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 was if he died.

this,

a call then continued to look for a way to break inside the car. However, they

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

work. Rufus just lay there, unmoving.

up! Please!

through tears as she tried futilely open the car. She was starting to get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived space for too long and his legs had been stuck for a

with another idea—she used her keys to try to break the window open from the corners.

trying. Eventually, the window started to show some cracks, but her hands were

gritted teeth. When enough cracks had shown, she took a deep

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

was short

all her energy and soon, she was able to drag

resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast

she wished in her heart that Rufus would open his eyes to look at her. However,

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

to lose hope. She was crying, scared and desperate.

said all those things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me! I won't leave you anymore, please don't

in her heart that was

was doing the right thing. She'd been thinking over this break up for quite awhile—now she just

with me, I'm so

bawled as she continued to breathe life

Rufus's chest heaved. Cassandra

to pump his chest and blow air into his mouth.

kept sinking in a cold, dark place. Everything about him felt stuck and frozen as if he was dying.

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

her in his arms. He wanted to tell her, 'Cassandra, I'm yours and yours only. Don't

energy to do so as he couldn't feel his

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 lips met, Rufus felt his heart

Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus thought

in Cassandra's mouth. He couldn't help but feel his heart ache at the thought of Cassandra

gaze into her eyes, 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 okay. Hard as he tried, he just couldn't make himself move. He felt disconnected from his body as if everything was too heavy

quickened when he sensed how scared

scared, darling. I'll protect you,

wanted to speak to her, feel her,