran to her and suddenly I began to cry. I don't know why I began to cry. It may have been because of the bad man or maybe I was just sick. I am still confused. I don’t know what happened or why it happened, but I want to forget it.
I haven't seen Ms. Soto since then.