The Girl he Wants

56- Died Too Soon.

RECAP: Elizabeth's kidnapper finally carries out his plan to kill her and escape while Asher rushes to save her, only after saving himself with a little help from a S.W.A.T team.

***ELIZABETH'S P.O.V***

   In a split second Elizabeth feels weightless. Then, as she begins falling, she notices that her heart is the heaviest thing inside her as it pounds against her rib cage. Elizabeth only glances down once to let the fear settle in, and then she reaches for the nearest ledge, barely getting a grip. Both hands miraculously grab onto the highest floor's window sill.

   As she tries to contain her fear, frustration, and dread, she hears a cackle that cracks across the stiff sky and can only be comprehended as a gunshot. Not but seconds after the noise ripples into the night, a body sails past Elizabeth and falls, falls, falls.

   Elizabeth takes a chance and glances down to see that the person was, in fact, her kidnapper. She's actually glad she has looked down because she realizes that the man is still alive and that he has spotted her and is staring in disbelief. She basks in the triumph that he has not won, and genuinely smiles. Not for the fact that the man is dying, but for the fact that he would never see her suffer at his hands again.

   Yeah, that's right you son of a bitch. I'm still alive.

   Elizabeth cranes her neck back toward the roof, just as she calls out to the people above. "Help! Someone, please! Help!"

   Elizabeth's mind must be doing tricks on her because she swears she hears Asher's voice respond. "Elizabeth! Oh my God! Elizabeth, are you there?"

   Elizabeth watches as a face pops up from the side of the ledge. To her utter bewilderment and awe, it is Asher's face she spots and his pale blue eyes that she is able to peer into. Choking on her words, she says, "Asher? Is that really you? Or am I dreaming?"

   Asher smiles. "It's really me."

   Thud.

   Elizabeth's eyes skitter to down below where her kidnapper's body has just collided with the ground harshly. "Oh, God." Seeing the long ways down and taking into consideration that she might be next, she becomes dizzy and the entire word sways underneath her. "Oh, God..."

   Asher shouts. "Hold on! Grab my hand!"

   Elizabeth's eyes once again meet Asher's frightened gaze. Noticing that her arms are trembling and nearly useless, Elizabeth whimpers. "I can't lift my arms... I would fall."

   Asher curses and turns his head to someone behind him. "Everyone, grab my ankles. Please. Hurry!"

  Then when Asher whirls back around, he dangerously drops down even farther and reaches for her hand. Still, Elizabeth cannot lift herself an inch, and Asher cannot reach her. It doesn't help that with each passing second Elizabeth's arms are becoming weaker, and the rest of her body is becoming heavier.

   A tear slips from Elizabeth's eyes as Asher attempts to inch closer. Although she could fall to her death at any second, she is the happiest she's ever been throughout this entire ordeal. "I'm so happy you're alive. I-I thought you were dead. I thought..."

   "I know." Asher mumbles as he grows closer. His pale eyes are wild with panic, but he keeps his voice calm and smooth for her sake. "I couldn't believe I-"

   "Whoa!" Elizabeth screams as her left hand gives out.

   She looks below her. Her stomach has a hole in it and she swears the wind whips right through it. The earth shakes beneath her, each tremble in sync with her hastening heart. The tears start flowing like a stream now, and as she glances back up she watches as her bloody, slippery fingers begin sliding slowly off the window sill, disobeying her will and the prayers she sent to the Big Man above.