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.

Cassandra leave him was if he died.

won't 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.

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

work. Rufus just lay there,

wake up! Please! You're

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 while now too.

to

the window started to show some cracks, but her hands

When enough cracks had shown, she took a deep breath and landed a clenched fist

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

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

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

tried pumping his chest hard and fast with her hands, then

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

her mouth; she fought through the bitter taste in her mouth; she fought through the exhaustion—but

was starting to lose hope. She

never should've said all those things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me! I won't leave you

cried in her heart that was

that this 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

Rufus! Stay with

bawled as she continued to breathe life

heaved.

pump his chest and blow air

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

couldn't see anything in the darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's

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

so as he

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

Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus thought to

in Cassandra's mouth. He couldn't

so much. He wanted to tell her that everything was

heart beat quickened when he sensed how

I'll protect you, I'm

his body more—he wanted to speak to her, feel