A Graduation Gift

A heavy silence permeated the elevator. Cassandra glanced at the redness spreading over Rufus' hand, and felt her heart squeeze in pain.

She tried to keep the tears in her eyes from running down her face.

"Rufus… You… You asshole!"

The words burst from her. She struggled to get her emotions under control, barely noticing that her fingernails were dug into her palms. Her voice trembled with emotion.

Her reaction made Rufus's face soften.

He looked away from her, wanting to conceal the swirl of emotions in his nebulous eyes.

Each droplet of tears that escaped from her eyes splashed straight onto his heart.

His heart became heavier and heavier.

As soon as the lift doors opened, Cassandra rushed out. After a second Rufus realized that she was heading not toward the carpark, but towards the exit.

While he stood there stunned, Cassandra disappeared into the heavy rain.

He dashed to the main gate, but Cassandra was nowhere to be seen.

The swirling sky above him, was dark as ink. A traffic light stood out in the storm, a beacon in the night.

He stood for a second, and then spun back toward the carpark. Climbed into his car, he sped out of the building right away.

The car seared through the thundering weather; the wipers screeching hopelessly against the downpour. He peered through the rain, barely able to see the road. He had no idea how he would find Cassandra.

But Rufus was determined. Slowly, he circled around the block, driving back and forth for some time before finally spotting a bedraggled woman at the corner of the street.

She was huddled under a ledge outside of a darkened shop. The ledge barely kept the rain from her, with water lashing at her on either side.

As he parked the car and leapt out of the door, he saw her sitting on haunches and staring blankly at the rain.

He ripped his coat off and covered her with it.

He crouched down and put his arms around her, almost flinching as he felt how cold and drenched she was.

"What were you thinking? Do you know how severe this typhoon is?"

fear out of his voice. The rain streamed across his face, and the wind ripped the words from out of his mouth.

him. The tears streaming out of her eyes mingled with the rain pouring down her scalp.

She was almost knocked flat by the storm, but

to her face, getting in her eyes and

were soaked and heavy, and the cold had seeped deep into her flesh

away from Rufus, but she had nowhere to

couldn't see a way forward. And she couldn't go back either. Cassandra kept running.

hands she found them covered in dirt and mud, and after standing up she

of how blue they were turning, and her body was

out of the carpark nor realized how dangerous this weather would be. In desperation she ran to find some

again, now, emerging like a hero from the rain, but why did the sight of him not fill her with

when he saw the frightened look on

to tidy yourself up,"

said could provoke anything more than just cry more tears. Her eyes looked empty and unfocused, and she

wipe the water from her face, and nearly drew back in shock when he

I'm with you. Don't worry. It's okay,"

so much like a corpse, and

to him, he tried to use his

little, and her eyes looked momentarily up at him, and then

another second asking her how she was feeling.

head against his chest. He brought her carefully to the passenger seat of his car, buckled her in and brushed some of the hair out of her face. He wished he had a blanket to give her. He drove to his

had kept this place a secret from his family, spending nights here at times instead of at the

but tidy and well-maintained. Cassandra wondered

Cassandra's face, but her body still trembled all

out of the hospital, and feared that her time in the rain would make her sick again. His heart hammered

that? What, not even a typhoon could stop you from acting

could feel the warmth in the

that she still could not move, he respectfully helped her peel off her ruined clothing, and

she gradually stopped quivering and began to come to her senses.

just... 'Oh no...' she

over her shoulders to warm

her face, and as the mirrors steamed up in

spoke softly, "I

she whispered, she didn't dare turn her head back to look at the man behind her.

little woman didn't firmly resist. He would definitely

would love this kind of treatment from him, but he would only do this for Cassandra.