"CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT" • CHENFORD IMAGINES

"𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚞𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞."

Stars shining bright above you,
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"...

Lucy knew she needed to save her breath, breathe as little and lightly as possible. She knew that soon, she would run out of oxygen. It was already stuffy in the barrel, her chest getting more and more heavy by the second. The only light penetrating through the darkness was the blinking red light of the camera that she knew was recording her.

Not only was Caleb watching her suffocate to death, but deep down she knew that Rosalind Dyer was too.
She couldn't let go of the sliver of hope that somehow, someway, they were going to find her. They were going to come to her rescue and in just a little while, she'll be sitting on her couch at home with Jackson, breathing freely and drinking a shitload of wine.

Birds singin in the sycamore trees,
Dream a little dream of me

The words left her in a rasp, her mouth drier than a desert. She had never been so thirsty in her life. She held her tears at bay — barely. Officer Chen refused to give those monsters the satisfaction of seeing her tears. They wanted her weak and broken. She refused to break, not even if she would be taking her last breath today.

When she woke up this morning, this is the last place she ever thought she'd be. In a barrel, buried alive, slowly suffocating. She knew she was beyond dehydrated, and the sweat pouring off her forehead wasn't helping. She found comfort in knowing that her team was looking for her — dotting every I and crossing every T. They would leave no stone uncovered and if she did die today, she found peace in knowing they did their best.

Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me

With over twenty years under his belt with the LAPD, Officer Tim Bradford had never been so scared in his life. Lucy, his rookie, his Boot, his fucking protege, was gonna die if he didn't get to her in time and it was all his fault.

God, he wished it was him inside that barrel instead of her – his Lucy. He would gladly suffocate for her any day just to ensure she was safe; that she'd never feel as scared as he was in this moment. Yet he had trained her well on not showing fear, and he knew she wouldn't go down without a fight.

The team was piled into a helicopter, it was their fastest and safest option in the middle of the desert. Aside from the hum of the engine, it was dead silent. The air was thick with fear and anxiety. Angela, Tim's best friend, had her hand over top of his. She held onto his fingers, a silent reassurance that she was here for him.

He just... he had pushed Lucy right into Caleb's arms. He should have seen the signs – it's what he's trained to do, goddamn it. If she did run out of air, her blood would be on his hands and he would never forgive himself for that.

Tim jumped out of the helicopter before it fully landed. If Grace was right, Lucy didn't have much air left, if any at all. He took off in a dead sprint, not knowing which way to go. Miles of desert surrounded them, and he knew the odds weren't good. He just needed Lucy to hold on for a little longer.

While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me

Lucy was in and out of consciousness. She knew she was near the end. The saltiness of her sweat brought a little relief to her dry lips. The pressure inside her head was blinding and disorienting, but she knew that was all apart of the process. Her lungs burned so bad. She knew that despite her gasping for breath, her heart was slowing.

This is it, she thought as slowly, her eyes closed.

Tim knew he had been running for miles, keeping his eyes peeled for fresh dirt. Messed up rocks. Anything. He couldn't breathe. He was pouring sweat. But he wasn't going to stop until he had his rookie back. So many thoughts ran through his head.