And It All Comes Crashing Down✔️

A Friend...My Friend

     "Crystal-" he spoke with a gravelly voice. He stepped forward again, grabbed me by the shoulders, and met my eyes. "Crystal, it's me. We need to get out of here."

     "But..." I looked back into Patrick's eyes. "Are you insane? Vera will kill us if we get caught."

    "Yeah, I probably am insane. But would you rather get a chance at freedom or spend another eternity here?"

    "Fine," I said. He made a good point. With that, he grabbed my hand and sprinted out of the cell door and down the cold hallway.

    "Do you know where you're going?" I asked, trying to keep up with him.

   "Will you stop questioning everything I do?" he asked, not looking back.

     "Sorry."

     We ran and ran until we found a staircase. We hurried up, two steps at a time, flung ourselves through a door and were submerged in cold, fresh air. 

     I fell to my knees, wheezing and coughing - because of both the running and the freshness of the outside air. I looked back at the old building that I never, ever wanted to go in again. Patrick turned too, taking deep breaths and wiping sweat from his forehead. He looked at the building and then at me. 

    "We did it," he said, still panting.

   "Mmhmm," I managed to say through gasps for air.

    I got a good look at him - he was skinnier than I remember. His hair was scruffier and his eyes were colder and tired. I wondered how he found the strength and courage to get us both out of our cells.

   Then I began to question; what now? Where would we go from here? How much longer could we live? Would Patrick and I be able to stick together? 

  Most of those questions were answered before I could even voice them.

     "Not so fast," a voice that made my skin crawl came from behind us. My heart skipped a beat as I grabbed Patrick's hand and ran as fast as my legs could carry me in the opposite direction of the voice.

     "Oh, don't even try."

     Bang.

         I heard a sound that I thought I'd heard before when watching a police chase on TV. Before I could remember what it was, Patrick's grip slipped from my hand. 

     I turned and saw that Patrick had just stumbled. I thought I saw a flash of red, but he quickly regained speed and was running by my side in less than a minute. I heard Vera laughing behind us. As soon as her voice was out of earshot, we slowed to stop. 

     We kneeled on the dusty Earth, our breathing labored.

    "We're alive." Patrick breathed out. His voice seemed choked up.

   "Yeah, we are," I said. 

  Everything that happened next seemed to be slow motion as if my brain wanted to rub it in and say think again in a voice as cold and free of sympathy as Vera's.

   I heard Patrick's breath catch in his throat. He groaned in pain and fell onto his back. 

"Patrick!" I shouted.

He clutched his midsection. I didn't even notice what had been there the whole time we had been running. 

Blood. Seeping through his fingers and staining his clothes and skin. 

Vera had shot Patrick.

The world spun as I rushed to his side. I looked down at him, his eyes barely open.

"Patrick..." I gasped, the name barely getting out before choking on a sob.

"Crystal..." He whispered.

"Don't leave me," I whispered back, tears beginning to roll down my face.

"It's okay, Crystal. You'll be okay," he said.

"No, I won't Patrick. Not without you."

"Crystal, you're the strongest person I've ever met. Keep looking for life. You can survive without me."

"No, Patrick, no!" I choked out, shaking my head.  "I can't."

"Yes, you can," Patrick said, his breath getting quicker. "Just...do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Tell my family...I'll see them soon." 

His eyes slowly opened, the light that was once there...gone. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I saw his chest rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall...for the very last time. Tears continued to escape from my eyes.

A friend, my friend, my only friend, Patrick Lawrence...was gone.