Curiosity Book 1 ✔️

Chapter 20 Part 2

~Tanners Pov~

     "How did I get out?" I answered her question with a question, "They thought they killed me, when really all they did was stab my shoulder and knock me out. I came to a few hours later and I."

    "You what?"

    "I killed them," I said in a whisper.

    "You had to. Otherwi-"

    "Otherwise nothing! I killed them! They died because I thought... I thought they killed you. I... I wanted revenge."

    "It doesn't matter. They're dead now, they can't hurt you or me anymore."

     "They're dead because of me."

     "Stop blaming yourself. God, I wish Cami were here. Especially now."

     "Where... Where is she? Have you seen her?"

     A noise came out of her, an indescribable noice.

    "I've seen her. Yeah," her eyes filled with tears, "I argued with her right before... Before the bridge collapsed. I'm only alive by a freak accident."

    "She's..."

    "Dea-" she grabbed her side and bent over, "Fuck!"

    "Jewel! Jewel, what's wrong?! Jewel!"

    She only groaned before removing her hand from her side to show me.

    Blood. Her hand was red, dark red.

    She looked up at me, grabbed the hood of my jacket and pulled me closer.

    "D-Don't let me die..." She gasped for breath, "Die. In a grocery store."

    "No no no. Jewel, I'm not letting you die at all. Not today, not without me," I stood up and slowly picked her up in my arms.

     I swept everything off the counter and laid her down gently. She was so pale; I ran through the store looking for something to help her. Something, anything to fix her.

    I found a bottle of alcohol, a box of sewing needles, and a string like wire. I picked up a pair of small pliers, anything to get the glass out.

     I ran back to her, in a daze I tore the shirt basically in half. I took a few deep breaths, before I heard her cough.

     I slowly started taking the glass out. She let out a muffled shriek, as she bit her lip and grabbed hard onto my arm. I took a glove out of my pocket and put it in between her teeth, "Bite on this, we don't want to be attacked now."

     I started back on the glass, taking it out before tossing it away. I broke open the package and took out one, setting the rest aside. I slipped the string-like-wire through the small slit.

    I carefully and gently began stitching. I didn't think I was doing too bad for someone who's never done this before.

     What felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, later I was done. I wiped up the blood and wrapped a cloth tight around her.

     She still looked pale, like a ghost. I pressed my fingers to her neck. I felt her faint pulse against the pads of my fingers. Her eyes were closed, I could see how badly she needed to rest.

     She was covered in mud, grass, rocks, glass, blood; so many cuts and bruises.

     I sat down on the ground, walked around the store, messed around with the stuff inside, walked outside only to go back in. I did random things for hours as she slept.