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.

the only way he'd let Cassandra leave him was if

do this, Rufus!

way to break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and

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

work. Rufus just

Please!

car. She was starting to get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived space for too long and his

to try to break the window open from the corners.

the window started to show some cracks, but

a deep breath and landed a

shivering. She reached inside the car

was short and slim—she wasn't

an emergency after all. She gathered all her energy and soon,

laid Rufus down on the road and started to resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast with

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

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

starting to lose hope. She was

sorry! Open

her heart that was filled

thought she was doing the right thing. She'd

with me,

she continued to breathe life

Rufus's chest heaved. Cassandra froze.

chest and blow air into his mouth. She

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

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

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

so as he couldn't feel his body anymore.

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

mouth. He couldn't help but feel his heart ache at the

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

when he

I'll protect you, I'm here, ' Rufus consoled Cassandra in his mind.

his body more—he wanted to speak