Escape

Chapter 11

The road turned out to be a dead end. I should have known. I was about to turn my car around and leave when I see another car parked next to a tree. all the windows were down and all the doors were open. I stopped my car and got out. As I neared it I recognized that it was Riley's car. Did I find her? Is she dead in this car? Am I too late? As I reached closer to it, I feared the worst was in store. Looking into the car, there was no one there. Something caught my eye on her dashboard. It was a packet of bullets. What was Riley doing with bullets? Oh no! NO! RILEY!!!

Without realizing it I was running, my head was feeling light and all my energy felt drained but I was running, and crying. While running I stumped my toe on something and fell to the ground. I got up and when I looked at my right hand I saw blood but honestly at that moment, that didn't hurt me. Knowing what Riley did or was going to do did. It hurt so bad. It ached. I continued to run. For I feared I was running out of time. 

Then I stopped. Why did I stop? Because now I was face-to-face with death. Riley stood in front of me. Gun in hand. Her face was worn from crying, her hair was a mess, her clothes were full of dirt, her hands were shaking, her eyes red, her lips dry. She looked confused and scared. 

Liv- "Riley, It's me Liv"

Riley- "I know it's you. I'm not crazy", she was getting closer to me 

Liv- "Riley, what are you doing here. I have been looking everywhere for you. Are you okay?" 

Riley- "Like you care!"

Liv- "I do. Riley, what has happened to you? You look tired and confused. Put the gun down Riley. You're going to hurt yourself"

Riley- "Stop! Just stop it okay. Everyone is trying to ruin my life by controlling me"

Liv- "I'm not trying to control you. Just please! Put the gun down!"

Riley- "No! He hurt me. He told me that he loved me and then he left me. I hate him! What is life but humiliation, struggle, heartbreak and disappointment"

Liv- "It is hope, faith, forgiveness, chances" 

Riley- "Shut up! Just shut up okay! You don't know me!" 

Liv- "I know I don't know you. But I sure as hell want to but to do that you need to come with me. Let's go home".

Riley- "Home? Ha! What is that? I have been gone for days and where are my parents? Probably off having the time of their life without their psycho daughter"

Liv- "Psycho" 

Riley- "Yes! When I was seven years old my parents left me in charge of my four year old brother. He would not leave me alone. Always crying for his precious mommy and daddy. Then he crossed the line. He trashed my room. Knowing that I didn't like him troubling my stuff. I pulled out a kitchen knife, cornered him and stabbed him in the chest...."

With that I leaped back. She killed her little brother. Oh my God! She is a psycho. A psycho killer. She never told me. Maybe that's why they had to move from their old neighborhood. 

Riley- "I know what you're thinking. She's a crazy bitch. Ha! I am"

She was getting closer. I was frozen solid. Scared to even breathe, much less move. She was a murderer. Her eyes were like balls of fire. Now I was scared to death. Was she going to kill me too? For trying to save her. with that she drove the gun to my neck and she was staring me in the eyes. Remember I told you that I was face-to-face with death. Well now I was eye-to-eye with it.

Riley- "Bet you're thinking I'm going to kill you" 

My eyes were tightly shut. Thinking about my family and everyone I wasn't going to say goodbye to and all the things I didn't get to do. Waiting for her to pull the trigger and end my story.

Riley- "Ha! Ha! Ha! Look at your face. Thinking I'm gonna kill ya. I'm not going to kill you"

With that she removed the gun and turned her back and began to walk. I swallowed hard. Feeling a bit faint. Light headed. I wanted to throw up and scream at the same time. 

Riley- "You know Liv, I actually liked you. Take care of yourself. Tell my parents goodbye for me okay?"

Then it happened. Riley raised the gun to her head. She shut her eyes and was ready to pull the trigger. Time was going too fast. I didn't think, I just did.

"NOOOOOO...", I screamed to get her attention. She opened her eyes.

Liv- "Riley, don't do it"

Riley- "Why not? What is life? I mean come on. I gave him everything and what do I get, nothing but a broken heart."

Liv- "Riley, please don't do this to yourself. Please don't do this to ME!"

Riley- "Liv, you've got your whole life ahead of you. You have a great family, you're doing great in school, the teachers like you and you're practically the girl that everyone wants to be"

Liv- "Well, on the contrary, Riley that's you", I paused and took a deep breath, "Ever since you joined school that was all everyone has been talking about. You're perfect. I mean, you're beautiful, multi-talented you're just amazing and I have never once envied anyone until I saw you. Next to you I look like a sidekick. Riley, this isn't you. You are not going to do this to yourself. You are my best friend and I love you!"

With that, I stepped forward feeling confident. 

Liv- "Riley, come with me. Let's forget this ever happened"

Riley- "I can't"

Liv- "Yes you CAN and you WILL"

Riley- "Why do you care so much?"

Liv- "I already told you Riley. It's because I love you and I know that you're better than this. Just put the gun down and come with me"

With that she dropped the gun.To me it felt as though the world was going in slow motion. She came running to me with tears in her eyes.

Riley- *hugs me* "I love you too Liv Rivers"

By then we were both crying on each others shoulders. My best friend Riley was still alive. I saved her. I saved her life and she saved mine. She made me realize how self centered I was and she made me change. She taught me how to appreciate. How to appreciate my family, my friends, my neighborhood, my school, just everything and I'm thankful for that. Honestly, I'm not that religious but I really think that God was instrumental in Riley killing her brother, to whatever happened in her neighborhood, to her relocation which happened to be next door, for her scaling my fence and jumping through my window and into my heart. It was all done for a reason. God wanted to show me that in life it's not always about you but about the people around you. Riley was one of those persons. I would like to take a moment and say this..."Thank you God for putting Riley Adams in my life".