If Only She'd Loved Him

Chapter 87

Saturday 8:02 pm

The adrenaline that shot through Megan was pure instinct fighting to live.  Her arm was numb.  Blood slid through her fingers with each step. Erik had tricked her.  He'd used the same trick she'd used on him, and it was going to cost her life.  Her arm lolled on her shoulder.  God, it hurt!  Clutching her wounded arm close to her chest, Megan ran.  Branches slapped in her face.  Leaves whipped up around her feet.  She didn't even feel them.  She kept on running.

Erik's feet crackled behind her but soon slowed.  Not only did Megan have a good head start, he no longer had his flashlight, so he couldn't see where she was going.  He held still and listened.  There.  Off to the right he heard her footsteps.  But then they just stopped.  He ran to where he'd heard noise, but as he ran his feet slipped out from under him, landing him hard.  Silence.  He pushed himself off the ground with his fingers.  They weren't just wet; they were sticky.  He might not be able to track Megan with light, but he could do it by feel.  He heard footsteps receding in the darkness.  Either she had gotten further away or she had slowed down.  He bet on the latter.

He was right.  Megan was fighting too much to keep going.  She had to do something, had to halt the bleeding before she passed out, but she couldn't stop.  If she stopped she was dead.  The tree made the decision for her.  Crashing into it arm first, she screamed in agony.  The pain that jolted through her shoulder felt like an electric shock.  No! No! Megan fell to the ground.  Crying, clutching her arm, she crawled around the tree and tried to bury herself in its bark. She took as deep a breath as she could. Her chest wheezed and rattled in protest, but still the air helped her.  Shutting out the noise her lungs made as well as she could, Megan listened behind her.  She couldn't hear Erik anymore.  Maybe he's given up? 

She decided to take a chance.  Propping herself against the wood she tried to figure out what to do next.  Arm first, she decided.  Shivering as her bare skin was exposed to the air, she tore off a jagged strip of cloth, then lowered her sweatshirt back down.  Holding the material in her right hand, she pressed it up against the wound in her left shoulder.  She ripped another piece of cloth off her tee shirt and wrapped it as well as she could around the shoulder, creating a makeshift sling.  Leaning back against the tree, she pressed down as hard as possible.  Her head swam with stars.  Now I see them, she thought bitterly.  Where were you when I needed you?

Erik crawled on the ground, following the trail Megan left behind.  His fingers searched in front of him, seeking out a texture that was more than wet and thicker than rain.  Legs long since numb, he moved like a snake, dragging his body along the grass.  He no longer felt the sticks or rocks that cut into his flesh.  He had only one thought: Do it quick.  Do it right.  But end the game.