The only thing i can think of as I rush out of the house is, what if I'm too late? And what has she done? Worse.. What has he done? I grab the car keys and run out to my moms old car. I haven't been here since my mom died. I couldn't bring myself to drive it but right now i have no choice. I crank the car and pull out of the drive way. Its almost 2 in the morning so thank God there wont be as much traffic.
I look down at my speedometer to see how fast I'm going. 70, but in the back of my head I'm thinking , not fast enough. I shouldn't have let her go home. She should've stayed with me or I should've gone with her. This is all my fault. Gracie's house isn't too much farther but i know I should probably park away from the house and sneak into Gracie's room if it is her father that has caused this.
I see her house in the distance and I jump out and run to the back yard. All of the lights are on in the house and I can hear the muffled shouts of Kim and John but I don't hear Gracie. I look up at Gracie's window and i can see the dim light if her lamp but nothing else. I look around hoping to find a way to climb up. There's got to be some way but there isn't. I cant just stand here. What do i do though?
I walk over to the kitchen door which is right beside the stairs going to Gracie's room. If i could just get to those stairs and run up with out being seen then i could get to her. I try to wiggle the door knob but its locked. So is the window. The only other way to Gracie is through the laundry room window but to get to the stairs i know ill have to sneak past the hall way and risk John seeing me. I walk over to the living room window and i can see John grabbing Kim and pushing her around. He looks so angry, but whats new?
He pushes Kim to the ground and flips the coffee table over. She tries to get up but he screams at her, slams her into the wall and stands over her beaten body. She doesn't move and he walks over to the chair and sits down like its nothing. I clenched my fists at the audacity of his willingness to be so cruel. That jerk. That coward. That waste of life scum bag! Oh, how i wish some one would throw him across the room. Show him how it feels to be thrown around like trash, like a helpless, flimsyrag doll. If he could do that to Kim there's no telling what happened to Gracie.
I know i have to get to her. I can't waste anymore time. I walk around to the laundry room window and slide it up. I climb over as quietly as I can and peak around the corner and I can see him sitting down with a beer in his hand. A slight smirk crawls across his face as if he's proud of what he's done. I don't know whether i should make a run for the stairs and up to Gracie's room or sneak past him and take the chance of being caught vulnerable on all fours to be kicked like a dog while I'm down. As dangerous as it seems, I get down on my knees and crawl behind the couch opposite of John. I can hear Kim crying but I continue to crawl a little further until I hear John move. Soon, the noise stops. I poke my head around and look at Kim.
She sees me and I put my finger to my lips and hope she stays quite. Please stay quite.
I see her mouthing something, "Help her", maybe?
Help who, I want to say. Gracie must be hurt. God, please let her be okay. Please.
"Please." I mutter quietly to myself.
I look over to John and he seems to be preoccupied so i crawl behind the recliner. I can see the steps now. Maybe a couple of feet away. There's no way to sneak up them without being seen so I'm going to have to take my chances.
I take a deep breath and crawl to the bottom of the steps but before I can talk myself into standing half way up I hear Johns voice, "Where the hell did you come from? I swear to God ill kill you all!"
John jumps from his chair and runs towards me knocking stuff over on the way. Without thinking i try to scramble up the stairs but I can feel him grabbing at my ankles. I try to kick but its no good. He's too strong. He yanks me up and slams me into the wall. I'm fuming now. I can feel my whole body shake and my fists tighten.
"What're you gonna do, huh? You coward! Kill me! Go ahead!! You're nothing but a coward!" I try to squirm away but its no use.
He just keeps grabbing me harder. I hear a crash up stairs. Gracie.
"Ansley!" I hear her cry from up stairs.
"Just stay there,'' I call back, " I'm coming!"
"You aren't going any where kid!" John rears back to hit me.
I know if he hits me i'll never make it up to Gracie. I quickly knee John in the crotch and he falls down but I know that's not enough to keep him down. I grab the closest thing to me, a marble vase, and throw it at his head. I hear the crash as I turn around and run up to Gracie's room, locking the door behind me and blocking it with the desk.
I look to the floor and see Gracie lying beside a shattered lamp.
"Oh, Gracie no!" I drop to her side and lift her head up.
