A Call That Changed Her Entire Life

In an instant, Emily pushed the man away in utter disbelief. "What did you say?" she asked.

"I said, I am Jack." Jack responded slowly, but his voice was firm. "It's me this time, not... It's not Jacob. It's really me..." he said.

"How could it be you? You are lying to me again, aren't you?" Emily refused to believe what Jack was claiming. After all, this wouldn't be the first time he tried to pull something like this. She pulled the tall grass covered his face, in order to have a closer look under the faint moonlight.

Much to her surprise, the face of the man lying in front of her was Jack's, no doubt.

Amused by her startled expression, Jack laughed bitterly and said,"Disappointed? I am so sorry that I came to your rescue one step before Jacob."

"You... Why did you... save me?" she asked.

Emily looked at Jack's face with scepticism, wondering if all this was real. The warmth from her body abandoned her quickly, leaving her shivering with doubts.

All of a sudden, frigid tears trickle across Jack's face, as he coughed violently. Emily immediately, patted his chest. However, when she looked at her hand, she smelled a metallic stink lingereing in the air... blood!

At the beginning Emily was too shocked to understand, but now she could see the urgency in the man's features. His skin prickled with pain, and his chest ached with the pounding of his heart...

The wounds inflicted by the big black bear were showing all over his body... But he did not show any signs of suffering before, even when he carried her and swam her across the river. Although washed by the river water, his wounds were still fresh and bleeding profusely.

Under a black sky leached of starlight, the moon above them lit up brightly. Awash in white light, Jack's bleeding wounds stood out in perfect detail.

"Why do you look so sad?" he asked. Jack used the last of his wanning strength to raise the corners of his lips and said,"Is there something wrong with my face? After all, my handsome face is my strongest attribute."

"Stop talking." Unimpressed, Emily disregarded his intentional garble, as she helped him take off his tattered shirt to wrap up his wound. Unfortunately, nothing prevented the blood from permeating the layers of cloth.

if you take off my clothes, you need to be responsible for

"Shut up!"

lot to say right now," said Jack. It was difficult to ascertain whether Jack was speaking to Emily, or to himself, but his low and fragile

jokes, as she yelled out angrily,"I told you to shut the hell up! Save it for when we go back! I don't

Emily looked beautiful even when she was livid. Oddly enough, Jack smiled, seeming rather calm, for someone who was hurt and bleeding

I can bother you a little more, Emily,"

unwilling to humor him. She was still wrapping his wound,

else. He seemed to have been brewing something in his mouth for a long time before he finally said,"Emily, for a long time now, I have regretted

countenance turned rigid almost instantaneously.

I realized that I would rather die than see you get hurt," said

saw the black bear attacking Emily, Jack felt like his heart was going to leap out of his throat. He was afraid that if he didn't intervene the bear would have mauled her to death! Jack

Emily shouted. Emily's words stung his heart with shock, she continued,"No matter what you

and said,"I know. I'm not asking for your forgiveness either. I understand why you hate me and the situation I am in today is because

the water, when he kissed her. The shortlived moment of peace that his soul enjoyed was the

grudges, jealous and distorted feelings were because of his love for this woman all along. Sadly, by the time he understood that, the damage was already

that again!" yelled Emily. Here eyes were fiery and her voice was hoarse, as she continued,"Whatever it is you want to say, can wait

am running out of time..." Jack replied, sounding frail.

want me to

am not happy. Will you feel sad, if I

me! You need to live for me!" she screamed out. Emily could not hold back her tears any more. At last, they rolled down her cheeks like beads

cheating on her and hurting her feelings. She wanted Jack to pay for all the harm he had brought upon her life... But she never wanted him