Holding My Breath [Wattys 2016]

8 1 ~ R u s t y

                 

Present Day ~ July 17, 2011

I pull on the door, forcing it open and then crawl to where Bailey is still strapped into the seat.

I have to get them all out this time. Even in the dark, right now, I expect Caesar to come and get me. But I know he won't. Not right now.

If he caused this crash too, then he would want to watch me struggle first.

Just like last time.

I unclip her seatbelt, but since I'm right underneath her, she doesn't fall. I pull her out of the car by the arms and leave her in the ditch before going back in.

Colton's seatbelt must have broken in the crash because he isn't hanging like Bailey. Maybe he wasn't even buckled. I try to pull him out of Bailey's door but it's no use. Instead, I crawl over him and kick his door out, then drag him out to the other side.

I stop and sit down. I'm going to have to crawl up the side of the ditch to get back under the trunk for Sawyer. I take a deep breath and pull my belt out of my belt loop. I've only seen this in the movies, but the amount of blood that is coming from my leg is scaring me, so I tie my belt around my thigh, just above the gash.

Then I climb. I'm feeling kind of light headed and everything around me is spinning a little, but I get back through the opening and under the truck.

I find Sawyer immediately. I stop and collapse on the ground beside him, shaking his arm as hard as I can. He has to wake up. There is no way I can get him out on my own.

"Sawyer, Sawyer get your ass up," I mumble into the ground. He grumbles and pushes my hand away.

"Sawyer we have to get out of here. The truck looks like it's going to collapse on top of us."

He turns to me. Then he looks around. His hand goes to his head, and he blinks a few times. "I think something's wrong with my head. I can't think straight."

"Sure. Blame it on the car crash," I say. He glares at me. "Right. It's probably a concussion. I've had one of those."

He rolls over onto his stomach and crawls out of the opening after a few minutes of me pointing and arguing with him.

I don't bother. Blue will be back soon, and I feel my eyes drooping. It's like the ground is pulling me to it, but I'm so tired I really don't feel like fighting it.

Duh, Rusty. It's called gravity.

It takes me a minute to remember where I am again. I'm not in the water. That burning in my chest isn't because I can't breathe. It's because I can, and for some reason, I want to cry.

Not because of my leg. Because now I'm totally screwed. Now, not only Caesar has found me. It's the police, the people who might recognize me that will. In a town this small, this crash will be big news. What if it's in the paper? What if the ambulance comes or the police and somebody asks my name? What if someone recognizes me?

Soon I hear voices. I think it's Sawyer and Colt.

"I saw a deer. I think it was a deer. But it was so dark I didn't realize I would run off the road. I am so sorry I--" Colton was rambling. At least he was fine.

"Oh shut up already," Sawyer snaps and Colt stops talking. "My head is killing me."

"Alright. Just stay here and I'm going to go see if I can wake up Bailey," Colton's voice fades and everything else is quiet again.

"Hey, princess?" I hear Sawyer call in my direction.

I press my face into the dirt. "What?"

"Where's Aaron? Is he okay?" He asks and I nod. Then I realize he can't see me.

"Yeah. He went for help." I say, and I'm not sure if it was loud enough for him to hear, but I don't bother talking anymore.

"Are you okay? You hurt?" He asks. I shake my head. "Hello?"

"Oh, um..." I trail off, suddenly caught in thought and curling myself into a tighter ball under the truck. "I'm okay. Just bleeding a little"

I hear some shuffling from outside of the truck. "You've got to get out of there, princess." He looks in from the gap we all have been using to crawl through.

I groan. I don't want to move. I'm fine where I am. I'll get out of here soon, but when I'm trapped under the car, I know Caesar can't get to me. Out there I feel so much more exposed.

Ha. Listen to me. I feel safe underneath an upside down truck in a ditch.

That just goes to show how messed up my life has become.

I hear some more voices and I realize that Bailey woke up. Sawyer moves away from the opening and towards where the voices are. "I'll be back in a second," he says.

Suddenly there are shouts from some of those down in the ditch. I look up at the gap where I should be climbing out but don't move yet. I hear Blue's voice and a few other voices. They are all asking if we are okay. If any of us need medical attention.

"Where's Rusty?" I hear someone ask.

"I'm here," I yell and see Blue's face appear in the gap a second later. "I'm coming," I say and start to crawl.

"Why are you in there?" Blue asks and I shrug. And of course, he can't see me. "Rusty?"

"I was getting Sawyer out, but..." I say quietly, trying to get past a rock.

"She bleeding a lot, Aaron." I hear someone tell him.

"I'm fine," I say.

He reaches a hand through and I take it, letting him help pull me out. I fall into the ground when I break into the fresh air, suddenly relieved for some reason. "I'm good. How's Bailey?" I ask him.

"Possible broken arm and Sawyer may have hurt his head," he makes me sit up and lean against him. "Rusty you are not fine," he looks down at my leg.

"It's just a scratch, really," I mumble.

"No, it's not," he says, slipping a hand under my legs and behind my back. He picks me up.

"Blue, I'm okay," I say, my face heating me up at how close we are. He sets me down on the edge of the road, sitting down with me.

"Look, the ambulance will get here in a minute. Just sit still until then." He lets me lean against him again and we wait.

"I could have walked here, you know. You didn't have to carry me." He laughs. "What's funny?"

"You," he grins. "You don't accept anyone's help."

"Fine, whatever. Thanks," I grumble and close my eyes. He laughs again.

I like his laugh. He should laugh more often.

I hear sirens in the distance but make no move to get up. I'm perfectly fine right here, with Blue's arm around my shoulder and my last moment of peace looming over me.

The sirens... for a moment it makes me think back to months ago when I was running from that cop. It gives me a quick jolt of panic. But I let it go, for now. This time, everyone made it out of the car alive. That's what's important. Those sirens aren't coming for Anna the criminal. They're coming to help... Whatever happens next is okay as long as everyone stays okay.

As long as nobody else dies because of me.