My broken, tired, dying body is bobbing slowly as I’m being carried by the kind, serious young man who rescued me. He’s whispering things to me I can’t quite make out, but I’m sure he only means the best.
I can’t wait to find a place where I’ll be able to rest, to get better until I’m strong enough again to go home.
Beverly never loved me; a thought I refuse to die with, but have no way of escaping. With each bated breath, I know I’m getting closer to the end of my life, and I’ll have to pass on knowing that my own daughter hated me with the same intense passion she loves her father with.
A cruel, twisted love that no man should share or experience with his daughter, though seemingly enough to replace me.
“D…n … t … a … r…d, H ..i…d…”
I take in as deep a breath as I can, then feel the fire begin to incinerate my lungs from the effort. Is he telling me to not be afraid? Death was never something I feared, only the manner in which I would greet it.
And no matter how hard my beautiful, deranged daughter tried, at least she won’t have to live knowing that she caused my death.
“B … v… y…”
I try to open my eyes at the sound of her name, but haven’t the strength.
Whatever Colby is trying to tell me about her, I’ll feign acknowledgement so that he doesn’t have to carry the burden of wondering if I ever heard his words.
Gently, I do my best to squeeze his arm, and when he chuckles, I feel better.
He suddenly stops walking, takes a deep breath, then tells me again to not be afraid. That’s when I hear the sounds of things crashing violently through the thickets. It’s also why I realize he’s been trying to assuage any fear that might grip me.
He’s going to leave me with them, and I don’t understand why.
I was polite to him, thanked him for his help, and now he’s–Ugh!
The feeling of coarse hands against my skin pulling me out of his grip and the wind whipping around my tattered body as whatever has a hold of me runs off, deaf to whatever it is that the kind, serious man who cared for me and made me believe that my life was worth saving, calls after it.
And neither of us heard what he said.
Please, just make this quick and painless. I’ve suffered enough.