5

Sarah

It was time. Rachel had called the night before and ordered my death should be ruled as suicide. I would be injected with a lethal overdose of the drug this noon. Then she'd put on an act of wanting to save me. 

The perfect lie to hide her true motives. I laughed to myself, heartbroken by my painful reality. 

I reached out for the pills. Caleb had handed them to me the day before:

I stared into his deep caramel irises, teary-eyed. “How can this save me?”

“It won't stop your death, Sarah, but it will give us enough time to save you.”

“If you are late, I die." I asked, my voice shaky.

“We all take risks to achieve our goals, but I do promise you I won't let you die. You are instrumental to achieving my goal.”

It was difficult, but I have to trust him. I don't have anyone else to fall back on; he is the only one offering me a hand to restart anew. I'm risking my life to restart life. If I survive, I'm certain it will be worth it; if I don't, Liam will be glad to see me. I smiled and popped the pill into my mouth. 

The next second my room door was busted ajar; Dr. Kate arrived with her two male nurses, a sinister look on her face.

"Ms. Rachel is sad to see you go. She said I should pass to you; she'll hold a nice funeral on your behalf.” 

I was held down as I struggled, tears running down my face as the needle finally pierced my arms. A soft sigh left my lips as the world started to spin; I could see Liam running to me.

"Liam!" I called out, running to him, but everything vanished, and I started falling into an abyss of endless darkness. I gave up being conscious and let myself drift to sleep.

Caleb

I walked out of the clinic's suffocating premises and saw Lucas and Dr. George waiting for me. I wore a weary look as I trudged towards them.

“What's with the weary look?” 

Dr. George gave him a tired look and ignored him. “You survived well for a week.” 

“Is the arrangement ready?” I asked and they both nodded.

“There’s an ambulance ready to resuscitate her.” Lucas muttered.

“Are you sure she can hold on?” I asked Dr. George. He chewed on his lips worriedly; "we have about thirty minutes to bring her back. "

We got into the car, and Lucas briefed me on the plan. “It's going to look like a real accident. The old rails have been sabotaged, so the ambulance will fall over but hold on just long enough to get Ms. Alven out. Don't worry; I hired professionals.”

“How many minutes till we catch up to them?” 

“In ten minutes, I have given the signal.”

I watched the time on my wristwatch anxiously and readied myself. We caught up soon enough, and I saw the ambulance transporting Sarah. The doctors might have found it odd she is still holding on, and her heart rate hasn't started to drop yet. 

If they administered another dose, it would be lethal. “We don't have any more time? Tell the truck to proceed.” 

“But we haven't reached the safe area,” Lucas argued.

“I understand Caleb's concerns the doctors will find it odd Ms. Alven's heart is still holding on. Another dose will push her body to the limit.” 

Lucas nodded and asked the professionals he hired to begin. The truck swerved towards the ambulance like it lost control; the screams in the van were audible, and as we predicted, the driver lost control for a second and tried to avoid the rails, but the truck kept on pushing them to it. The rear end hit the rail and broke it, the rusted irons barely holding the truck together. Once it breaks, the van will roll downhill towards the cliff a few meters. The height was frightening.

The screams stopped and the driver emerged, the iron creaking with each weight they threw in the front. 

“Save me!” The doctor handling Sarah yelled. They appeared slightly bruised, with minor cuts and bruises on their bodies. 

“What of Ms. Harriet?”

“What about her? She is going to die either way. I thought I needed to administer more doses, but this is perfect. She won't survive this fall. Now stop asking about her and save me for fuck's sake.” 

The driver appeared guilty of aiding their crime but drew the doctor out; the last pull finally broke the rails, and the car dangled from the edge. 

Lucas chewed on his lips anxiously. “It will fall any moment now.”

Our truck driver offered help to Dr. Kate as we planned He would drive them to the clinic in town and treat their wounds. He promised to call the emergency service, as Sarah can't be saved without professionals' help. 

Once they left, we were given the signal, and we proceeded. Our private emergency service emerged, and the ambulance got ready to perform resuscitation. 

The van was hooked to prevent it from falling; the risks were still there, but they were reduced. “We are short of hands. We need someone to go in and bring her out.” 