Her head is limp. I feel for a pulse.. Oh thank God there's a pulse. I look on her bed and see a razor blade and pills. Her room is trashed. I look at Gracie's wrist and shes bleeding bad.
"Gracie!" I scream "Gracie wake up!"
I shake her as tears roll down my face.
"God help me!" I scream into the air, "If you're real, God please help me! Some one help! Please!!"
I hear john getting back up down stairs and slowly making his way up here. The locked door and desk wont hold him out long. I know Ive got to get her out of here.
I brush her hair out of her face and she finally lifts her eyelids, "Gracie its going to be okay. We just have to go now!"
I grab a bag and throw some if her clothes in it and throw it on my back. I lift her limp body up and open up her window. I can hear John banging on the door now screaming for us to open it. I help Gracie through the window and onto the porch roof, if we walk to the end of the porch we may can jump onto the garbage cans.. Right now its our only option. I drag Gracie's limp body over to the edge and lay her down.
I look down to see if it will work. I think we can do it. I slide her legs off the edge so I can grab her when I get onto the garbage cans. I carefully slide my way down and land. Now for Gracie, I pull her legs down and grab her but the cans tip and cause us both to fall. Her limp body landing on mine. It hurts but there's no time for laying around. I know John had to have heard that and he will be heading out here as quickly as he can drunkenly stumble down the stairs.
Gracie looks up at me as I pick her up with all my might. She tries to say my name but barely anything comes out. I can here her crying a muffled "I'm sorry" and I whisper that its okay.
I hear John outside of the house as I help Gracie into the car. He sees me and starts to run towards me as I jump in and crank the car. As he reaches us I slam my foot onto the gas and speed away nearly hitting him. At least that part is over but I still don't know if shes okay. I run the red light down the road from my house on the insane rush to get her back inside.
"Please, don't take me to the hospital." She whimpers from behind me, "I'll be okay."
"Gracie.."
"Please, they'll separate us... you know that... Just don't leave me."
I sigh, "Grace.. I won't leave you."
As we arrive at the house i swerve into the drive way and run to her side and pull her out. I slam the car door and rush her into the house. I lay her down and cover her up. The only thing I know to do now is wait it out. I crawl beside her in my bed and hold her in my arms. I wont be sleeping tonight. I look at my shirt and see Gracie's blood on me. I just hope that shes okay.
I know she doesn't want to go to the hospital but I also know it is the right thing to do. What if she dies and I find myself responsible for her death? What if she dies and I could have saved her? I feel her shivering body beside mine and a tear falls down my cheek.
"Please be okay." I whimper aloud.
I feel her body slowly breathing beside mine and I hug her tighter. I wipe the hair out of her face and rub her forehead. Her skin his clammy and hot. She is pale from head to toe. Her breathing is irregular and I can tell that she is hurting. I want so bad to take her to the hospital but I know that she wont let me. I also know that shes right, they will take her from me. She'll be sent off to some loony house and Ill be all alone. Does that make me selfish? Does it make me selfish to want her to stay with me, even if it means she endures a little pain?
I sit up beside her and look down at her fragile body then lift her limp head up in my arms and lightly lay her in my lap and pet her hair back. She doesn't open her eyes and I lay my hand on her chest to feel her breathing and check her heart beat.
Thump thump.... nothing.... thump thump... thump thump... nothing... thump thump...
Her rasp breathing scares me. She seems to be having trouble finding her breath.
"Gracie?"
She doesn't answer me and the fear of her slowly slipping into a Coma over whelms me. Another tear streams down my face and falls to her forehead. I wipe it of and run my hand down her cheek.
Please be okay.
Ive heard of people overdosing and being okay. Then again, Ive heard of people going into liver failure. Their body turns yellow as something called Bile is leaked from their liver and into their blood stream as the toxins from the drugs eat away at the liver. Ive also heard of people dying form heart failure after an overdose. Their heart slowly coming to a stop, never to beat again.
I whisk the tears form my cheeks and look down at my best friend. I know that all I can do is watch her. I wont let her die. If push comes to shove, I will take her to the hospital, even if that means losing her. Id rather never be able to see her again and see her live, than to lose her forever and see her die.