Released

Grace Bowler

A Spring Festival Story

25 March 2021

Released

Alana kissed the top of Hayley’s head, smiling softly. Her sister stirred a little but didn’t wake up. Her curls fell in her flushed face, her cheeks too pink for her caramel skin.

Fifteen was too young to be this sick.

There was nothing Alana could do about it. The doctor would be here in a few hours, and Alana couldn’t be around for it. Hayley had insisted that it was okay, that she could take care of herself. Alana had hesitantly agreed. The truth was, she needed to get out. She’d been cramped up with Hayley in their small apartment for too long, and although she loved her sister, the daily routine of going to work for seven hours a day, picking Hayley up from school, and preparing for the day after was wearing on her. She needed a break.

So, she was going to a music festival.

The spring had brought many events upon the city, but none as anticipated as the April Music Festival. Both local artists and big names got the chance to perform their greatest works in front of crowds of screaming teenagers. Alana’s friend Marie, possibly the most excitable person who would attend the festival, had convinced her to come.

Alana had been to the April Music Festival many times as a child, but she’d missed out of the past few years. She was looking forward to the bright lights, the bustling strangers, and the loud music. It would be a chance to forget. 

A car horn sounded outside. Crap. Marie was here. Alana checked her phone.

Seven unread texts appeared on her phone screen, all a variation of “Hello? I'm here! Alana?”

Taking a deep breath, Alana grabbed her purse and rushed down the stairs. Marie was waiting in her convertible outside, a huge grinned on her face. Her eyeshadow sparkled in the sunlight. 

“Hey, sorry I didn’t get your text,” Alana said, sliding into the seat next to her. 

“I think you mean texts.” Marie checked herself in the car mirror, and Alana leaned over to do the same. 

“It’s not my fault you text too much.” Alana touched up her brown curls and her lipgloss. 

“And it’s not my fault you don’t check your texts,” Marie retorted. “Are you ready to go?” She switched the car out of park.

“Yeah. I am”

   The park was even more crowded than Alana had expected. A few new boy bands had joined the festival this year, drawing a large crowd of teenage girls. It didn’t help that the park was also under construction. A huge stadium was being built to replace the small stage where the artists would perform, and construction was set to continue during the performances. Marie was complaining about it loudly in Alana’s ear, which she only partially tuned out. They were making their way through the crowds after buying popcorn, trying to find a free spot near the stage. 

   Marie stopped her complaining suddenly, and Alana turned around, surprised. Marie was staring off into the distance, her mouth open mid-sentence.

   “Hello?” Alana snapped her fingers in front of Marie’s face. “Where’d you go?”

   Marie shushed her. “Look over there,” she said, pointing unsubtly. Alana followed her finger, which led to a crowd of handsome construction workers. A small smile stole over Alana’s face.

“Well that makes sense,” she laughed, grabbing Marie’s arm. “Go talk to them!”

“What! Alana are you crazy?” Marie hissed through her teeth, pulling away. “I can’t just go talk to them. That’s ridiculous. Plus, I couldn’t leave you, I’m not a monster.”

“Marie. I’ll be fine. Go. You know you want to.”

“Are you sure?” Marie pouted, but she looked sincere.

“Yes. I’ll call you if I need anything. Meet up with you at the popcorn stand after the festival?”

“That sounds good, thank you so much Alana, I will make it up to you I promise.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m going to be fine. Now go!” She shoved Marie in the direction of the boys. She giggled and rushed away, evidently no longer concerned about the construction. 

Alana rolled her eyes, and went to find a place to sit down. She wanted to be near Marie, in case the construction workers turned out to be the unsavoury type. There were hardly any bare patches of grass available, but she spotted an empty spot between two tents. It was in view of her friend, so she headed over there and set her purse down. She started to stand up again to get a better view of the stage, but she smacked into something behind her.

She wheeled around. It was a boy, a tall one, who had his back turned to her. He wheeled around, interrupting his conversation with another guy. 

“I am so sorry,” Alana said, feeling herself blush.

“No, no,” said the handsome stranger, smiling comfortably. “It’s perfectly fine. This place is super crowded anyway.”

“That is true.” She tried to smile back, but felt awkward. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your conversation.” 

“Actually…” he looked over his shoulder. “I think the guy left.”

“Ah. Well. My bad.”

“Nah it's ok, I was just asking for directions to the popcorn stand anyway.”

“Oh, you can’t see it from here, but I could show you where it is,” Alana offered.

“Oh, thank you so much,” he replied gratefully.

“Of course, no problem! I’m Alana, by the way.”

“Hey, I’m Jonah. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand for her to take. She shook it. 

“Nice to meet you too, Jonah.”

A few drinks later, Alana and Jonah had become well acquainted. The hours had flown by as they chatted and sang along to the songs they knew. Jonah was new in town and didn’t have any friends yet, meaning he had come to the festival alone.

