The Hunt: The Final Chase (3) (Edited)

Chapter 37

Samuel shot right up like a board, as he dusted the rubble from the now broken Love Lock Bridge, off his sweatshirt and jeans. He looked around and felt a sharp pain in his neck. He felt behind his neck and wiped blood from a scar that had burst by the impact from the rocks. His shoes were damp from the shallow waters that had risen because of the nearby tide. Samuel wiped dirt and ash out of his eyes and realized that Marceline was no where to be seen. "Marceline!" he called out, slowly getting up from where he was sitting. He rapidly turned his head,  searching for the one good thing that kept him alive, Marceline. Samuel saw that there was blood in the water, but it wasn't very much. He knew that she was close, but once he heard a faint, "S-Samuel?" coming from under a large pile of dust and brick, Samuel dashed over calling out, "Marcy? Marceline!" Once he made it to the other side of the destroyed bridge, he saw a hand reach for him. He dug out the rubble, as small pieces of brick began to fall on his thin back. Samuel scattered the dust and bricks and saw Marceline, lying there with her eyes half shut, blood stains on her yellow shirt, and her jeans ripped and stained with dirt, ash, and blood. "Marcy, are you alright?" Samuel asked, trying to help her up. Marceline shook her head, "I-I can't move, my legs are stuck under the bricks," as her voice trailed off. "Samuel? You alright?!" Alex called, as she ran over to the bridge. 

"Marceline, what happened?" he asked. "It was Michael, he got Bailey and the boys," Marceline said, trying to get up, but she fell back down in the brick pile that was nearly washed away by the river's rising tide. Ash and broken bricks fell next to Samuel, as he said, "I have to save you first! Hold on Marcy, please hold on! Please don't stop looking in my eyes!" Bricks began to crumble around Samuel as he shielded Marceline, who could barely even see anything. Samuel began to break down in tears, "Don't you understand Marceline?" he began, as his voice trembled, "You mean more to me than anything else in this whole world!" and the bridge collapsed around them, as Samuel held Marceline close to him, keeping her from any more harm. Samuel felt a hand curve under his arm, and he was lifted up from the rubble, as he still held onto Marceline. Alex placed Samuel on the safe side of the land, next to the RV and the lawn chairs, and wiped the dust off his face and hands. "You okay?" Alex asked, panicking in her voice. Samuel nodded, "Yeah but, I don't think Marceline made it." Alex lightly tapped Marceline's face as Samuel wiped her face clean with his dirty hands. Alex splashed water on Marceline's eyes, trying to clean off the dirt, but nothing worked. Samuel believed she was dead, but he was wrong. Samuel held Marceline close to him, and wept. Alex sighed and said, "She was one of the only good things that came from this." "She was an angel Alex, she was a fucking angel," Samuel said, as he looked at Marceline's limp body. Samuel didn't know what to do, so, he kissed her upper lip, and held her in his arms. "I love you, so much," he whispered, as his tears muffled his voice. 

When all seemed hopeless, Marceline began to move her arms and legs, and she opened her eyes, smiling at Samuel. Samuel and Alex couldn't believe their eyes. "Marceline? Are you? Really alive? Or is it my overactive imagination?" Samuel asked. She laughed, "I'm okay, I was just knocked out from a brick hitting my head." "Thank our lady Mary Mother of God, she lives!" Alex cheered, hugging them both. Samuel helped Marceline up, asking, "Where are the others?" Marceline pointed up to the lighthouse, "Up there, they've been kidnapped, but I don't know how long they'll last. I'm fucking scared Samuel. But I was able to sneak this out of the lighthouse." Marceline handed Samuel a small Nikon phone, saying, "If we dial 911, we can get some help. And hopefully, we can get Michael arrested or even put to death." Alex looked at the phone and said, "I have a plan. It's risky, but we have a lot of extra gasoline left over. And I have Isaiah's old lighter that he decorated with old Vans stickers. And something tells me, that someone left their Jeep over the bridge." Samuel looked at the other side of the bridge, and saw an empty black Jeep with the lights still on. Samuel smiled saying, "Alex, I think I know what your thinking."