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

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

they were in a deserted area and no one was

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

work. Rufus just lay there,

wake up! Please!

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

to try to break the

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

enough cracks had shown, she took a deep breath and landed a clenched fist through the window. The window shattered into

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

was tall and big while she was short and slim—she wasn't strong enough to move

gathered all her energy and soon, she

him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast

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

through the bitter

lose hope. She was crying, scared and

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

that was filled

would happen, she would never have attempted to break up with him. She thought 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

Stay with me, I'm so

to breathe life back

chest heaved. Cassandra

to pump his chest and blow air into his mouth. She had more

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

voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice! She was here and she was

his arms. He wanted

so as

did feel it when he was dragged out from 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

Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus thought

He couldn't help but feel his heart ache at

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

he sensed

darling. I'll protect you, I'm

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