Page 44 of Forgiving Fate

Leaning back, I ease the blanket back slowly. I don’t want to expose her if she is out here undressed. And when I see a long sleeve covering her upper half, I pull the blanket down further, careful not to touch her.

“Allie. If you can hear me, I just want to make sure you’re breathing. I will cover you back up as soon as I can.”

I stare at her too still body and watch for the rise and fall of her chest, arm, something.

Nothing.

My hands start to shake and I beg my mind to flip back into mission mode. This is not your sister’s best friend. This is not someone you know. This is an innocent stranger that you need to help.

Taking a deep breath, I repeat that same few sentences two more times in my head and all the voices fall silent.

I have no choice but to touch her. Gently, I roll her to her back and her body is limp like a rag doll. My fingers go to her neck and push against the pulse point in her neck.

Nothing.

Leaning forward, I plaster my head against her chest to see if I can hear her heartbeat.

Nothing.

No!My hands go to her chest and I immediately start doing CPR. Her little body moves under me and I notice the dark, almost black circles under her eyes.

You know what this means, Landon. You’ve seen it…

No!She wouldn’t. She is stronger than that.

I need to call for help. I’m not a medical professional. But I don’t want to stop CPR.

And I don’t. I keep going, checking every few minutes for any signs she’s still here.

Nothing.

After what feels like hours, when I know it’s probably only been minutes, I stop to grab my phone. She needs help and I cannot give what she needs. I reach for my back pocket and feel for my phone, but it’s not there.

Where the hell is my phone? I know I grabbed it before I left. Going back to CPR, I scan the porch to see if it fell out of my pocket when I fell. When I don’t see it, a fire spreads across my entire body.

Not now!

Lifting the blankets, I check for Allie’s phone and breathe a sigh of relief when I see it sitting on the wooden planks beneath her.

Tapping the screen, it doesn’t light up immediately and I pick it up to turn it on. My eyes dart between Allie’s face and the phone, waiting for it to turn on. I just need to get this damn thing on so I can call 911 and get her help. They can bring her back and I will just live with the fact that I almost failed her. And that’s better than the alternative.

Allie’s hazy blue eyes stare up at the sky and I beg for some type of movement.

“Come on Allie. You’ve made it so far. Don’t give up now.”

Looking back at the phone, I see that it’s still lifeless.

What the hell! This is not happening.

My head snaps to the door, Allie, and the phone.

Think Landon. Think.

A charger will take too long and I have no idea if there is another phone in this house.

The sounds of an engine of some sports car echos from the road and I instantly know what I have to do.

Gently, I pick Allie up and cradle her against my chest. Her limp body hangs in my arms and I push the voices out of my head, telling me she’s gone.

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