A Graduation Gift

Cassandra stood at the side of the road, holding the phone in her hand and dumbfounded. She didn't know what had just happened.

She heard something loud. Where could it have come from?

Suddenly, she had a good guess on what had happened so she turned around and ran back to the Garden Villa immediately.

The wind blew across her face as she breathed heavily and quickened her pace.

Her heart was beating rapidly and she could only see darkness but she held on to the one person who was keeping her going.

It was Rufus! Rufus!

Rufus could feel his body aching all over when the terrible car accident happened. But nothing could compare to the ache his heart was nursing.

"Cassandra..."

Rufus murmured the little woman's name. A glimpse of a familiar figure was suddenly running towards him.

Was it Cassandra? Or an illusion?

Rufus couldn't tell who the figure was because he couldn't even open his eyes. Before he knew it, he had already fainted.

Cassandra saw Rufus's Range Rover crash into a wall from a distance—the front of the car looked quite damaged.

Her chest tightened at what she'd seen; her heart began to beat so fast that she felt it would jump out of her chest anytime soon.

She ran and ran until she'd closed the distance between them.

When she arrived at the car, she saw Rufus slumping over the wheel. His legs were stuck inside the car and he looked terrible. It was hard to digest the entire scene.

Cassandra felt as if someone had grabbed her heart and crushed it—she couldn't breathe.

She tried to ram the door open but it was locked and she couldn't break it from the outside.

She then tried to smack the window hoping that Rufus would wake up to the noise but he didn't even flinch. He wasn't moving at all. Did he just faint or was he...dead already?

Cassandra was crying and shrieking, "Rufus, wake up! Don't leave me! Rufus!"

What Rufus had said before came true.

let Cassandra leave him

won't leave you anymore, Rufus! Don't do this, Rufus! Wake up!' Cassandra shouted in her

to break inside the car. However, they were in

came to her. She dialed Rufus's number and hoped

work. Rufus just lay

wake up! Please!

starting to get worried as Rufus had already stayed in

idea—she used her keys to try to break

trying and trying. Eventually, the window started to show some cracks, but

window through gritted teeth. When enough cracks had shown, she took a deep breath and landed a clenched fist through the window. The

window and swung the door open from the inside—all the while, her hand was shivering. She reached inside the car and grabbed

big while she was short and slim—she wasn't strong

anyway—this was an emergency after all. She gathered all her

the road and started to resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest

as she wished in her heart that Rufus would open his eyes to look

her mouth; she fought through the bitter taste

starting to lose hope. She was crying, scared and

all those things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me!

her heart that was filled with

she was doing the right thing. She'd been thinking over this break up for quite awhile—now she just wished she'd thought it over one more time.

Stay with me, I'm

bawled as she continued to breathe life back

Rufus's chest heaved. Cassandra

pump his chest and blow air

about him felt stuck and frozen as if he

darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice! She was

his arms. He wanted to tell

have the energy to do so as he

into his mouth. Rufus could

that you, Cassandra? Are you saving me?'

of the tears that ran in Cassandra's mouth. He

reach out to touch her hair, and tell her that he loved her so much. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be

beat quickened when he

you, I'm here, ' Rufus consoled Cassandra

body more—he wanted to speak to her, feel her, and hold