How to Save a Life

Emily’s Point Of View

~Dream~

My bare pain filled feet crunched against the dead dry grass as I ran. I was running as fast as I could. Breathing heavily. Tumbling onto the hard ground, and leaning on o trees to catch my balance. But I still ran. Knowing that if I stopped I would be dragged back to that place.

I fell once more. Scraping my knees and ripping my dress. My nose dug into a pile of dirt. A cry of pain escaped my lips as I tried to force myself up to run again. But I found my legs were to weak. I couldn’t get myself to stand, let alone run. I just shook if I tried. My body needed food, water, nourishment. I can’t go on in my condition.

The sound of crunching feet sounded behind me. A sob escaped my chest, and I felt my fingers clutch into the grass for dear life. I don’t want to go back. Please just leave me, I can die here. I’ll just rot away. No one will find you, you’re safe Zane.

I felt his breath pool over my face as he laid down next to me in the dead grass. He was panting. Making it seem like it was hard to catch me. Why must he tease? It isn’t fair, I don’t ever want him to take me back. I hate that room, sure it offered comfort, but the darkness and solitude are beginning to eat away at my brain.

“I’ll admit to you that you are quiet fast for your condition. I lost you for a moment back there. You would’ve gotten away if you legs hadn’t given out.” He purred. Looking over at me. Those bright green eyes actually showing joy over anger. That’s what I hate about him. Why can’t he ever just be normal? “Are you okay?” His fingers came up to wipe something from underneath my nose. Blood, did my nose break when I fell? “I think its just from the fresh air.” It was getting hard to understand him. My breath was panting to loud in my ears. It hurts to breath.

He sat up then angled his body towards mine. Picking me up as if I were his bride. I whimpered to his touch. No where near close to trusting him. Zane stood up and tugged me closer to his chest. Almost protectively.

“Mother won’t be happy that I let you run. So please just keep it hidden from her. I don’t want you to get hurt Emily. You’re my only friend.” He hummed. Walking a bit faster. “I’ll get you back and we’ll get some food for you. You’ll feel better soon.”

~End Of Dream~

My eyes shot open. Hand coming up to pinch the bridge of my nose. Shaking of the memory. I remember that day. He had came up to my room. I had been sick at the time, dying from starvation. He said something about performing a test with me. Confusion had washed over me. That day, he wasn’t making any sense.

Just like were I was didn’t make any sense. When did I fall asleep? How did I get into the truck bed? Zane’s voice was screaming at something up in the cabin, so I had no desire to go up there.

My head pressed back into the pillows he had burrowed around me. Thinking about that dream again. That day was truly weird.

~Flashback~

He cradled my sick body close. Walking it out of the front door. The sun blinded me, it was like an angel. Was I finally dying? Zane set me down in the grass at his feet. But I didn’t move. I was to confused about what he wanted me to do. Why was I outside? Why was he talking to me again? He hasn’t talked to me since I screamed at him a week and a half ago. He also stopped feeding me. I only got water ever day, and that’s because I forced myself to drink from the rust covered shower in my bathroom. The one thing I can say about him though, is that he checked in on me every night. Coming in my room to re-blanket my hot body, to give me the Theraflu he brought in once I had gained a hoarse cough. At least he had some intention of keeping me alive.

“This is a test, Emily. I want you to run as fast as you can. Run into the woods, I’m going to chase you. But you get a three minute head start. If you do this for me, I’ll get you some food. If you don’t I’ll bring you back into your room and make sure this nice sun can’t get through your window. I’m using you to help me get ready if someone ever escapes. I’m only using you because I know that you are not dumb enough to run away from me in your condition. But if for some reason you are, I would like you to know that we really do live in the middle of no where and I’m your only way to get food and medicine. Are we clear?” He picked me up from underneath my arm pits. Steadying me when I fell back wards onto him. I haven’t stood up in so long, my legs are jello. When I fell onto him I caught a glimpse of a woman in the house window, pealing a potato, shaking her head at the sight of us. Zane steadied me, then looked down at my thin tear stained face. “Okay, if you can’t stand on your own we might have to hold this off.”

I knew I wasn’t allowing that to happen. I want to run. Really, I need to see how fast he is. That way if I do decide to run in the future, I can have somewhat of a chance. But as for now, he is right, I’ll die if I don’t stay here.

“Good, now remember as fast as you can.” He informed. Starting his watch. I forced myself to take a step but only face planted the grass. A deep sigh left his chest. Then he gathered me up, and steadied me once more. Stopping the watch for a second. “Okay, Emily. You look pretty weak to me. Come on, we’ll try this tomorrow. I know I haven’t been feeding you and that’s why you’re so weak. Come on, I’ll get mom to feed you something.”

But my head shook. I was going to get this. Determination filled my thin body. Worry covered his face, but he still let go of me. I took off, running as fast as I could possibly go. My whole body screamed in pain and my path of running was zig zagged just so I could stay balanced. But Zane still clapped his hands behind me and started his watch once more.

~End Of Flashback~

That day was one of the first days I found myself happy with him. He finally fed me. Not to mention let me outside and breath in the fresh air. Sure it was for his benefit, but it gave me a feeling of running away. That feeling scared me when he caught up to me, so I knew that I wouldn’t do it again. No unless he let me do it as a test like he did that time. But I never got up the guts to do it on my own. Even when he let me do that test thing, and I was sure I wasn’t going to stop running, he kept me weak enough to where I couldn’t get within a mile of that house. He was still careful, and I was lucky that he was. Without him showing me what it would be like in the woods without him, I would’ve died. I honestly think those test were his way of showing me that if I ran, he would catch me, and if he didn’t I would just come crawling back to the house anyway. I was to weak to support myself back then, I still am. One day, I’ll be able to beat him at that test. But for now, I’m happy with just being at his side.