[[[the wonderful mess that we've made]]] [[[part iii]]]

28.

I lay myself back down and closed my eyes. If I could just imagine this wasn't happening, then I would be ok. I couldn't do anything else. I couldn't move. There was no point in shouting for help because there were hundreds if not thousands of people all screaming too.

I don't know how long I lay there for, just praying someone would come and help me. Imagining myself lying on a nice sunny beach somewhere, imagining the pain away with my eyes shut tight to keep out the horror that lay all around. It could've been five minutes, it might've been an hour. The sun was starting to set and the air seemed to drop in temperature.

And then I heard the sound of an angel.

'LILY.' I followed the sound and saw Dan stood amongst the rubble, unhurt. I began to sob. He was ok.

'Dan!' I yelled, finding my voice croaky and weak. I was terrified that he wouldn't find me. We were so close... He began walking away. I had to act. Even though shouting hurt my head. 'DAN SMITH!' I screamed with the last bit of energy I could muster.

His head turned in my direction and I waved my arm furiously. I watched his face light up with the same feeling I had in my heart; relief. He enveloped me into his arms and I began to cry.

'Are you ok?' He stroked my blood soaked hair and checked my face, my eyes, my hands.

'I'm stuck.' I pointed to my leg.

'Shit. We need to get you out of here, they're saying it was an explosion.' The relief was short lived.

'Jesus Christ, Dan help me, get me out of here.' I begged. What if there was another? What if it happened again? I tried to stand up and ease the pipe from my leg but the pain was unreal. Like nothing I'd ever experienced. I screamed and sobbed, clinging onto him.

'Stop.' He urged me. 'I'm going to get help.' He made to get up and run off. If he left, he'd never find me again. It was getting dark.

'No, please don't leave me.' I clawed at his top and used all the strength I had left to pull him back.