Run, Hide, Fight
3 words, 3 commands
It was not the first-time shots fired notifications had come through the alert system. It was the first time this had happened on campus. Seeing the words “Shelter in place immediately. Run, Hide, Fight" made my stomach drop. My friends and I knew something was up. What started as a fairly normal Monday would change the course of our lives. At first, we tried to resume our game of euchre with the shades drawn. And then the reality sunk in. I was hit with emotions. I remembered how scared I was in lockdown fearing for my friends at Oxford. When we heard the mention of Emmons are hearts skipped a beat. Emmons was close. Doors were barricaded and any remaining lights went off. We listened, and we laughed. We tried to make jokes to keep ourselves preoccupied from the fear. We fell silent at the mention of Bryan Hall, that's where we were. We heard the police but knew to stay silent from our countless drills. We were exhausted when the all clear came 4 hours later. We fell asleep atop the cards from our discarded euchre game. The bathroom and everything else could wait till morning.
The reality of the event didn't set in until I was home. I sat on the couch Wednesday, in MSU pajama pants, watching the vigil thinking about how last Friday I was wearing the same pants in Berkey Hall. Last Friday, I sat in Berkey Hall texting my family about voles and looking at internships. And on Monday others sat in Berkey Hall, texting their family that they loved them.
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