I have difficulty remembering what happened the days and moments prior to the incident, but as far as what really happened, it seems like it was just yesterday.
I was sitting on my top bunk as Sarah came running into the room. I did not understand what was going on. At the other end of the room a man stood in the door and nicely told us to get down on the floor. Of course, I would think, nice friendly man, he was there to help us and protect us, but then I saw the gun in his hand. I heard it click as he cocked it.
I was on the ground between the bunk beds, Caroline was laying on top of me so I felt safe. I honestly do not remember much, but what I do remember is this…
My heart was beating out of my chest. I thought I was going to die. I prayed instictively in the panic of it all. I remember hearing him ask for a few things. I was not going to move, let alone say a word. I heard the unzipping of backpacks as he went around the room and the bustling noise as he frantically moved things. My body continued to tremble when the man in the royal blue shirt demanded us to give him our cell phones. Shoot! We did not have any, the people with cell phones were all in the other room. They told him we did not have a cell phone and he was livid. This is the one of the two moments I even opened my eyes to see what was happening. With the gun pointed at the group, he said, “Well if you do not have cell phones then I must shoot someone. I must kill someone!” My eyes closed immediately as people begged “No! Please don’t!” My heart was out of my chest, my lips moved faster than ever as I prayed, my body shaking like crazy! I tried to block out all the sound and just focus on Jesus.
He then asked Caroline to move and originally I thought he was going to take her outside to kill her and soon to find she jus had to move over in the center so he could see her. They called out to me a few times, so they say, for me to move over. I did not realize it until Teagan tapped me telling me I had to move over too. This was the second and last time I opened my eyes. When I moved next to Teags, my eyes met with one of the robbers. I felt exposed. I saw the gun. My face was white thinking this was going to be my last moment. A second had felt like an hour. I know now he saw pure fear, and quite possibly his evil spirit met face to face with the spirit of God. He held his gun tight and I heard him say to me, “Just don’t move. Sleep! I will not kill you!” But, oh I still trembled and feared for the lives of both myself and those around me. That moment lasted forever!
