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.

said the only way he'd let Cassandra leave him

leave you anymore, Rufus! Don't do this,

break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and no one was even passing by. She started to get

an idea came to her. She dialed Rufus's number and hoped that the ringing

just lay there, unmoving.

wake up! Please! You're

car. She was starting to get worried as Rufus had already

to

show some cracks, but her hands

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

the inside—all the while, her hand was shivering. She reached

big while she was short and

all her energy and soon, she was able to drag him out of the car in one

started to resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast

this as she wished in her heart that Rufus would

tears that rolled down her cheeks and into her mouth; she fought through the bitter taste in her

to lose hope. She was

I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me! I won't leave you

heart that was

this would happen, she would never have attempted to break up with him. She thought she was doing the right thing.

Stay with me, I'm so

bawled as she continued to

Rufus's chest heaved.

and blow air into his mouth. She

sinking in a cold, dark place. Everything about him felt

in the darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice! She was here and she was calling his name!

his eyes and hold her in his arms. He wanted to tell

didn't have the energy to do so as he couldn't feel his body anymore.

where he was and someone started resuscitating him. Someone was pumping his chest and blowing air into his mouth. Rufus could tell that it was Cassandra's lips that had touched his cold ones; as soon as their

Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus thought to

the bitterness of the tears that ran in Cassandra's mouth. He couldn't

hair, and tell her that he loved her so much. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Hard as he tried, he just couldn't make himself move. He felt disconnected from his body as if

when he sensed how scared Cassandra

be scared, darling. I'll protect you, I'm here, ' Rufus consoled

to push his body more—he wanted to speak