She Wasn't Worth Saving

Just Keep Breathing

He had stopped crying, Harry had managed to haul his limp body over to the corner of the dank cell and rest his head against the wall. 

I killed a girl today.

He kept replaying the scene over and over in his mind, thinking about how he managed to believe such lies. How he actually believed that Louis was trapped in this place like he was, and how striking out the killer blow to one human being was okay in the sense that he was saving another. 

Tears burned the back of his eyes again. Harry never cried. He never like showing how things affected him, not since he went to Ghana for charity. Things have to be really bad... In order to make him cry. 

He heard cautious footsteps outside the door, followed by a jingle of keys. Thinking it was Spud, Benny or even Senitar coming back to mock him he shouted out in anger.  "Fucking leave me alone you bastards!" 

The lock in the big heavy door clicked, and slowly it was pushed open. To Harry's complete disbelief stood the girl. Completely naked like before, only now Harry noticed her body was even more beaten, bruised and burnt than before. 

"You? You-re.. You're menna be.." 

"Shut up." She said. Her voice was filled with hatred and it was the first time Harry had heard her speak. Harry was impressed she could still speak from what she had been through. Why was she here? Did she escape? Why would she unlock my cell. 

She avoided eye contact with him at all times, all she did was throw the keys she unlocked his cell with at his feet. Without saying anything else she ran off. 

Harry was still in shock from what was happening, but it didn't take him long to stand up, grab the keys and run out after her. He began to panic when he left the cell and he couldn't see her, han ran right thinking that was the direction she went in. 

She must have an escape route. 

Harry has always been a quick runner, and even though he was weak, he knew she must be weaker, it wasn't long before he could her her tiny footsteps running along the next corridoor. Knowing he was on the route to escape, the adrenaline in his blood began to pump faster and his speed was increasing. He almost ran straight into the back of Little Gem who stood with her back pressed against the wall, eyeing him to be silent. 

He kept his mouth in a straight line, trying to control his breathing as he listened. 

"I wonder where Benny got to." He heard someone say. Spud he thought. They were coming down the corriddor and Harry started to panic. Busted. 

"Probably giving Little Gem's entrance a good seeing to." Senitar sniggered. Harry felt her stiffen and he immediately felt the guilt rest heavily on his shoulders. 

They were still walking down the coridoor when Little Gem pushed him backwards and shoved him behind a large pillar that looked like it held up the ceiling. It was wide enough to fit them both behind. 

Harry felt awkward being pushed up next to her when she was naked. In respect he quickly slipped off his t-shirt and handed it to her. She narrowed her eyes but thinking smartly, she put it on. It had holes in it and was dotted with Harry's blood, but it was large enough to decently cover her.

At that point she pressed Harry into the pillar as Spud and Senitar walked pass.

Whatever she did, they're going to find out that she and I aren't being held captive. 

Once they were alone again, Harry's urgency became apparent. "We don't have much time Little Gem, do you know the way out of here?"

She visibly flinched. "Don't call me that." She grated. Without saying anything else, she ran in the direction they were going, and Harry followed close behind, trying to think of ways he could apologise to her.

After about seven minutes they finally came to some stairs that led up to sunlight. Without stopping the girl ran up the steps and into fresh air, followed by a relieved Harry.

"We need to keep going." Harry said quickly, knowing that the men will be after them. With his haste, he went to grab her hand and run, knowing that he's fast her he could hep her along. She immediatley pulled her hand from his grasp.

"I don't need your help." She spat out. Then started running.

Harry was considering on just letting her run, she obviously despised him and she had reason to. But he wasn't prepared to be responsible for her death when they were so close to being completely free. So he ran after her. 

She was running now, but he could see a visible limp in her step. 

She must be seething with pain. 

Neither of them had any idea where they were. They were just aimlessly running in hope they'd come across a road. They were travelling for about an hour without saying a word to eachother when it started to rain. 

"Fuck." Harry hissed under his breath. He was still shirtless and he wasn't used to being this under privelidged. Yet, he kept his mouth shut, he just kept  thinking about how easy he had it compared to this girl. 

"Please, stop. They wont find us, we have to find shelter." He said, as they were now nearing exhaustion. There steps had turned into stubles and there bodies were constantly fighting for support. 

She huffed and collapsed to the floor. They were both soaked through and had barely any clothes on. There was a small shelter formed by tree's and in order to both fit under it they'd have to squeeze tightly together. When Harry suggested it, she looked disgusted. 

"I'd rather freeze to death." She crossed her arms and went to another tree which had almost no concealment from the weather. 

"You could catch hypothermia, we need to keep warm!" He persisted. 

"I can barely look at you. Let alone 'cuddle up to you.' It's your fault I'm this exposed in the first place."

They slept seperatley.

 The rain continued to fall. 

The next morning Harry sat up and the sun was shinning, he instantly looked over the the girl and he saw she was still asleep. She was curled up under the tree. 

He wandered over to her, intent on waking her up and finding their way back home. 

He gently shook her shoulders, careful not to hit any of her scars or bruises. "We need to get moving, c'mon wake up." 

she didn't move. He shook her a little harder and the same result. He could see she was breathing, but only slightly. 

She was unconcious. 

"Oh my God. Oh I wish I knew your name goddammit!" He looked around him in hope of figuring out the best direction for help. He picked her up bridal style and set off. 

Harry constantly spoke to her. "Don't die on me now. Not when we've got this far." 

His arms grew weaker and weaker as he continued to carry her limp body through the tree's. He tried to take his mind off the rising panic by studying the nature around him, but none of it worked. 

"Just keep breathing, c'mon." 

2 hours

He collapsed onto his knee's from exhaustion, and he steadied her head. He struggled back to his feet and continued forward. Am I going in circles? 

3 hours

4 hours

He was beginning to walk with his eyes closed, his lips were cracking from being parched and he knew his skin was pasty. But the girl he was holding was far worse. Her breathing was ragged and her wounds had re-opened. 

She was dying. 

His foot suddenly hit a hard surface and his brittle bones made him fall once more. Soon after he felt the ground rumble and he realised he was on a road. 

He could have cried with joy, he carefully placed the girl down so he could stand and wave a car down. 

As the headlights flashed indicating they were pulling over he breathed a sigh of relief through a smile.