• I can hear the heart beat of the body next to me. It’s loud and pounds through my head. I can hear the whispers of voices behind the door and I know I am not out of danger. My chest is pounding and now it blocks out the sounds. I can only feel the pain that is bursting from my legs. My heart is pushing blood through me and now it drips from my wounds. I can’t handle the pain-
    Blood gurgles through my throat and I cough it out to the wood floor. I can only see red and feel the warmth as it runs over my tongue. I wish that this wasn’t it; the end. I can feel the pain again and I wish I could hear what was around me but my ears are pounding and my chest is throbbing.
    I throw my body to the ground and scrape what is around me with my fingers. Something has to be here, something has to help. I have no other needs just the fact to live. Blood is still dripping from my lips and my eyes are slowly closing. I can’t hold them open, my fingers stop moving. All I can feel is my chest pounding against the wood and the emptiness climbing through my limbs.
    Darkness plagues my body. I am alone in this as my arms began to lose their feeling to move. I am alone for my heart is slowing but pounding harder. The holes that were left are now empty of blood. There is no more to flow. I can only see the darkness behind my eyelids and now as my heart forgets to jump I feel nothing.
    My eyes opened to the sounds of screaming. I couldn’t move but I could see the blood around me. Something was crusted over my lashes making them heavy. I wanted to roll over and find the screaming voice but all I could do was breath. The air shifting through my lungs was dry and coppery; the taste singing my tongue.
    I flicked my eye lashes more straining to see past the pool of red, when a siren blared against the empty space. The screaming stopped and footsteps ran outside. I breathed more heavily. Is someone here to save me? Will I die today?
    The door opened to the room I was in fresh air filled me. I wanted to see the light that must be pouring in but my head was still heavier than my muscles could move and my eyes were nowhere near the door. I listened as someone moved closer.
    “This one’s alive!” yelled a man away from me. He stepped in by my chest and poked and prodded around my body. Then with a little effort he flipped me onto my back. I flew my eyes at him at once but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking down at the wounds I couldn’t see but remember feeling.
    “She’s lost a lot of blood,” he turned to meet my eyes. “And she conscious! Get me a stretcher.” That’s when I knew I wouldn’t die there beside another corpse. That’s when I felt relief instead of darkness. That’s when I knew I wasn’t alone and someone was there to help. I knew then that darkness wasn’t going to be my death; not yet.