Elizabeth P.O.V
I heard a shot and I froze letting out a shriek of fear at the sound.
I turned around and I saw the hunter standing on one leg awkwardly. He had his rifle pointing at me, but I didnt feel any pain making me sigh relieved, he had probably most likely missed! Maybe even by centimeters!
He suddenly fell to the ground groaning in pain, I had shot his knee and blood was coming out like a river making me feel sick!
I never wanted to touch a gun ever in my life again!
I turned around again to face Ashton and his eyes were scrunched in pain making me worry at once, that damn hunter had really beaten the crap out of him!
He was probably in so much pain from his leg, I had noticed he wanted to scream out in pain but he held it in. It teared my heart to see him like this but we had to go while we still had the chance.
I shook him lightly "Ashton we have to go! This is our chance, Im sorry but you're going to have to stand" I said apologetically.
I looked at his swollen face, his left eye already going purple, the whole side of his face was bright red going blue, his lip was bleeding and he had a cut on the side of his head, not to mention that his leg was definately broken.
It was all my fault, he was trying to protect me and he got hurt!
He had saved me from that nasty man and I was grateful he did but God he was so hurt! How was he going to walk all the way to the road?!
"Ashton" I said his name again ignoring the way my ribs throbbed, I too, wanted to roll in pain and cry and cry but I didnt, all that mattered to me now was that we had to escape while we had the chance.
He opened his eyes and groaned, I frowned worriedly when I saw his unfocused eyes, oh no, he couldnt pass out on me right now!
His hands were pressing on the side of his stomach hard and he kept sort of panting for breath, as if he had cried so much there was nothing left in him, his ragged breath made me begin to worry even more now.
"Ashton?" I repeated his name worriedly, his breath was hitching, it seemed that he couldnt breathe!
"Ashton! Ashton!" I said his name terrified now, "What-?" I looked at his hands, they were full of blood.
I gasped and felt my heart stop, literally my heart stopped, I put his head on my legs and moved my hands to were his where.
"Ashton" I said in a shaky voice trembling all over "Let me see baby" I tried to pride his hands from the spot he was holding but he didnt move them. "Ashton please baby let me see!" I moved his hands and gasped again wincing in pain from my ribs.
But nothing prepared me for what I would see underneath his hands!
I almost swooned at the sight of so much blood and felt as if I couldnt breathe myself.
He had been shot! Ashton was the one who had gotten shot instead of me!
Tears blinded me and I sobbed loudly not caring if it hurt my ribs, Ashton had been shot!
I looked at the wound and felt sick, how could I have not noticed it before? It was in the side of his stomach and blood was gushing out of it.
I closed my eyes feeling very very sick and lightheaded, this couldnt be happening to me!
This wasnt real!
It couldnt be!
Ashton wasnt shot!
But he was, he gasped for breath and began to pant louder making sob louder, "Oh God, oh God!" I kept repeating looking around wildly as if some miraculous solution would appear next to me.
I dint know anything about wounds like this but I did learn some stuff from movies. I put my hands on it and I pressed hard, at once my hands began to soak with his blood.
I felt dizzy all over, and Ashton winced and yelled in pain.
"Im sorry, Im sorry Ashton," I cried pressing on the wound, maybe the bullet had passed and not hit any major organs?
But I was beginning to feel extremely terrified, there was so much blood on the floor I hadnt noticed before, the wound on Ashton's stomach was so large, it looked as if an animal had bitten a huge chunk of his flesh.
Don't pass out, dont do it, I ordered myself.
I tried staying calm but my heart started to beat faster, the tears falling down my face were landing on my hands mixing with the blood.
"Liz" I heard him say weakly.
I looked at him, up at his face and almost gasped, he had began looking pale.
Very pale! Almost a grayish color.
No he wasnt going to leave me!
"Liz" he repeated panting louder for breath.
"Yeah?" I croaked looking around wildly again, the hunter was still on the ground groaning in pain, almost motionless, he wouldnt be any help at all.
"Stop" Ashton whispered so quietly I barely heard him.
Stop? Stop what?!
"Please stop it hurts" he pleaded.
I shook my head again taking a deep breath so I wouldnt pass out "If I stop you will loose more blood!" I said chocking on a sob. There was no way he would leave me!
"Lizzie" he whispered, he began to look paler by the second.
"NO! NO, listen to me Ashton you're not leaving me! You have to stay strong baby! I know you're so much more stronger thank you think!" I told him with a shaky voice, "I just need-" I took a deep breath "I need to get help, I need to-" my mind was going blank, we were in the middle of the forest!
How in the hell was I going to get help?
I was dying inside from panic, I wanted this to be a nightmare. I pressed his wound more as I felt the blood running down my own hands.