Alana enjoyed his company, maybe a little too much. She spotted Marie smirking at her a few times, a mischievous quirk in her eyebrow. Alana shook her head at her, but she quickly went back to flirting with the construction workers.

Twilight was dawning on the park, the stage lights fading from pink to orange to yellow to green to blue to purple, and back to pink again. The party was a little quieter now, the music jazzier and calmer. Alana was sitting back on her elbows, her jacket spread out on the grass beneath her.

“So luckily, I didn’t end up failing the class,” said Jonah, who was leaning on the ground next to her. “But I think it was mostly because my teacher had a crush on my dad.”

“Your dad must be a real stud,” Alana teased, looking over at him. 

“Hey hey hey,” Jonah laughed, raising his eyebrows. “He’s off limits.” 

She grinned. “It’s been really fun hanging out with you.”

“I agree.” He smiled. “I think you’re my first friend in the city.” His expression was grateful.

“This is honestly the best night I’ve had in awhile,” she replied. “So… thank you.”

“Thank you.” 

A loud band resounded before Alana before she had the chance to respond. She whirled around to find where the noise was coming from. Screams and shouts echoed across the park, and people began running past Alana and Jonah in a frenzied hurry. The music had stopped playing.

“What’s going on?” She shouted, turning back around. Jonah’s face had gone pale. “Jonah?”

He grabbed her hand. “We need to run. Now.”

“What’s going on?” She said again frantically, a dread settling in her gut. Then it dawned on her.

An active shooter was here in the park. That’s where the bang had come from.

“Marie!” Alana screamed. A numbness was spreading to her fingertips, and she felt like she was going to throw up. Jonah pulled her arm.

“Alana, we need to run. Now!”

“Marie! I have to find her! She was just over there…” but she could no longer see Marie, just a jumble of panicked strangers scrambling in every direction.

Jonah grabbed Alana’s shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. His gaze was steady. “Alana, it’s too late. She could be anywhere now. We need to go.”

“Jonah! I can’t just-” but she knew he was right. There was no way to find her now. She had to fend her herself. “Okay.” She tried to sound determined, but she knew her voice was shaking. “Let’s go.”

She and Jonah took off running as fast as they could. Alana couldn’t remember a time where she had run faster than this. She gripped his hand as tightly as she could. They were shoving through the crowd, and she heard another bang. And another. She could have been imagining it, but it sounded like they were getting closer. She pounded her feet into the grass harder, her hand almost slipping from Jonah’s. Her sweat was cold, her breathing sporadic.

They were nearing the construction sight, the large stone pillars of the stadium webbed with planks. She knew she couldn’t be imagining it any more, the shots were getting closer. A body crumpled to the ground beside her, and she screamed.

Jonah squeezed her hand. “Let’s get in there!” He pointed to the stadium in progress. “We can find some cover!” 

Alana nodded. As they approached the stadium, she stole a glance behind her. Through the crowd, she saw the culprit. It was a large man shrouded in black, a clown mask on his face. He was carrying a large gun and walking confidently through the crowd, firing in every direction.

She regretted looking.

Jonah beckoned for her to duck under a large wooden board, which would later be part of the wall. They entered the stadium to be. There were unused pillars and rocks everywhere, and piles of planks littered the ground. She looked up and saw the arm of a crane, which was holding a large flat stone. The driver inside appeared to be confused and scared, unsure of what to do. More people took Jonah’s idea and entered the stadium after them, taking cover behind rocks. 

Jonah led her towards a finished wall. “There may be some washrooms we can hide in,” he explained, panting.

Alana heard another bang which shook her bones, much closer this time. She screamed again. The crane above them started creaking. 

“He shot the driver!” Someone shouted. “The stone is going to fall!”

Sure enough, the arm of the crane was swinging towards them, the rock slipping from its grip, putting everyone in the stadium in danger of being crushed.

“Jonah get down!” Alana shoved him towards the corner of the wall, and the stone came sailing after them. She grabbed onto him and closed her eyes.

Darkness surrounded Alana.

Was she dead? 

No. She could still hear muffled screams, and on top of that, her own heartbeat.

Her arms were wrapped around someone.

Jonah.

“Alana?” He whispered, his breath stirring her hair. “Are you ok?” 

“Yeah.” She could hear his heartbeat, rapidly pounding in his chest. “I’m alright. What happened?”

“I think we’re trapped.” Alana couldn’t see anything. “Against the wall. We’re surrounded by rubble.”

Alana reached out with her hand, and felt a smooth, cold stone. “Wow.” She took a deep breath. “We almost got hit.”

“Yeah. Are you injured?”

“I don’t think so.” Alana took a scan of her body. She was shaking, but not in too much shock not to feel anything. “Are you?”

“No.” He grunted angrily.

“Jonah?”

“I’m just frustrated. I should have never brought you in here. We’re trapped now, and it’s all my fault.”

She shushed him. “No. It’s not. We’re safe now, the shooter can’t get us in here.”

