Peace Part 1

It was way past midnight and the stars were glowing bright above us. They reminded me of the cardboard spaceships Tiara and I used to build when we were little. We’d steal a box from her garage, poke holes in it, and lie inside, pretending to fly through a sky full of stars. But childhood slips away like water through fingers. One day, you do something for the last time and don’t even know it. You don’t realize when you build your last sandcastle or wake your mum up in the night because of a nightmare for the very last time.A soft tap on my shoulder brought me back. “Jane…“Yeah?”“What do you think this school year’s gonna be like?”“I dunno. It’s just another chapter.”“You’re such a philosopher,” Tiara smiled. I didn’t answer, just smiled into the night.The next morning, the truck we’d been lying on was parked silently in our backyard. Tiara must’ve left around three. Her house was only a few blocks away, but I had always preferred hers over mine. Hers held memories.We’d been close since kindergarten. She was the one who approached me. And now, even though time had passed, that connection felt strong. But things were changing.I was still thinking about her when my phone buzzed. It was Chloe. My sister. She’d just turned twenty and invited me to go shopping. That almost never happened. I grabbed my stuff and ran outside—she was already waiting in her new car.She grinned. “Nice car, huh?”“Yeah, sure,” I said, colder than I meant to. I guess I missed her old one.On the way, I scrolled through the news. There were reports of terrorist attacks at malls nearby. I didn’t think too much about it. Just felt bad for the victims.Soon after, we arrived at the mall. I was excited. I found some clothes, a little flower hair clip for Tiara. She loves flowers, always has. No clue why. I was thinking of giving it to her, when—BANG.My heart skipped a beat.That was a gunshot. Then another. Screams. Crying. Chaos.My sister looked frozen in fear.I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Cold sweat.Chloe grabbed my hand. We ran.I didn’t look back. Just ran. Until I trippedI tried to get up, but everything blurred. I was shaking all over. I thought I was going to die. That someone would shoot me right there. But they didn’t. I got up, ran again—Then my head hit something.Darkness.I woke up in a hospital bed. My mum sat beside me, swollen red eyes“Honey,” she said softly. “Your sister… she’s dead.No.

No.

She’s not.

But she was.

And I screamed until my throat went dry. Until there was nothing left to scream.