The blazing sun was blinding.
George watched her figure disappear, his fingers embedded in the sand, the pain in his palm mirroring the anxiety in his chest. Once he saw she was safe, he slowly relaxed.
Melissa ran, turning her head to look back.
But the sand dune was still sinking. If this kept up, by the time Gordon and the others came back, George would be buried.
As she ran, she kept counting, afraid that by the time she returned, she wouldn’t find him.
“George, you have to wait for me. You have to hold on.”
Melissa didn’t even realize that her face was already streaked with tears, and the sand mixed with the tears, sticking to her skin.
She jumped into the car and started pressing buttons, just like George had taught her.
But no answer came.
“Why won’t they answer?!”
“Answer, you guys!!!”
Her voice cracked with sobs.
The wind and sand outside carried a burning heat.
Her shoes, clothes, and body were covered in sand. Her fingers trembled as she pressed all the buttons again.
She took out her phone, but there was no signal. In a fit of frustration, she threw the phone onto the seat.
Telling herself to stay calm, she bit her lip and tried again, pressing the buttons once more.
Tears burned her eyes, and she stared at George in the distance, now so small she could hardly see him. The tears had already broken free.
“Hello?”
Just as she was about to get out of the car to pull George back, a voice finally came through the radio.
Melissa quickly leaned forward. “Lionel!? Is that you, Lionel?”
“It is. Melissa? What’s going on?” Lionel sat up straight.
If there had been an emergency, George would have been the one to contact him, not Melissa.
Melissa fought to control her sobs, speaking firmly and loudly to explain their situation.
“Come back! This is where I am. I don’t know where I am, but there’s a cliff here, a sharp one, like a knife.”
But there were thousands of places just like this.
Lionel’s voice was clear and calm. “Melissa, listen to me. Now, look at the small number on the left side of the dashboard and tell me what it is.”
Melissa wiped her tears and, following his instructions, relayed the number to him.
But soon after, the signal cut off with a beep.
No matter what she did, she couldn’t reconnect with anyone.
Frustrated, Melissa pounded the seat.
The feeling of helplessness, just watching George die without being able to do anything, was worse than if they had killed her right then and there.
She never hated herself more than in that moment, questioning why she had to hurt him at a time like this.
Why, at this moment, did she have to go look at those flowers?
She quickly got out of the car again, grabbed her backpack, packed water, and rummaged through the car for some rescue tools before running back toward George.
The closer she got, the more cautious she became.
A while had passed since the last time, and the sand had already risen to his chest. He was completely stuck and couldn’t get out.
When she heard the sound of water sloshing, George turned his head and saw Melissa running back with a pile of things in her arms.
He got angry. “What are you doing back here?”
Melissa stepped down and immediately noticed the sand was softening.
Her lips trembled. “I can’t reach them.”
George closed his eyes, then opened them again and said to her, “Go back to the car.”
“I won’t.”
“Then what can you do?”
She said this while pulling out a bottle of water. “I want to stay with you.”
“Stay with me to die? What are you saying? It’s not worth it for a man like me.” He turned his head away. “Aren’t you the one who always wanted to leave me? Now you can finally relax because I won’t bother you anymore.”
Melissa bit her lip. “Don’t say that!”
George swallowed hard, then laughed bitterly when he lowered his eyes. “Go back to the car. If you see someone, you can call them to help me.”
“You’re lying. This is a no-man’s land. Apart from Gordon and the others being nearby, no one else will find us. If it gets dark, you’ll be buried alive, and I won’t be able to save you.”
She said this with a sob in her voice, and George fell silent.
Because it was the truth.
Maybe they wouldn’t even make it until nightfall.
He would slowly sink further.
Melissa crawled toward him slowly.
George almost suffocated from the effort and snapped, “What are you doing coming over here?”
“I’ve tied a rope around my waist. There’s a rescue rope in the car, and I’ve secured it to the nearest rock. I can save you.”
“Don’t be stupid. The rocks here are probably just sandstones, they’re not reliable. Don’t come over!”
“Melissa! Do you hear me?”
The more he protested, the more Melissa pressed on toward him.
On the sand dune, she stretched out her hand toward him. “Drink this water first, it’ll help you keep your strength up.”
In the harsh sunlight, the water evaporated quickly, leaving them both weak.
To get out of here, she couldn’t do it alone with just her strength.
George reluctantly took the water. “After I drink, you have to go back.”
Melissa was stubborn. “You know I won’t leave.”
“Why bother?” He said this as his body sank a little deeper into the sand.
Just that tiny movement was enough to make Melissa break down.
“Drink the water.”
He obediently opened the cap and took a few gulps.
But in that brief moment, the sand sank further, and his palms were already covered in blood, the wounds burning from the scorching ground.
His lower body was almost numb.
George looked at the sand that had already swallowed him up to his chest.
“Melissa, it’s too late. If you come to pull me out now, we’ll both go down. At least you need to survive.”
Melissa shook her head, crying. “No, George, you said before that you regretted not cherishing the time we had together, that you didn’t want a divorce. If you try with me, I’ll give you this chance, okay? Don’t give up!”
George forced a smile. “I finally heard that, but unfortunately, it’s at this moment.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to try, it was that he couldn’t anymore.
Melissa was too scared to move now. Any slight movement could cause him to sink deeper.
Melissa trembled, her lips quivering. “If you want to hear it, I’ll say it to you often from now on. Does that sound good?”
George shook his head. “We don’t have a future, Melissa. Take care of yourself from now on. Don’t stay up late, don’t drink often. Take care of yourself. As for your grandpa’s illness, remember to entrust Dr. Beck at our hospital with it. His medical records are in the second drawer of the desk.”
“Your dad’s recent neck problems-remind him to go back for a check-up. My mom forgets everything when she’s playing Mahjong. Remind her to go out and have fun more often.”
“I’ve already told my parents about my shares. When the time comes, they’ll all go to you. Take that money and find a man who treats you really well, someone who’s outstanding.”
“If he ever bullies you, remember to have Conrad help you. For Lillian and my sake, he won’t let you suffer.”
Melissa shook her head, crying.
George took a deep breath. “The most important thing is, don’t be with a man like me anymore.”