Take Me Away From Here

Chapter 19

Tim POV: 

Hearing her voice... God... I didn't realize just how much I was missing when I couldn't hear her clearly. Every little tone, every little annunciation, breath, and bit of pacing, I didn't realize I missed. I've never gone that long without hearing her voice. Not since I was about twenty years old. Now, I can't stop dreaming about her... 

This dream is too good... I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop for a half hour now, but it just seems to get better. She and I sat in bed, listening to the radio, and talking away. Her small baby bump makes me smile. We then got up and walked downstairs, where Gracie and Maggie were in a play pen. They giggle, before looking up at us with open arms. I smile brightly, picking up Maggie, and giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

Then, the scene seems to flicker, as if someone were flicking a light switch on and off repeatedly. Suddenly, I'm in a blue room, where she stands on the far side, her back against the wall, staring at me. I watch her closely, unsure what to do. I take a step toward her, watching the ground beneath her suddenly crack. I take another step, causing it to crack even more, long veins extending gradually, the broken concrete growling under her. I step back, now associating me with the cracking. The ground continues to crack from under her, but I'm too afraid to move. I know I'll make it worse... 

"Tim..." She cries out, reaching her hand out toward me. I look back at the ground, which is quickly crumbling out from under her. "Tim, help me!" She screams, striking me like a dagger. I take a step toward her once more, the ground falling out from under her, causing her to fall through. 

I rush toward the large gaping hole in the ground, looking down to see it's pure black. I can't tell how deep it is, or where it leads, but I know she's down there. I jump, and go down with her. 

Out of the darkness, emerges another image. She stands in front of her father, a gun pressed against the side of her head, as she whimpers. She looks at me desperately, mouthing 'help'... I feel helpless... I take a step toward him, hearing him pull the safety. She winces, tears pouring out as she sobs. Her cries cut me to the core. 

"Take me instead." I spit out, watching him smile. He turns the gun toward me, firing one shot, then another, then...

"Calm down, Sir..." A nurse releases, as heart monitors chime loudly, various alarms ringing out throughout the room. I look around me, before my eyes land on Faith. She sits quietly beside me, but her eyes are bloodshot and wet, like she's been crying for a while. Why has she been crying? "Alright, we are going to sedate him to control his heart rate." The nurse says, injecting a warm fluid in my IV. Within a few moments, I start to feel weightless. 

The moments pass quickly, the lights seeming to grow brighter. I blink slowly, the room suddenly emptying, and the sound of Faith's crying filling my ears. A doctor kneels down in front of her, talking to her gently, as she breaks down even harder. What is going on? I try to sit up, but I can't. I'm way too tired. 

"I'm sorry, Ma'm... We've tried everything. He's gone." She releases, making Faith come apart. She puts her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking as her entire body thrashes with every powerful cry that leaves her body. 

Am I dead? 

My eyelids grow heavy, beyond the point of reasonable resistance. 

The room is now completely barren, outside of Faith. She stares at me, reaching out and grabbing my hand, kissing my fingers. I force my eyes open, feeling less groggy than before. I swallow hard, before looking out the window. There's snow on the ground... It's August... how is there snow on the ground? I try to sit up, causing her to gently rest her hand on my shoulder.