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.

way he'd let Cassandra leave him

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

then continued to look for a way to break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and no one was even

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

just lay there, unmoving.

up! Please! You're

starting to get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived space

keys to

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

the window through gritted teeth. When enough cracks had shown, she took a deep breath and landed a clenched fist through the

window and swung the door open from the inside—all the while, her hand was shivering. She reached inside the car and grabbed Rufus's body in

was short and

anyway—this was an emergency after all. She gathered all her energy and soon,

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

that Rufus would open

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

lose hope. She was

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

heart that was filled with

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

Rufus! Stay with me, I'm so

as she continued to breathe life

chest heaved. Cassandra

chest and blow air into

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

in the darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice! She was here and she was calling

and hold her in his arms. He wanted to tell her, 'Cassandra, I'm

he didn't have the energy to do so as he couldn't feel his

his mouth. Rufus could tell that it was Cassandra's lips that had touched his cold

Cassandra? Are you saving me?'

in Cassandra's mouth. He couldn't help but

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

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

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