Chasing Tides

Chapter 14

Chase's stare was intense, it made my legs shake, and my chest ache, and these feelings were foreign to me. I looked away quickly, still captured tightly in his hold. He looked at me confused as to why I was closing him out. I didn't know. The room began to close, his hands burning through the thin fabric of my damp T-shirt, in an subtle act of panic I pushed away from his bare chest and put as much distance between us as I possibly could. I quickly searched for something to busy myself with, settling on shifting idly through my duffel bag. Braving a glance, I saw Chase starring at my rummaging hands with confusion. Tension grew in my stomach, as he stood unmoving and unspeaking. I'm not entirely sure what it was that I was expecting, but when he ran his hands through his hair, sighed, and turned towards the bedroom, my heart sank.
The faint sound of a crackling radio could be heard through the walls "We are asking everyone to please stay off of the roads. The hurricane is fast approaching, and we have an impending Tsunami on the radar. Follow standard precautions." I stopped listening, and moved toward the window. The sky was dark, but the lights of homes far from shore could be seen. I searched for the sea, but saw only an eery abundance of black and the exaggerated swaying of palm trees beyond the panes of glass. I turned back towards the living room, and gathered my supplies for bed. Though the home was small, it conveniently had two bathrooms, meaning I didn't have to walk through the bedroom where I knew Chase was expecting me. It came as a pleasant surprise to turn the sink knob and have fresh and clean water flow from the spigot. Feeling greedy, I decided to take advantage of the situation and shower quickly, knowing I may to be grace with such an opportunity in time to follow.
After I finished washing up and brushing my teeth, I was equally relieved and disappointed to see no one in the living room or kitchen. I ventured to the couch and laid down in silence, content without a blanket. I wasn't entirely sure why I walked away from Chase, I had wanted this since the first day I saw him. He was all I thought about for months, but my brother's words rang in my head
Have you even heard what he has done?
Why don't you ask him what kind of person he is.
As my heart battled with my brain, I drifted into a melancholy sleep.

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CHASE...
Two pairs of eyes competed for my attention, one set cold and grey that threatened and warned. The second set, once green and warm, now pleaded for me to stop, for time to go back. My hands shook violently, I bit my lip hard to stop the quaking. "Chase" I soft voice cooed. "Don't do this Chase" a silent sob. A click, "CHASE NO" a demanding cry. A bang, and a blur of red, a white hot searing pain. Another bang. And another bang. Then a woman's cry so final. A feeling of pain and guilt so powerful it knocked me to my knees. The scream reverberated through my ears, not stopping. It was different. It was real.
I sat up straight in an unfamiliar bed, wiping away a stray drop of water that slipped from my eye. A familiar ache ripped through my chest, constantly reminding me of the regret and the hurt. Then another sound came, the deafening sound of the angry storm and a cry of my name, this time it wasn't a dream.

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TAYLOR...
A scream involuntarily escaped me as a burst fiery pain tore through my side. The pain didn't subside, and began to cloud my vision and mind. I watched blackness slowly begin to creep its way across my eyesight. Not ready to die a helpless death, I looked for my feet but only saw the deep, textured, brown of a tree trunk. I struggle hard against it weight, wriggling as much as it's demanding presence aloud. I pushed so hard I thought the darkness might take me right then, but the large tree didn't budge. As consciousness began its final descent, I called for the person I wanted to face death with. A strangled call left my lips just as I slipped into black.
"Chase"

CHASE...
I ran through the dark avoiding the jungle that now resided in the living room. Time slowed.
"Taylor!" My eyes frantically searched the confines of the room, looking for the beautiful blonde girl.
"Taylor!" She didn't respond. Panic began to spread through me, like cement in my veins. This room was so small, but it was becoming one with nature, leaves swirling heavily through the air, and rain so copious it was near impossible to see anything at all. I thought of the last place I saw her. I don't remember her ever coming into the bedroom, and I never came to get her, she must have fallen asleep on the couch.
What kind of guy lets the girl of his dreams sleep on the couch, douche bag.
I looked up the remains of the ceiling, there wasn't much to speak for. Then my eyes landed on the massive tree that took up near all of the home, underneath it a petite beige couch and wisp of gold hair. My adrenaline soared as I moved to Taylor. the tree lay over top of her chest, propped up by the crumpled couch. She was unmoving, her soft features peaceful, but her breathing labored. In a burst of strength so intense I nearly passed out, I lifted the enormous tree just enough to allow room enough to pull her out. I captured her small frame and brought her to my chest quickly grabbing my keys and venturing into the storm. Her arm gushed blood from a large gash, and I tied my shirt tightly around the wound, while setting her in the cab of the Silverado and buckled her limp frame in. My tires spun in the mud momentarily before jutting backwards. I shifted gears and began the long descent to Kyle's emergency shack. The road was slippery, and deep at time, and the ride down the mountain required my full attention, but the girl to my right seemed to suck that attention away. Her face was pale, and the once white T-shirt on her arm was now red. It wasn't clear how much damage had been done, but it was clear that whatever it was had caused her to pass out. Glancing over to make sure she was ok, I noticed her breath slowing. Just as my middle and pointer fingers reached her neck to search for a pulse, the cliff to the right of us came sliding down with the rain. The rocks came with the cliff all sliding towards us at full speed, I quickly pulled Taylor to my chest and slammed my eyes shut as the first blow came.
The rock hit the car with enough force to knock off the side mirror, and I unbuckled Taylor's seatbelt to remove her from the side nearest the crumbling cliff. The next few rocks landed in the truck bed, surely damaging the paint job at the very least. As another rock tumbled down, I pondered an escape plan that worked around the mud blocked doors. But all too soon, there came an enormous crash and the roof of the Silverado caved in on us leaving for dead.