Thou Shalt Not

Something pulled me from my sleep. I groaned into the pillow. I felt like I had just fallen asleep only moments ago. I tossed a couple times before I felt too awake to fall back to sleep. I let out an aggravated breath and sat up. Lacie wasn't beside me.

I glanced around the black room and noticed the bathroom light shining from underneath the closed bathroom door. Nothing alarming there. I swallowed and my mouth felt like I had just ate a handful of cotton balls. I stood up from the bed and made my way to the bedroom door leading out into the hall. "Lace?" I called through the bathroom door.

There was no response. "Lacie?" I called again. I took a step forward to grab the bathroom door handle and stepped in something wet, the wetness squishing between my toes. "What the fuck?” I asked out loud.

"Lacie?" I called again, louder and sterner. There was still no answer. "I'm coming in." I called and pushed the door open. I flipped on the brighter set of LED lights and my heart dropped.

Blood.
Blood everywhere.
Puddles here and there. Bloody footprints trekked on the bathroom tile.
What the hell was happening?

I stepped around the blood and followed the bloody footprints to the small room that housed the toilet. "Oh my God." I spoke as I took in the image in front of me.

Lacie sat with her head on her arm hanging over the toilet seat. Her body completely still. "Lacie!" I yelled and she didn't answer. Panicked, I froze. "Lacie!" I yelled and it was all that I could make myself do.

Adrenaline snapped me out of the frozen state I was in and I dropped to my knees. I pulled her onto my lap and her head lolled backwards. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted but her face was a pale, grayish color. I shook her but she didn't move. Her arms were lifeless as they hung from her sides. Scared I'd find no pulse in her neck, I still made myself press two fingers to her flesh. There was a faint thump against my fingers.

"Fuck," I muttered and gently laid her head down and stood up. I needed my phone. Bending down to pick her up, I cradled her in my arms and carried her into the bedroom. She felt like she weighed nothing. My adrenaline surged.

I laid her down on the bed. The blood was over us both. I grabbed my phone from the edge of the dresser. "9-1-1, what's your emergency?" The operator asked. I shouted my address at her. "Sir? What is the emergency?" She asked again. "Please, send an ambulance right away! There's blood everywhere and I don't know what’s happening!" I yelled.

"Are you the one that is bleeding?" The operator asked. "No! It’s my fucking girlfriend!" I snapped. "Okay, sir, do your best to tell me what's happened." She said and I hung up the phone. I couldn't answer what I didn't even fucking known myself.

I scooped her up into my arms and headed downstairs. We jostled down the stairs and goddamn if she didn't look fucking dead. Her head hung over my arm and her arms hung heavy from her sides. She looked like a bloody rag doll.

"Michael! Michael!" I yelled for my friend. He was in the downstairs guest room and I knew he could hear me if I yelled loud enough. "Michael!" I sobbed loudly again.

The light in the foyer flipped on overheard. "What's wrong?" Michael asked and his eyes widened when he saw Lacie's limp body in my arms. Lacie would kill me for letting him see her like this. She was only dressed in a white tank and panties. "I don't know. Just help me, please. Help me to help her!" I pleaded to my best friend.

"Oh my God. Fuck! I'll call 9-1-1." Michael said as he grabbed at the roots of his hair. "I've already called and their on their way." I said quickly pulling Lacie closer to me - her cold skin pressed against me. "Colin, what happened? Where is the blood coming from?" Michael asked wide-eyed.

"I don't know-" I started to say but then I felt it. Hot liquid running down my arm, the arm that was holding her underneath her bottom. My eyes went wide. "What?" Michael asked and I was too stunned to speak. "Fuck, Colin, what is it?" Michael snapped impatiently.

By the time I could answer him, the paramedics were banging at the door. Michael was quick to let them in. They rushed inside, pulling a gurney with them. They tried to take her from my arms but I pulled away from their grip.

I was shouting, the paramedics were shouting and Michael was shouting. I didn’t want them to take her from my arms. Once they took her from me, there was nothing else I could do and I knew that. I’d be helpless and invisible in the situation.

"Let him put her down onto the gurney and then I'll take care of him so you can get her to the fucking hospital!" Michael yelled. I didn't want to let go but I knew I had to. I had to let go. I laid her down and quickly was pushed out of the way. I lunged back towards her but Michael pulled me back.

"C'mon. We’ll follow them there. Get your shoes on. I’ll drive." Michael said. He was already dressed with his shoes on. When had he done that?

I nodded and slipped on my sneakers that were beside the door. I hurriedly threw a hoodie on and out the door we went.