He yelled again in pain and looked ready to burst out crying, but I knew he was holding it in. To be honest I wondered how he hadnt gone into shock already!
My heart was crashing in my chest as I looked at him, if he hadnt gone in to shock yet this that mean....he was slowly dying?
NO! My mind screamed at my own thoughts.
He closed his unfocused eyes looking really in pain but it only made me panic.
"Ashton you cant leave me! Please please! DO NOT leave me! OPEN your eyes" I cried to him.
He opened his sudden tired eyes and forced a smile at me, oh that beautiful smile, I loved that smile so much! "I always loved you Liz" he whispered making me sob "You love me Ashton not loved!" I told him.
I was trembling so hard from fear, I would not lose him! He was going to survive this and then we would be happy together and someday we would look back at this day and laugh. We would tell our children about this day and they would be proud that their daddy was a survivor.
"Lizzie" he whispered. "Promise me...promise me.." he said closing his eyes again looking like he was so exhausted all he wanted to do was sleep.
"Promise you what?" I said shaking him a bit, I was on the verge of falling into a cliff of panic!
He locked his beautiful blue eyes with mine and asked pleadingly "Promise me you'll run away" he whispered.
"NO!" I screamed without a doubt, I shook my head forcefully. Making my ribs hurt even more, I gasped for breath and I tried to take deep breaths, the thought itself stung me, how did he think I would run away and leave him here?!
Was he crazy!?
"Please Lizzie... do it for me...as a final request" he said, as he said this he got a pained look in his eyes that told me he knew.....he knew he was going to die.
And a deep part of me did too, the more rational logical part knew, thats why I kept telling him he would not leave me.
But the other part of me refused to believe that!
He thinks he is going to die... well he isnt!
"No Ashton!" I said sternly looking around again, looking around for my miracle.
"Please Liz.....promise me you'll run away and get out of here" he asked sounding almost as if he was begging.
I shook my head again, "I'll run away only if I'm with you" I told him.
He sighed and shook his head slowly his eyes getting a knowing look that made my chest hurt so much.
"Lizzie promise me?" he asked once more closing his eyes, his lower lip trembling slightly.
He grabbed my hand from his wound and gave it a small squeeze.
"PROMISE!" he yelled wincing as he did it.
"Shhhh Ashton dont talk" I begged getting a huge knot in my throat the size of an orange.
"Promise me then" he insisted looking seconds away from crying.
Promise? Promise him what?! That I would leave him here?! NO!
I looked away from him, closing my eyes in disbelief.
This wasnt real! This was a nightmare!
How could life be so unfair?
I opened my eyes and forced myself to look at him, I couldnt promise him what he wanted.
I loved him he was my life, and he was dying in front of me I would not leave him!
"Ashton be strong baby we'll get help. Just stay breathing for me" I whispered grabbing his hand and putting it on my cheek, panic rose in me even more when I felt his cold hand.
Hysteria was building up on me and I was trying so hard to not show it!
"No Liz, I'm dying" he said weakly barely above a whisper now, blood had began to accumulate in his mouth and when he spoke it dribbled to his chin.
My heart broke at his words, I gulped and felt myself buckle! I trembled more and I felt as if my heart had sunk to the floor! "No" I said weakly "You're okay, its okay" I told him.
"Please...pro-" he started but choked, he started to cough and he spit out blood, he really did look like a mess, his face half swollen, leg broken, and now blood everywhere and half an open stomach.
My heart was breaking, I couldnt help but start sobbing loudly, my rose was runny and my eyes were blinded by tears, my heart hurt so much. As if someone had stabbed me with a huge knife right on the center of my heart.
His grip loosened on mine slightly making me struggle for breath. I couldnt think correctly!
All I could see was Ashton's chest rising and falling slowly.
He started to wheeze making me sob louder.
Shit what could I do?!
No no no no! This was NOT happening to me! This couldnt be happening to me! Everything had happened so fast! A couple of minutes ago we were laughing and talking like nothing mattered and now I had Ashton in front of me with a bullet wound, the life was getting sucked out of him.
I looked around again stubbornly, but even I knew it was impossible to get help, we were at least 1 hour away from the orphanage. I doubted hecould walk all the way back. I looked at the stupid walkie talkie. It was broken. The hunter probably stepped on it or broke it. I looked at the hunter, he was still rolling in pain clutching his knee.
Ashton started to cough again and I turned my attention to him holding his head sideways so he wouldnt choke. He squeezed my hand slightly again. "I feel so cold" he said quietly closing his eyes really looking half dead now.
Oh God!
I wanted to shriek with fear!
He was dying and I was just watching!
