DRAG ME UNDER
TOBIAS
When he first saw her, she was just a glimpse in the darkness. She was an angel in his eyes, like a light at the end of the tunnel. So when she ran, he followed.
When he found her, she was drowning beneath the waves. She was so far under Tobias thought she wasn't there. But she was, slowly sinking further and further. She was floating there, blonde hair caught in the tumbling waves above her. Her eyes were closing fast and her body stopped flailing, as if she had stopped fighting. He moved quicker, gliding effortlessly between each rolling wave, reaching out desperately to her. Her eyes were now closing too fast, and Tobias could see her take her last breath.
He reached her, hoping that he was fast enough in getting to her. In his mind, he prayed he was. He wrapped his hands around her frail arm, not really noticing how small it was in his palms. He pulled her up, tugging her as he desperately swam up for air. He could feel his vision fading too; they were too far under now. The water was throwing them around like rag dolls. Something inside of him didn't let him give up, despite his lungs bursting from the lack of oxygen, his insides burning and his mind numb. He just kept climbing, kicking, hoping he would reach the surface soon.
He did after a few moment, bursting out from the sea, lungs gasping for air. Using the very last of his energy, he spurred himself to reach dry land. One on the safety of the sand, far from the waves that had tried to claim them both, he laid her on her back. Once glance was all it took to know her beauty. But when he touched her, all he could feel was cold. She was beyond freezing; her skin pale and raw. In that moment, Tobias felt his heart stop—he was too late. She was gone.
Silence tears streamed down his face as he clutched her to his chest. As sobs clogged his throat and tears burned his cheeks, he heard it. It was soft, but it was steady. Most of all, it was there. All hope inside of him renewed.
She was still alive. Her heart was still beating.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The longest hours were the ones he spent in the hospital following that.
He had been checked out by the staff hours ago, who had insisted that they keep him for observation. He had objected claiming he was fine, and that all that mattered was her—the girl he had known for less than a day. Even that was an exaggeration, he didn't even know her, and he had just saved her…
With no reason at all.
He felt like he was just compelled to save her—like if he didn't, life would be bleak without her.
He had no doubt he did the right thing, but it didn't make it any easier. In fact, seeing her there, lying motionless was possibly the hardest thing he had ever done. She was so still, so pale, just like how she had been when he had pulled her out.
Tobias still didn't know how he had managed it but somehow, he had convinced the nurses to stay by her side. They had agreed, reluctantly, but only after making him promise he would not leave in case they needed to do a follow up. He could only nod numbly, their voices nothing but a blur in the background as his eyes focused on her.
He moved around to the other side of the bed cautiously, as if she would wake. There was an armchair that had been brought next to the bed, obviously for him. He seated himself on the chair. It was hard and uncomfortable but Tobias didn't give it another thought. His eyes scanned rest of the room briefly before returning his eyes to her. "Why is she not moving?" His voice was soft, afraid.
"We don't know. But—but there has been visible signs that she had been…" The nurse mumbled, refusing to meet his eye.
At this, Tobias immediately shot up from the chair and looked up at her, voice suddenly fierce. A fire ignited inside of him. "Signs that she had been what?"
She looked at him for a millisecond before looking away again, "Signs that she had been abused."
Everything stopped.
The world stopped spinning and he felt light-headed. He placed a firm palm on the bed, supporting his weight as he collapsed into his chair "What?" His voice shook, "That can't be true…" He trailed off, tears of his own now falling.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, placing a consoling hand on his shoulder. He nodded numbly but he couldn't think of anything else.
"Why?" His lip trembled and he had to bite back the cry that wanted to escape. He wanted to hold her in his arms and whisper to her that everything would be okay but he knew that wouldn't change anything—it wouldn't change what had happened to her. "Why would someone do this? To her?"
"I'm really sorry but I just don't know." Her voice was gentle and hushed. But as she spoke her next words, her eyes turned hard and cold. "Some people are just cruel. Not everyone in this world is as nice as you are." She informed, giving him a small, but sad, smile before she turned and left. As much as he wanted comfort right now, he wanted something more. He wanted to punish the people who did this.
"I promise I'll get them. I promise you they won't get away for doing this."
…
He woke to find her gone and in that second, he could feel his heart stop.
"No." He whispered, glancing at the ruffled bed sheets. She was woken when he had fallen asleep, and she had run. He cursed at himself for not being more vigilant, for not being more careful. He scrambled out of the chair and onto his feet and before he could blink, he was racing down the hallway and out the hospital.
He didn't even know where to begin looking, but all he could think about was her and getting her back. He didn't want her on the street where god knows what people could do to her, after what she had been though—the world couldn't be trusted to be good to her.
He glanced left and right at the intersection. There was no way he could know which direction she had taken. She could be anywhere, some part of him inside spoke. He shook his head and he scolded himself for such negative thinking, "If left doesn't work then I'll take right!" He yelled, attracting odd glances from general people on the street. He didn't bother acknowledging their rude stares, and just took off to his left.
I have to find her. He repeated: I have to.
Why? The voice interrupted his thoughts again. Obviously she didn't want you so why are you trying so desperately to find someone who doesn't want to be found! Come on! She ran away from you. She doesn't want you. She doesn't want to be saved—she can't be.
"Stop lying!" He screamed, pulling at his own hair. Then he fell to his own knees, weak to the core, "It's not true. Everyone can be saved." His head nodded sadly now, "She can be saved. I know she can."
It was a while before he found her but when he did, she couldn't be mistaken. She was hunched over on the ground. A crumpled figure on the pavement. He closed his eyes and willed away the tears that wanted to fall. He had to be strong now; he had to be strong for her.
When he saw her again, when he really saw her, it broke his heart. Seeing her there with tears streaming endlessly down her puffy cheeks, legs scrapped and bruised, and her wrists red and raw, mouth muttering terrible words.
His heart crunched and he could feel it rubbing against his chest. It ached him to see someone like this. He approached her slowly, taking small careful steps towards her. He blew a sigh of relief when he found that she hadn't seen him coming. He was most afraid of her running away again and he wasn't sure he would've had the heart to catch up to her.
He opened his mouth, and then closed it again, unsure of what he wanted to say. Then he decided on the simple, "Hey." His voice croaked, and it was quieter than he had hoped.
She flinched at his voice, and tried to move away. "Please leave me alone." She pleaded.
He could feel his heart cracking more. "I'm not going to hurt you—" He spoke, stopping because he didn't know how to finish. He reached out for her, but she shifted away slightly and he recoiled his arm back, for fear that she would not talk to him again. Or worse… run away.
"Please just leave." She whimpered, closing her eyes. "Just leave me here to die. I don't want to feel like this. I'm so tired of feeling like I'm broken." Her eyes finally met his, and he winced at how her eyes were so lifeless, dull.
"I want to help…" He begged. He didn't know what else to say… What could you say to someone who has been through that much? How much comfort and help could one really offer? He continued nonetheless, "Please—please just let me help you." He pleaded harder.
But she shook her head and spoke, any trace of sadness in her voice now gone. "I'm too far gone. No one could help me now."
With that, his heart shattered.
A/N: I'm sorry that probably wasn't the easiest read, it was hard for me to write—probably because I knew I had to do a chapter soon from Tobias' perspective and I knew it would be super hard to tell his tale from his point of view… And it was. Incredibly hard. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it anyway (Well enjoyed it as much as you could've with all the sad stuff happening). See you next time! :)
