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.

only way he'd let Cassandra leave him

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

made a call then continued to look for a way to break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and

She dialed Rufus's number

just

wake up! Please! You're scaring

as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived

came up with another idea—she used her keys to try

show some cracks, but her hands were already red and

teeth. When enough cracks had shown, she took a

was shivering. She reached inside the car and grabbed Rufus's body in an attempt to drag him out

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

after all. She gathered all her energy

on the road and started to resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast with her hands, then blowing

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

her cheeks and into her mouth; she fought through the bitter taste in her mouth; she fought through the exhaustion—but to no avail, Rufus remained

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

my fault, Rufus! I 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 anymore,

her heart that

she only knew 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 up for

Stay with me, I'm

bawled as she continued to breathe

heaved. Cassandra froze.

continued to pump his chest and blow air into

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

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

eyes and hold her in his arms. He wanted to

to do so as he couldn't feel his body anymore.

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;

you, Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus thought

He

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 sensed how scared Cassandra

Don't be scared, darling. I'll protect you, I'm here, '

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