“I'm afraid of heights. “Lucas chimes in.

“No one asked you, Lucas.” 

“I'll go.” I offered and I was thrown the safety straps.

“Don't die, both of you!” Lucas teased, but I knew he was worried. He often laughed when the situations were intense.

I gently entered the swaying of the van due to gravity, it was nervewrecking, but I had one goal save Sarah Alven. The hook will suffer holding the weight of two of us. 

Sarah was still unconscious, her heart rate on the plugged heart monitor unstable. I reached for her and gently unstrapped her. Her dark brown hair was glued to her face with dried blood from her cuts. 

Fortunately she wasn't bleeding excessively; once she was unstrapped, I cradled her in my arms. She was cold, almost lifeless. Her neck fell on my shoulders; holding her firmly, I pulled on the van, and I heard a snap. Yells from outside confirmed my fear. 

One of the hooks broke.

"Caleb, are you okay?” 

“I'm with her. We are okay! for now!” I pulled, and then someone was ready to collect Sarah from my arms through the windshield.

I had to unstrap so I wouldn't fall with the van. “Here,” Lucas and George offered me their hands. 

I smiled. “I thought you were afraid of heights.” 

"Well, it's more unbearable to see you die without doing anything to help.”

I was pulled up; the last creak gave it away: the van won't last. “Have it put in flames and release the hook.” 

“How is Sarah?" I asked, and they both shared a worried look. 

“Her heart isn't doing too well. She is being resuscitated.” Dr. George said, I hurried to the van.

“Let's take her to the company.” 

“I'll oversee the scene being cleaned up with no traces of us.” Lucas assures me. 

Sarah. 

The soft hum of a humidifier filled my ears; I slowly flickered my eyes to soft fluorescent lights and billowing curtains. The sounds of a beeping heart monitor also welcomed me. 

I turned to see my arm strapped in, an IV line dripping fluid. 

“Where am I?” I struggled to speak; my throat was hoarse, but it was enough to awaken the figure beside me. His long frame was wedged in a sofa. 

He appeared familiar but looked worn out. “Sarah? You are awake? She is awake!” He yelled excitedly. 

It was Caleb.

I blinked in confusion as he poured me a glass of water. “I survived?” I whispered and gulped down the whole thing. 

Two strange men entered the room, and a cold stethoscope was placed on my chest. “She appears stable.” The male doctor said. 

“I’m Dr. George.” 

“Lucas.” The other one was introduced.

"They are my closest friends and partners." Caleb said. 

“Sarah Alven, not sure that would continue being my name.” I muttered sadly. I searched for Caleb's eyes and asked him, “How long was I gone for?” 

“Three days.” He replied. 

“I resurrected.” I joked, but they appeared worried still.  “Am I officially dead now? Sarah Alven?” 

He nods, a look of pity drawn on his face. He handed me his tablet as the news of y death was broadcasted on the news.

The funeral of Sarah Alvarez, ex-wife of Desmond Harriet, has been announced to be held today. Sarah Alven was said to have been depressed following her son's death alongside her divorce from Desmond Harriet. To provide her with medical help, she was being managed by a psychiatric clinic, but she injected herself with multiple dosages of lethal drugs. On their way to a clinic to save her, the ambulance was met with an accident, and unable to save Sarah Alven, she fell to her death. 

The scene of the accident was too gruesome, and funeral proceeds even without her body. Authorities theorized she fell out of the van during the fall and are certain there's no way she would have survived it. Her body is yet to be found; authorities are afraid they'll be nothing left even if they find any.

I laughed from pain and ignored the tears falling down my face. Sarah Alven was erased from earth, it was the only was Rachel would let me be. “We did it. Thank you.” 

“How can they lie so much?” Lucas scoffed.

“That's the truth Rachel told them.” I lowered my hand to my finger, surprised the ring Caleb gave me was still on my finger. I gently caressed it. 

“We'd discuss your new identity and appearance alterations after you have fully recovered.” Caleb announced. “We would leave you to rest, Sarah.”

They were about to leave but I called them back, my voice hesistant but I already resolved my mind. “My funeral.... I would like to be present.” 

A look of worry grew on their face.