I looked at him lovingly and touched his face. I wanted to memorize every single fraction of his face. His eyebrows, the way his hair fell on his forehead. The little birthmark he had on his cheek, his dimples, his perfect mouth, and most lovingly his eyes.
Oh God the way he looked at me, so helplessy! How I would miss those eyes.
Wait what?
I was thinking of Ashton leaving me! How could I?! Guilt washed over me and I rubbed my bloody hands over his arms trying to warm them up.
He felt cold all over and a little voice in the back of my voice asked, how much time does he have left? How many minutes?
He stopped me and weakly held my hands to his mouth, he kissed them and said "I love you Elizabeth."
Whatever was left of my heart had been broken into little pieces.
I closed my eyes and began to shriek with pain, because my heart was aching so much and I just felt helpless! I really did, what the hell could I do?! I couldnt get him to stand, we were in the middle of the woods with a hunter who had beaten us both up, the road was God knew how far, what could I do?!
"HELP! HELP US PLEASE! SOMEBODY! HELP!" I shrieked the words into the silent woods, it was the only thing I could think of.
"PLEASE ANYBODY HELP US!" I sobbed.
No one came, no one replied, nothing.
Nothing at all, it was just me, Ashton, and the worthless hunter.
I sobbed into Ashton's chest yelling again.
"YOU CANT DIE! YOU CAN NOT DIE!" I screamed frantically feeling myself falling over that edge of panic, I was in total panic now.
No, he couldnt die! Not yet! He was so young! He had a whole life ahead of him!
He coughed more and I raised my head wondering if I was going to see his last couple of seconds alive. "Please Ashton dont leave me! You promised me you would always be with me! ALWAYS!" I cried grabbing his hands squeezing them so hard I bet it hurt him.
"Im sorry Liz...." he whispered looking like he was about to pass out.
"DONT ASHTON!" I screamed at him, hysteria had taken over.
"I feel scared Liz..."
I had no more heart he had taken it away with his words, he had broken it into millions of pieces.
"Dont be baby...everything will be alright!" my voice shook.
The grip on my hand had loosened more.
"Ashton OPEN YOUR EYES! OPEN THEM!" I shrieked pressing my hands on his wound again, hysteria was building in me more and more by the second! I didnt notice a puddle had formed soaking my jeans too.
Oh God, he had lost so much blood already!
"ASHTON! OPEN YOUR EYES BABY! I WANT TO SEE YOUR EYES!" I sobbed to him.
He didnt and I shook him desperately by the shoulders "ASHTON JAIME CASTRO YOU OPEN YOUR EYES RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR I WILL.. I WILL... KILL MYSELF IF YOU DONT!" I yelled at him.
For a couple of agonyzing seconds he did nothing, but then he opened them very slowly, as if it was a great effort for him.
"Liz, promise" he whispered.
PROMISE WHAT?!
I chocked on a sob I could do it couldnt I? Run away and leave him here? No.. the thought itself hurt too much!
He locked his eyes with mine, tears had formed in his eyes, "Promise?" he asked gently, almost tenderly.
I had to do it... He looked so hopeful at me...
This is his last will, his last few words, you have to promise him even if you dont mean it! A part of me said.
He's not dying, another said stubbornly.
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out except for my loud breathing..
"Promise"
"PROMISE WHAT?!"
"That you....you'll escape" more blood dribbled down his face.
I shook my head swallowing hard, promise him Elizabeth, promise him, a voice said in the back of my head.
"I.... promise" I managed to choke out, I told him quietly hoping he wouldn't hear.
Unfortunately he did, he kissed my hands again "Thank you Lizzie, now I can die as a happy man" he smiled at me weakly, his eyes held no emotion at all, but the tears slipped down his face.
I screamed when he said that and I almost clamped his mouth with my hands!
He's going to die. He really is dying in my arms!
I shook my head, "I love you so much...so so much Ashton, you wont die baby! I promise you wont! Stay breathing for me, please, please, Ashton just, continue to breathe" I told him moving closer to his lips I kissed him gently and softly.
I held back my sobs and I swallowed the lump in my throat, his lips were cold, full of blood, his lower lip was swollen, and yet, it was the most wondeful kiss ever.
I could feel him crying next to me which made me want to cry even more!
"Thank you," he whispered again, staring at me, I wanted to yell! To scream and yell and kick and trash around in agony! This couldnt be happening to me! I couldnt believe it! I wanted to curse and shout loudly and punch the trees! I felt as if I was going to go crazy! Yet I didnt do any of those things, I smiled weakly at my poor Ashton, my love.
"You're okay Ashton, you'll be okay" I whispered stroking his hair genty, wishing with all my heart still, that this was a nightmare.