Chapter 2

    Empty. 

    It's the only word I can use to describe the streets I walk in. The only sound I hear, is the occasional hoot of an owl which was nearby, adding to the eerie. I shuffled along, skipping over stagnant waters, and using the lights before me to lead the way. The cold wind wisped around me, making me grip my body tighter. I was shivering, my teeth clattering, but I dare not stop walking. It's just a matter of time before I get to the city. Paranoia fills me and I begin to look around me, having thoughts that someone might be following me. But it's all in my head.

   I finally get on the streets that are lit by night lamps and keep walking. This is usually the most dangerous part of town because dangerous people hide beneath the shadows, waiting for the next hapless people to fall into their trap and I just might be one of them. My pace quickens and so does my breath. It doesn't take long before I break into a run…. And of course, hear footsteps behind me.

  At first, I think it's in my head, but I'm proven wrong when a hand draws me back. Terrified, I drop my bag and run even faster.

  " Get that girl!!" A voice yells, but it sounds like an army yells my name. I trip over myself and lay flat on the floor, shivering furiously now. The tears are out in torrents. Two strong hands pull me up and force me into a corner. A hand is clasped over my mouth and I can not scream. Thrown over to a corner, I hit the cold hard floor and it leaves me dizzy. Then I hear the unbuckling of belts. Real horror sweeps past my soul. I'm about to get raped, not just by one man but three. How grand is that? One of them walks towards me and pulls my hand backward so I can't move. Then the other begins to pull at my jeans. I can only mumble " please stop." But they don't hear.

  I can't see their faces, it's too dark for that. I try to move but the grip on me only gets tighter. I wince in pain.

  " Hurry, we don't have all night." One of them says. I slowly look at him. 

  " I'm as fast as I can, motherfucker" the one who is struggling with my jeans says. Eventually, he gets it off and for the second time this night, I'm half-naked. I close my eyes and blurry images of past trauma replay in my head and before I know it, I let out an ear-piercing scream. It stuns the rapists and they quickly scramble for what to use to close my mouth. One of them put his hands over my mouth and out of fright, I sink my teeth in. He lets out a Yelp before hitting me across the face. I go numb. Furious now, I'm being pushed on the floor with of them above me. I don't stop screaming, even though being hit countless times. Something cuts into my flesh, my stomach to be precise and I realized I've been stabbed. I only scream louder. I'm hallucinating, jerking in and out, and also writhing. Above, lightning flashes and thunderclaps. A storm is nearing.

  Then I hear dog barks, someone is coming closer. The rapists all exchanged looks of shock before scrambling to their feet. They don't want to get caught. As the barks come closer and the boys hurry out of sight. Suddenly I'm calm and quiet, with my sides bleeding. The dog barks loudly and I hear the sound of hurried feet and hooves. Everywhere is quiet. With one final gust of the cold wind, small cold drops of water make their way to the Earth's floor and the rain begins to fall. I close my eyes, it washes away my tears. Painstakingly I stand up and wear my jeans. My sides are bleeding badly and there is no first aid in Sight. With shivering hands, I tie a piece of cloth on the wound and begin walking in the rain.

  I must've walked a long distance when dizziness begins to hit me. Removing my hands from my wounded area, it's full of blood, my blood. I watch as the rain washes it off, having strange delight in it. I'm beginning to get frostbites, my legs can't carry me anymore and I'm weak all over. I go down on one knee, then another until I'm laying on the empty street, the rain still pouring.

  My heartbeat is slowing and my fingers are so numb I can't move them anymore. The blurry memories play again while I slowly let myself go. Whoever did this to me, deserves an award of being the coldest human being alive. Thunderclaps overhead and slowly I black out.

.

.

.  

  I smell flowers, it smells like lavender and Jasmine and freshly cut lemons, it's refreshing. Is this what heaven smells like? Then I want to stay here forever. A hand gently presses the wounded area and I wince in pain. There are no pains in heaven, so this isn't heaven. Slowly I open my eyes and see a woman above me, dressing my wounds.  My eyes are fully opened now and I'm staring at the woman who keeps concentrating on what she's doing. After a while, she glances at me when she sees I'm awake, stops, and smiles lightly. I don't smile back.

  " I see you're awake." She says. " Here, let me help you up a bit." She moves closer and raises me, so I sit a little bit higher. She looks old, maybe in her early fifties.

   " What am I doing here?" I quietly ask.

  " I brought you in, you were lying in the middle of the street after I came back from the pub last night, in the rain and bleeding."

  ' then why didn't you let me die!" My subconscious screamed but she was still talking so I paid attention to her. 

  " You were very cold and pale I thought you were dead. But then you twitched and I noticed you were still breathing. And here you are!' she exclaimed gently, with a smile on her face. I didn't say anything as I glanced around the small room.

  " I live alone." She added. " And if I may ask, what were you doing out all alone? The city is dangerous!"

  I stared at her and made to say the reason why I was outside.

  " I got kicked out, by my adoptive parents," I whispered. She gasped, her face reflecting shock.

  " Oh my gosh! And why would they think of doing that?"

  " I stabbed him, he tried to rape me." Then confusion replaced it. 

" Either way, they shouldn't have done what they did. They didn't care if you would get hurt or not." She admonished as if they were here. I smiled cynically.

  " Nobody cares about me. I'm a nobody." She turned to me and said comfortingly.

  " you're a nobody. As long as you're still alive, you're still someone." I shrugged, not believing what she said.

" Ah well, I guess I should leave you to rest, you must be really tired…. By the way, how old are you?"

  " I'm nineteen."

  " You'll be fine. Let me go get some things you'll need. I'll be right back." And with that, she stood up and made to leave the room.

  " Wait," I called out. She stopped and turned to me." Thank you, and I hope you don't regret this." I said.

  She smiled, I think she likes smiling." I won't." She ascertained and left the room, closing the door behind her. 

   Glancing around the room one last time, I played with my fingers. It felt peaceful here but I still didn't know the woman who saved me. Maybe she's just pretending like the rest of them…..

  I'll just have to wait and see, won't I??