**Casper**

Pain.

It's all I can feel.

Dragging me in and out of consciousness, I can never stay awake for long.

My body hangs, weak, my breathing labored from the pressure on my lungs.

I hear his voice screaming, making me force my eyes to open.

Below me is Julian, collapsed on the ground, bleeding from a large wound in his stomach.

Yet he's crawling desperately towards me.

My vision blurs, a fog clouding my mind once again.

"**_Casper-!_**"

**Julian**

Fuck fuck fuck.

I can't get to him. I can't get up.

My hands claw through the dirt, dragging my body closer to the wood where Casper hangs.

"Casper-! Please...!" I plead for him to acknowledge me. Maybe he's still awake-

_Silence_.

I'm yanked onto my knees suddenly by something around my neck and I grunt as more pain shoots through my body.

"Maybe God will save him, Julian. Why don't you try? Get on your knees and **_pray._**"

The voice makes me tense and I strain to turn around.

"_Why are you doing this_?!" I scream, throat burning.

But there's nobody there.

I'm alone, with nobody to help Casper.

God won't save him.

Once again, I drag myself through the earth and mud.

**_I will_**.