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A rough shove almost sent Rasmus crashing into the wall behind him. The offending person was already halfway out the door by the time he recovered, too caught up in their own panic, desperate to get out. His frustration washed away, they were scared, he couldn't fault them for that. However Rasmus could be frustrated by their stupidity, he had been attempting to open the barrier to create more space for people to spill through.
Another person cascaded past him hitting his shoulder hard
“Watch where you are going! Careful, Careful! The exit is on the right” He raised his voice hoping that it carried over the roar. It did not.
Everyone was on edge, Rasmus could still hear the gunshots ringing in his ears. One from the security that was supposed to protect UDC and, one from that sniper he had been warned about. He looked around paranoid that there was a gun among the crowd. Rasmus felt that he could have been a lot more prepared, even a small lesson on gun safety would have made him feel a lot safer.
However, Rasmus and the staff were only told your basic ‘if you see something say something, but let the authorities take care of it don't do anything yourself’ and by ‘it’ they meant the very important man whose breakfast was worth more than his yearly salary. And not the 10,000 people who were trapped in the venue and needed to get out safely. How well had that plan gone for the authorities?
Rasmus jumped, a crash and a cry came from his side near the metal detectors, he rushed over, pushing a few people out of his way. He saw that a woman had been pushed into a metal detector and had fallen. He put his body between her and the crowd and helped pull her to her feet. After checking her over, she gave him a quick thank you and rushed towards the exit. Rasmus then went back to his previous place and scanned the crowd looking for anyone who needed help.
He spotted an older man further up who was gripping onto the railing for support, people kept running into him, almost causing him to fall. Throwing caution to the wind Rasmus faced the crowd and started going upstream. A sea of faces greeted him, they were old, young, tall, short, men, women, every type of person, and Peter.
Wait Peter?
Rasmus froze, rooted to the ground, he did a double take. He tried to meet his eyes. It was him! There on the far back in the crowd and on the other side of the hallway and the river of people was Peter. A million thoughts rushed through Rasmus’s mind, What was he doing here? How was he here? He had left so why was he here? The world trickles down to just him and Peter, his heart gurgled and fluttered.
All impossibilities of the situation trickled away as Rasmus forgot everything except the one clear fact, Peter was here! He didn't care about why. Foolishly, he shouted into the stream, hoping to catch Peter’s attention, but the rush carried it away. Rasmus then rushed forward, new energy fueling his steps.
He was forced to the sides by the surge but Rasmus did not stop.
He trudged on getting closer to the wonderful man he thought he would never see again.
Rasmus got closer and closer, shouting his name into the rush, pulled forward by his heart.
His excitement grew and expanded, Rasmus raced through the people, pushing some to the sides. He felt like he was floating.
Then he crashed back down.
‘Peter’ continued down, going with the flow, they passed each other, nothing. As he passed by Rasmus looked at the man, that was not Peter. He was wearing glasses, his hair was different and so were his clothes, oh his face was a cold expression that Peter would never wear, he was too sweet for that. This was a stranger, wearing Peter’s face.
Rasmus didn't know that man.
A person shoved him aside and he let them, numb. He was in a crater of his foolishness, he had soared and fallen like Icarus. Rasmus’s back hit a wall. He shook out of it, Peter was gone. He left. It had been nice while it lasted, “more than fun” but it was over. They would never see eachother again. He was silly to think that Peter had been here another day and not told him.
The man who he had mistaken for Peter was long gone, like his heart. It still pulled him forward, he wanted to run out and confront that man. But all he would get is pain and embarrassment.
Rasmus looked around, that old man was still struggling, he needed help.
Rasmus had a job to do. He didn't have time to go running after everybody who looked like someone else.
As much as his heart broke.