White Space Season 1

to Manny and Katie, the three of them exchanging quiet confusion. Milo then looked over to Jessica, who was staring back with the same bewildered and nervous expression.
    Mr. Heller turned from the whiteboard, finally meeting the eyes of the classroom. His face was clammy, and his eyes were bloodshot. His hands were shaking as he turned his head back and forth, as if he were counting students… or searching for someone.
    He looked down at his desk again, then opened his briefcase with a loud snapping sound. He stared into the briefcase for what seemed an eternity, as Milo, and probably the entire class, wondered what he was looking at. Had the class done so poorly on their reports the previous week that Heller couldn’t bring himself to pick up the stack of graded papers?
    Mr. Heller reached into the briefcase and pulled out a pistol.
    Time stopped for Milo, even as a million things seemed to happen around him at once.
    First, Manny laughed, like Mr. Heller was going to show them a cool trick or joke or something using the gun as a prop. Or perhaps it was the nervous laugh of a brain which hadn’t quite registered the threat. But someone else, Amber Riley, screamed. Several students gasped.
    Mr. Heller aimed the gun and fired, shooting Tommy Hopkins, the school’s star rower, right in the face. The gunfire was thunder in the enclosed classroom, like an explosion in Milo’s ears as Tommy fell to the ground.
    Chaos erupted as Mr. Heller turned, as calm as a man choosing his doughnuts from behind the glass, and fired another shot, then another, barely audible over the high-pitched ringing between Milo’s temples. One shot missed one of the students and sailed through the wall into the next classroom. Milo heard muffled screams from next door. Had the bullet hit someone, or were they screaming in response to the sound of gunshots?
    Students scrambled in every direction but with one destination in mind — out of the classroom. Milo remained rooted to his desk, unable to think straight, much less move. And then something caught his attention. Jessica was running toward him, eyes and mouth wide open. He had to get up and protect her.
    But he was too late. Milo’s eyes shifted from Jessica to just over her left shoulder, where Mr. Heller’s blurred figure came into crystal-clear focus, gun aimed directly at Jessica.
    No!
    Milo opened his mouth to warn her, but his speech was cut short by the thunder of another gunshot which sent Jessica forward, and straight into him. Milo, Jessica, and his desk tumbled in a painful collision of flesh, wood, metal, and carpet.
    And blood, spreading across the front of Jessica’s powder blue sweater.
    Jessica stared up at him, scared and searching for a reason. She said something, but her voice was muffled as if he were hearing it through a wall of cotton. He pulled her to him, as though he could protect her from more bullets.
    The gunshots stopped, and the only sound was the whistling in Milo’s ears.
    Milo turned his head and saw another victim of Mr. Heller’s gun — Manny lying in a river of blood. He appeared to have been shot in the stomach. His eyes were glassy, but he wasn’t dead. Yet. He was staring back at Milo, eyes pleading for help.
    Just as Milo wondered where Mr. Heller had gone in all the madness, the teacher appeared, walking toward them, gun drawn in his shaky hand.
    Milo wanted to get up, knock the gun away, or do something. But he was still paralyzed on the spot, afraid that he’d do the wrong thing and get himself or his friends killed. He looked down to see Jessica’s blood seeping into his shirt and jeans. Her eyes were closing, and he prayed that Mr. Heller would keep walking out of the class and past them, so he could save his friends, even if he had no idea how he intended to do so.
    Mr. Heller paused, looking at Manny with hollow eyes, and his expression drifted from nervous to one of bottomless sorrow. He kneeled beside the boy, face almost apologetic. Manny began to tremble, unable to move as Mr. Heller leaned down and said something to him.
    Milo couldn’t hear what Mr. Heller said, or read his lips. But whatever he said, seemed to remove the fear in Manny’s eyes.
    Milo’s mind was suddenly focused on the acrid scent of piss, though he wasn’t sure if it was Manny, Jessica, Mr. Heller, or himself who had lost control.
    Mr. Heller turned to Milo and held his eyes.
    Milo winced, preparing for death.
    Why is he doing this? Why is he going to