Nayeli stood in line at the bank, rocking back and forth in place. It was quiet, other than the occasional murmuring. She heard the near silent whoosh of the front doors opening behind her.

Someone screamed. Before Nayeli could turn, she was roughly brushed aside. She teetered and caught herself. Looking toward the counter, she saw a large masked man pushing a duffle bag toward the teller. He was shouting and waving a gun.

The teller was trembling and backing away. The large man yelled and jumped the counter. The teller stumbled. The man grabbed her arm and slammed his gun into the side of her head. She crumpled to the floor.

Nayeli crept forward as the man turned to another teller and threw the duffle bag at him. With the man’s back turned, she slid silently over the counter and dropped next to the teller on the floor. She checked her pulse. Still beating, faintly.

Nayeli glanced over at the man. He was following the other teller from drawer to drawer. She could take him, right? Even if he had a gun? She heard a shot from somewhere else in the bank. Her hair stood on end as she raised herself just enough to see over the counter.

Two more masked people were walking toward the bank entrance, with multiple duffle bags in tow. Another stood over someone they had just shot. The two dropped the duffle bags on the floor and pulled out guns. Four people with guns? Four?

Nayeli sunk to the floor with her back to the counter. There were too many. She squeezed her eyes shut. Someone else would get shot. She heard a shout and opened her eyes. The large man was waving at the other teller with his gun. The teller eased himself to the floor just feet away from Nayeli. Then the large man jumped the counter and pulled the duffle bag through.

Nayeli looked over at the other teller, who was shaking. “Cover your ears.” The teller stared at her, wide-eyed. She nodded. “Cover your ears.” The teller raised his shaking hands and clamped them to the sides of his head. Suddenly the air was filled with a piercing wail of a siren.

The teller’s eyes grew wider as he stared at her, his knuckles growing white as they pressed harder against his head. Nayeli watched him and waited. She glanced up at the wall clock. A minute had passed. That should be enough. With the piercing wail still filling the air, Nayeli turned and propelled herself over the counter.

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