Holding My Breath [Wattys 2016]

1 0 8 ~ B l u e

                 

Present Day ~ July 24, 2011

I watch her walk away. I watch as she leaves me on the bench, as she walks away with that man, the one who would be dead if I had a say in it, and do nothing.

Because I can't do anything.

I see it as clearly as she does. The people around the park, they aren't just people. They're undercover, working for Caesar. When Rusty leaned in to whisper in my ear, I felt tears start to well in my eyes. This might be the last time I see her. And I never got to tell her... you know. How I feel about her.

I never got to kiss her. I've almost done it a handful of times, but now it's too late. Because she's walking away from me, and if I move to help her, someone is going to die. There's no doubt that they are all armed. They are all watching us.

Something inside of me breaks as she walks past the woman in green and towards Caesar. Away from her brother.

She's really going to do it. She's really going to let herself die because of how much she loves him. That kid doesn't even know how lucky he is to have a sister like her.

I close my eyes for a couple of seconds and just breathe. This can't be it. When we were in the car on the way here, she had sat with me, holding my hand. I realize now that that was her goodbye. And before we got out, when I had hugged her and let myself crumble for the couple seconds she couldn't see my face, that was the last time I would get to hug her...

Sawyer was right. I am whipped.

I open my eyes. There is no way in hell that I'm going to let her die tonight. There is no way in hell that I'm going to let these people take her brother. I pull out my phone, just like she told me. I know they are all watching. I know they are waiting to see what I will do.

I text my dad. I tell him to call 911 and send them to the park. There are people here with guns, and they took Rusty. I'm near her brother but I can't get to him safely.

He texts me back telling me the police are on their way. He has already been in contact with them. He then adds that I shouldn't do anything stupid. The police are still five minutes away.

I tell him that I'll try. But I don't know if I can't wait that long.

I keep my eyes on the little boy on the top of the monkey bars. He's crying now, wanting to come down, but the woman gives him a look and he shuts up. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him. Rusty is relying on me. Of all things, I can't let her down now.

I see an older man come up to the edge of the playground. I watch as he smiles up at Toby and then walks over to talk to the woman. Then it kind of clicks... the man knows Caesar's puppets. He matches Rusty's description perfectly. That's the store clerk.

I don't bother to question it as a cop car with flashing lights pulls up. It isn't my dad, but it is a police officer. An ambulance is right behind him. The officer gets out and looks around, then spots me. He walks up to me. I can't wait any longer. I stand up. The blond man gives me a warning look.

"Aaron Tucker?" I nod. "Which child is it?" He asks me this in a low voice.

"Monkey bars. Dark hair." I reciprocate his whisper and watch as he speaks into his radio. I'm jumping on the balls of my feet now, looking at the road that leads here. Caesar's people look confused. They aren't like him... They don't know how to walk away unscathed. They can't look into a security camera and not get caught. A few of them start to back away, but I can tell others are angry. Pulling out their guns and knives.

Then I hear the first gunshot and everything inside me drops. It doesn't come from the park. It comes from somewhere else.

They aren't far away.

No.

She's not dead. She can't be.

A bullet can't kill her. She's been through more than that and she's okay. She has to still be alive. She has to.

Two police officers move in quickly to the playground, and I notice more of Caesar's people start to retreat a little bit. My phone buzzes.

I look down, then up at the road. My dad's here.

Turning to make sure that they have Toby, that he's safe, I point to my dad's truck and tell the police officer, "That's the man who called you. He can tell you the rest."

Another gunshot cracks through the sky like a whip.

And with that I'm running, feet pounding the pavement so hard that I don't feel it. I don't know which way I'm going. I don't know where they went exactly, just that it was this way. I don't think I've ever run this fast before, that I've ever wanted to. Needed to.

I can't let her die. It can't happen this way.

But I'm too late. I see the bridge, throwing me off for just a split second. It clicks into place... Of course, he would take her to the bridge. Of course, we fell right into his trap.

And then I see the people at the entrance. It will take too long to get past them. I glance behind me and see the ambulance and another cop car following me.

Thanks, dad.

It hits me like a bullet. But I'm not the one who got shot. I have to make it to the edge of the bank before I can see her, standing on the edge. She's alive.

But it doesn't last for long. I hear it first.

The gunshot.

I see it next, her body crumpling backward with the force, falling. I scream, but it doesn't help anything.

She hits the water with a splash.