HOW WE GOT BACK
SENIOR YEAR
LAURA
When I woke up, my head throbbed, and my vision was blurry. The rough fabric of a car seat pressed against my cheek, and the air smelled like gasoline and sweat. I tried to move, but my arms felt like lead.
“Jess…” I croaked, my voice barely audible.
“She’s waking up,” a voice muttered, sharp and unfamiliar.
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“She better stay out,” another snapped.
Jess was beside me, her face pale and streaked with tears. She whispered something to me, her voice urgent but muffled, like it was coming from underwater.
“Laura, listen… You need to run. You have to run, okay? As soon as you can, go!”
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www
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*
Her words barely registered before the car jolted, throwing me against the door. The pain in my head intensified, and I felt the darkness creeping in again.
The next thing I knew, I was outside. The cold air bit at my skin, and the world swayed unsteadily. I didn’t remember how I got there. Did I kick someone? Did they push me out?
“Focus, Laura,” I whispered to myself, trying to stay upright. My
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head was pounding, and my thoughts felt sluggish, like they were swimming through molasses.
I stumbled forward, my hands brushing against rough tree bark as I made my way through the woods. Jess. He still had Jess.
The thought burned through the fog in my mind, keeping me moving even as my legs felt like they would give out beneath
- me.
“Jess,” I whispered, the name a lifeline.
The trees gave way to a road, and headlights suddenly blazed in the distance, cutting through the darkness. The light was too bright, stabbing into my eyes and making my head throb even
more.
I forced myself forward, raising my arms as high as 1 could, though they felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.
“Help,” I croaked, the word barely escaping my lips.
The car screeched to a halt, tires skidding against the asphalt. I tried to stay standing, tried to keep my eyes open, but my body was giving up.
I felt myself collapse to my knees, the cold road biting into my skin. Someone was shouting, their voice urgent and panicked, but I couldn’t make out the words.
“He has Jess… He has… help… Jess…” I forced the words out, my lips barely moving.
My head felt so heavy, and the edges of my vision were darkening. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep my eyes
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open any longer.
I heard footsteps, someone running toward me, and then a hand on my shoulder, shaking me gently.
“Laura! Stay awake! Laura!”
The voice was frantic, familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Everything was slipping away, fading into the void.
The sterile smell of antiseptic stung my nose as my eyes fluttered open. The harsh white light of the hospital room blurred everything–around me. My throat felt dry, my head pounded, and my limbs were heavy, but I was awake.
For a moment, I thought maybe just maybe–my mother would be here. I imagined her sitting in the chair beside me, her face pinched with worry, her perfectly manicured hands clutching mine. But, of course, she wouldn’t be here. She wasn’t even in the States, last I checked.
I swallowed hard, my throat scraping like sandpaper. Then it hit
- me.
Jess.
“Oh, God,” I croaked, trying to sit up, panic surging through me. Jess. Was she okay?
เ
The sound must have stirred him, because, Josh shot upright from the couch across the room. His disheveled hair stuck up in every direction, his shirt wrinkled from where he must have fallen asleep. His eyes found mine, and in an instant, he was by my side, his hands brushing my face, hovering just above the bruises.
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“Laura,” he whispered, his voice thick with relief. “Thank God. You’re awake.”
“Jess,” I rasped, grabbing his arm, my nails digging into his skin. “Is Jess okay? Did you… did you find her?” My heart pounded as the memories of the car, the woods, and the blinding headlights flooded back.
“It was Bryan,” I said, my voice breaking. “It was Bryan.”
“Shhh, babe,” Josh said softly, his hands gently cupping my face now, his thumbs grazing my cheeks. His touch was warm, grounding me. “Jess is okay. She’s okay because of you.”
I stared at him, trying to process his words.
“They got to her in time,” he continued, his voice steady but thick with emotion. “She’s in the room next door. Safe.”
My chest heaved with a mix of relief and anguish. I closed my eyes, letting the tears spill over. Jess was safe. She was okay. Josh’s hand moved to mine, his fingers lacing through mine.
“You saved her, Laura,” he said. “You’re the reason she’s alive.”
I shook my head, the weight of everything crashing down on me. “No… I didn’t… I left her. I ran. I—”
“Stop,” he interrupted, his voice firm but gentle. “You did what you had to do. If you hadn’t gotten help, if you hadn’t signaled that car, they wouldn’t have found you. They wouldn’t have found her.”
His words wrapped around me, soothing some of the ́guilt clawing at my chest. I opened my eyes, looking up at him. His
”
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face was drawn, dark circles under his eyes like he hadn’t slept in days.
