Veronica Erin Braunstein lived a typical life, she had graduated college and took up masters degree in teaching education. She was smart, a bit timid, and had a small stature for a 19 year old woman but she figured it might had to do with her Asian genes. As a Asian-American, she had strived harder in a foriegn land and hope to repay her parents kindness. She lived in the country side for 19 years and only moved away to sought for a job, now she has been living in B city as a preschool teacher for a year.

In B city, she settled in a studio type apartment in a lively neighborhood. With her salary and thrifty personality, she didn't have a problem with living independently.

She was just playing with the children in the day care on one sunny afternoon, the children from other grades level were on a field trip to the Aquarium. Only her own class were left and were waiting for their guardian or parents to pick them up.

"Oh how precious, look at them! they're such a cutie " Janet smiled and I turned to her way, she was another preschool teacher just like Veronica.

"You're so lucky Vee, your babies are such sweet angels" She claps her hand and it looked like there were sparkles around her as she let's out a sound full of awe before her expression changed drastically.

"Unlike mine, their such a bunch of lil demons " Janet jokingly says and Veronica raises her brow, she laughs slightly and shakes her head in disapproval.

"Could you not say such words in front of my students? If they learn anymore intersting words from you then I might get fired " Veronica jokingly says. She saw Janet leaned her arm on the wall ans tilts her head as she smirks.

"We both know it be ME and not YOU, whose gonna get IT if that happens " Janet then leans away and starts to walk back to work.

" It's almost 4 pm! Gotta go check at my herd of sheep, how about we go have a drink after work? " She suggested with a large smile on her face.

Veronica thought for a moment, she didn't mind the idea, so she nodded.

Her workplace was a private academy, they don't only teach preschool level but also to from 1st to 3rd grade level, where children from rich and powerful family's were enrolled. She works everyday and even on weekends she would prepare material to make her class enjoyable for the kids, it would be a lie to say she isn't tired from everyday work.

As much as she loved them, there were times she wanted to be the one crying when she looks at her students in tears and are fighting.

She usually doesn't consume alcohol, maybe during special events where she needs to match the cheerful atmosphere with her friends.

Veronica thinks of how she didn't had the time to go out the past weekends and thought, it wasn't a bad idea to go out and have fun.

She looked at the children playing around the backyard garden while she stood near the hallway where she could see other teachers were walking, she was about to head towards one of her students when she heard a loud sound of gunshots that rang within the halls of the building.

She froze, her eyes wide as she stood still, processing what she just had heard.

BANG!

Another sound of a gunshot was made. It sounded so close that she had thought a gun was next to her ear.

She was stunned at one moment, then her heart started beating fast as she realized what was going on. Her class of small students had looked confused and stopped what they were doing. Veronica could only look back to the teacher that was walking on the hallway a minute ago and was now lying on the ground and bleeding.

Janet laid there, unmoving.

Veronica thoughts were jumbled, she had to make a decision.

She could hear the other teachers and employee had walk out to other buildings and tried to see what was going on. 2 janitors and 3 male teachers had arrived from the other side of the hallways, they looked confused and agitated as they saw a body on the floor.

Veronic didn't had the time to warned them when they rushed to Janet's side and Veronica heard the voices of unknown men ordering the staff to get down.

Veronica had to leave her fellow staff and choose to protect the innocent children.

She silently prayed that Janet was still breathing but the sound of two gunshot made her hands cold and her feet run so fast towards the students.

"Miss? what's goin on? "

"That was scary! "

"Did something fall inside? "

The children asked with wide eyes, her heart squeeze seeing the emotions their eyes.

Fear and confusion.

"It's nothing " She then put her pointer finger near her lips, gesturing them to hush. She smiled but it was slightly off, she couldn't contain how she also had find their situation dangerous and terrifying.

" M-Miss Janet said we are playing Hide and Seek today " She tried to cover the tremor of her voices, her tone light as she spoke but her hands were quick to carry the youngest of the fifteen children.

When she mentioned the game, their emotions shifted positively.

"Miss Janet is the seeker, quick! Let's hide from her " Veronica lightly push the children, she can't waste anymore time standing in the middle of the backyard like a bunch of siting ducks and hurriedly they run to the other side of the building.

" Let's be as quiet as a mouse! Or miss Janet will find us all! "She instructed as she closed and locked the door when they entered, adrenaline rushing in her system. She grabs her phone and dialled the emergency number, praying for them to pick up.

She lead the children to the hallway that they hadn't been before and it made the children more excited. They passed the janitors room and archived room and teacher restroom, she just then realized that the building was empty.

She didn't mind it as she was worried about finding a place to hide.

Veronica rushed them the lower floor, where the basement was located and grab the door, she had heard another gunshot.

The children had froze and some even let out a shout, Veronica hushed them gently, trying to calm them down.

She was thankful that it was unlocked and the door opened. It revealed a dark room and was full of furniture and boxes filled with paper. The children didn't want to enter at first but Veronica found the light switch on the side and she leads them inside to hide, the call had finally connected.

" 911. What's your emergency? " The operator was a woman and had calmly asked her in a serious tone.

Veronica had let the youngest down from her arms and focused on closing the door, then she had looked around to block the way. She tried to think straight and calmed her nerves first, panicking wouldn't help them in this situation.

" Please send the police! I'm calling from Carters Academy and there's a shooter in our building and-- and there's person bleeding--and maybe also another had been injured. There are more than one person who had threatened the staff and students, I am with my class and were hiding. The basement, please find us in the basement " She tried to stop her trembling hands when she finished pushing small furnitures to block the door from opening.

She had told the operator in a hush voice in order to keep her students from knowing what was happening. There was a sound of keyboard typing on the the other end of the call.

" I understand ma'am, can you state what your name is? " the operator asked.

Is that really important right now??!

She screams internally, not having the courage to let the person on the other line hear her go off.

" Veronica Erin Braunstein, I'm a preschool teacher here at Carters Academy-- When will the police arrive uhm. Maam? " she looks around and found the AC behind a steel shelf filled with old teaching materials.

She tried to sound calm and the operator silently applauds on how fast she her mind work in this situation.

" we've already have authorities dispatched towards your direction, what you need to do right now is stay there-- in the basement-- don't"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Two gunshot could be heard and it was neatby, Veronica's eyes were wide, she had looked up to the ceiling.

Above. They're coming towards them.

The person on the other line couldn't continue for a moment, her co-workers even got startled as they hear such loud sound coming from her headphones.

" Miss Braunstein, listen carefully, the authorities will arrive as soon as they can to help. For now, please cut off any light or machine that could lead them to your location, " Veronica hurriedly shut the lights off and then the AC, she turns on her phones flashlight, she quickly guides the children away from the door and into the corner, the children were getting scared and she could see they were close to bawling their eyes out.