“But what if no one finds us?” There was desperation in his voice, a shakiness she hadn’t noticed before.

“Someone will find us.”

He took a deep, rattled breath. 

“Are you claustrophobic?” She asked, searching for his eyes. Hers were beginning to adjust, and she could see the outline of his face.

“Yes,” he whispered back, almost ashamed.

“Do you want me to give you some space?”

“No. Please stay.” 

So she buried her face in his chest. “We should wait. Until the gunshots stop. Then we can call for help.” Jonah swallowed and she felt him nod.

They waited. His heartbeat wouldn’t slow down, his breathing wouldn’t ease. 

“Hey,” she whispered. “It’s going to be ok.”

He let out a shaky breath.

“Do you want me to talk about something? So you’re distracted?” She asked, hoping she could ease his pain a little.

“Yes,” he replied, his voice quiet. “Please.”

“My mother died when I was three,” she began, and then chuckled. “Sorry. I know it’s morbid, but that’s all I could think of.”

“It’s ok,” he said. “And… I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” she responded. “My mom died when I was six, and my father went into a deep depression. I had to learn to take care of my sister. I’m basically the one who raised her. And then three years ago, my dad just… left. I was fifteen. I had to drop out of highschool so I could work and pay rent. It was awful.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, this is probably not helping at all.”

“No, it's ok. It’s helping. Tell me more.” He looked at her supportively, and Alana noticed that his breathing had slowed, if only just a little. 

“Well, that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing for the past three years. I was going to wait for her to finish highschool and move out, and then maybe go back to school myself. But…” she trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. A lump grew in her throat. 

“What is it?”

“Hayley is sick. Really sick. She has cancer. And no treatment has worked. I just don’t know what to do. With the cost of hospital bills and chemo treatment, we’re broke. I’ve been struggling to pay for rent and groceries. I started a GoFundMe, but we haven’t made enough. Plus, I hate feeling like a charity case. But what choice do I have at this point?” Now it was Alana’s turn to take a shaky breath. A tear escaped her and trickled down her face, mocking her. 

“I just… can’t help feeling like I’ve failed her. No matter how hard I try, it’s just not enough. And now we’re stuck here, waiting to see if we’ll get shot or not. I shouldn't have come here. I need to be there for her. I-” she broke down into sobs.

“Hey hey hey,” Jonah said, cupping her face. She avoided his gaze. “You also need to take care of yourself. You’ve done… literally everything for your sister that you possibly could have. You’re selfless, Alana. It’s not your fault, what happened today. What’s happening now.”

Her tears ceased. She met his eyes, feeling freer than she had in years. Released. 

And he was so close.

Before she knew what she was doing, she closed the space between them and kissed him. 

She felt him gasp, stunned. Her hands were on his chest.

She pushed away.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. We just met… I’m so stupid.” she buried her face in her hands.

Jonah clasped her wrists with his hands and drew them away from her face. He looked at her for a moment, his brown eyes searching her face.

Then he kissed her back. Alana gasped this time, and leaned in. He was more confident than she had been, his lips moving expertly against hers. His hands left her wrists and met her waist, and then made their way into her hair.

Alana had never kissed anyone before. But it was natural to her, and her body was filled with sensation. She was pressed against him. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck. Jonah pressed her against the wall behind them, and his lips made their way down her neck. She sucked in a breath. This was something she'd never had, but she knew now how much she missed it. 

Through the rush of adrenaline and fervour, Alana thought she heard sirens in the distance.

It took a long time to remove the stones and rubble around them, but it was done. They were free. Alana had been able to call Marie and let them know where they were trapped, so she could tell the paramedics and the police.

Marie wasn’t hurt, but she was shaken and tear streaked. She told Alana that the construction workers had protected her, and one of them had been shot. He wasn’t dead, just not doing well. There was a long hug that followed Marie telling her this, and then Marie had headed off to the hospital to see the wounded man.

Alana needed to go home now. She’d called Hayley and let her know she was alright, that the shooter had been arrested. But her sister still needed her.

Jonah was walking with her to her car. It was surreal, knowing she’d be driving home alone, like nothing had happened. 

“Hey,” he said, touching her shoulder. “You really helped me in there. Thanks.”

“Really?” She asked, feeling as though he’d been the one comforting her.

“Yes.” His voice was sincere. 

“Thank you, Jonah. You really helped me unpack some stuff.” She smiled up at him. “Will I see you again?”

“I want to,” he said, brightening. “Should we exchange numbers?” Alana agreed. After they had done that, she tipped her chin up and kissed his cheek. 

“Hey, I want to help you,” he said firmly. “I want to help you pay for the treatment.”

Alana’s protests died on her lips. There was no reason to say no. “Thank you,” she whispered instead.

The drive home was strangely peaceful. The kiss behind the rock may have only been born out of high emotions, but it was something special.

Jonah was something special.

The End