Band-Aids On Bruises

Faith

I don't even say anything to Dustin's parents before I'm out the door and sprinting at full speed down the street. While I'm running, I manage to slip my phone back into my hoodie's pocket without slowing down.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit. Where is he?! Dustin don't do anything stupid! Please!" I mutter to myself as I run. The street seems so much longer than usual, like it's just expanding as I run as if it were a treadmill.

There's only one place that I know Dustin might go to, and it's where I'm heading right now, I hope I'm not to late though.

When I had answered my phone, I hadn't expected to hear Dustin's voice. I also didn't expect to hear him say the words he said.

"I'm sorry Fisher. I tried, but I just can't. I'm sorry I let you down. Goodbye."

My throat grows dry as I run, the park's much farther away than I remembered. My head begins pounding and my feet start to throb with pain after each step I take. I try to not think about what I might find, so I stare at the trees that I'm passing, or the clouds moving slowly in the sky.

It doesn't help though. The image of Dustin lying motionless on blood covered grass stays prominent in my mind. 'Please let that not be what I see... please....'

I skid to a halt after a few minutes of running. "Where is it!? The path should be around here!" I begin to panic. My head whips around in every direction looking for the path that leads to the park. "Shit, did I pass it?" I yell.

I continue forward, eyes scanning the street for the dirt road. I've only been to the park twice, so I still don't have a very good idea of where it is, plus the panic isn't helping me.

Finally, I see it. I almost passed it, but I 'stop on a dime' and spin on the spot and run back to it. I jog down the path. I have no idea if Dustin's even in the park or just around here.

"Dustin!" I yell as I make my way down the path towards the cluster of trees that indicate where the park is. I see no sign of him around here so I enter the park.

And I see him.

I cover my mouth with my hands and let a few tears run down my face.

He's alive, thank god.

"Dustin." I choke out through my panting. He doesn't turn to look at me though.

He's sitting in the middle of the park, a bag and coat laying on the ground next to him. He's only got his jeans and his pastel t-shirt on, and I can easily guess that he's freezing.

I snap out of my trance and run up to him. While I'm running, I see a glint of sliver in the grass, it's the missing knife.

I fall to my knees when I get close to him. I'm about to put my hands on his shoulders when I freeze and look at the grass below his arms. It's covered in blood. Dustin's hands are covering his eyes and is body is shaking, not from the cold, but from his intense crying.

"Dustin..." I whimper as I look at the grass to him and back to the grass. Suddenly, I see one of his arms. It's covered in long, deep gashes that are oozing blood. "Shit!" I exclaim and Dustin freezes. He must have not noticed me until now.

My instincts kick in and I rip off my sweater and shirt as quickly as possible, ignoring the cold. I gently grab Dustin's arm and bring it over to me, and wrap my shirt around it.

'Stop the bleeding. Stop the bleeding. Put pressure on the wound. Stop the blood flow.' my mind chants.

"Fisher...?" Dustin mumbles, but I don't respond. I'm completely focused on his wounds. I check his other arm after wrapping and tying up my shirt on the first one. It's only got two new small cuts that aren't very deep or bleeding much.