2 A.M.

[FaithWynters]

She asked me if something hurt a lot and I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head. I was used to these hits; nothing hurt a lot anymore. I shake my head, trying to show her that it really didn’t hurt, and I ignore the dizziness that passes through as I do; she didn’t need to know about that.


We make it home quickly and I can tell that she thinks I won’t be able to walk. I have forced myself to do much more in a lot worse condition so I pull myself up out of the car as she opens the door. I want to show her that I am okay, and soon, we are receiving stares from others.


“I am not as bad as I look; trust me, I’ve taken a beating in my time” The words pass my lips with confidence, not the insecurities that I felt inside. It was shameful to say that you were used to taking a beating, but it was my life and I couldn’t change that. So, we made it upstairs and almost to her apartment before she practically collapses. I rush to wrap an arm around her waist, helping her limp along. She wasn’t used to it; I needed to help her.


As we make it back to the apartment though, she insists that I am the one that needs the help. She pushes through the pain to get supplies to help with anything that might’ve been bleeding. I was sure that I was probably okay, but I sat down anyway, watching her a moment before shaking my head.


“Don’t push yourself too hard…I need to look at your leg, don’t I?”

 

[9forgotten]

Hearing that she's seemingly used to it just pisses me off even more. No one should be treated that way, it was wrong and cruel and that guy is so getting it! I smiled some though as I remembered the feel of her arm around me in the hallway though, I hadn't had someone with kind caring arms wrap around me in a long time. Whether it was helping me or just giving me a hug, I kinda missed it. I knew she was just being nice and helping me out but it still made me pretty happy. But then again I was making her worry and I didn't like that much so it had that down side...arg I was starting to over think some things now. Focus!


I rub the back of my head and smile some as I finish up cleaning and wrapping her wounds "I'm not pushing myself at all, I'll be all good besides maybe some bruises here and there" I say setting the supplies down next to me. I really wasn't worried about myself at all, I was to busy being worried about her. Worrying about another. Well, I certainly hadn't been a kind caring person for several years but bam, I find a girl in the middle of the street and instantly I started to care. I found that interesting, what about her made me feel this way? I blinked and looked away, color rising in my cheeks faintly as I realized I'd been sort of staring at her for the past several moments.


"Ahem, um...well would you like anything to drink or eat? You can wash up some and change your clothes if you want too" I say with a small shrug as I stand up, ready to run off and do whatever was needed to be done for her. Irene along with anyone else who though I couldn't ever be a nice person and make friend, were wrong. I did have the capability of caring for people again as well as making friends. It just had to be someone important to me and Mira was pretty much working her way to that status in my head, she was probably there already without me realizing it. Even though it'd only been a few days, I still felt something that wasn't anger. I was oddly awkward around her sometimes, I jumped to do anything for her, I was kind and caring towards her. Was it that I was starting to...is that even possible? I guess I'd have to wait and see...

 

[FaithWynters]

She was insisting on helping me without helping herself. It was almost as if she didn’t want to remember that she has almost fallen over in the hallway. If you are ‘okay’, you don’t fall over. I watch her as she redresses my wounds. They really weren’t bad, but I guess it made her feel like she was helping me on the road to recovery. I smile quietly; it was probably just a gesture because I was new and hurt, but it still made me feel good to know someone cared.


“I really don’t need anything Alex” I smile, adjusting myself on the couch so I could lean against its arm. I watch her a few moments with a laugh, kicking my shoes of and pulling my feet into the chair with me. “What I do want, actually, is for you to sit down here so we can talk. I want to answer any questions that you have—and I don’t want to you be my servant. I am capable of helping myself.”


I couldn’t help but laugh. She was so ready to get up and do anything for me. If I was hungry she would cook, if I wanted to shower, her closet was my closet. I wanted soon to be able to do for myself and to do for her. I shook my head, watching her a moment before letting my eyes close. I wasn’t ready for the questions, but I would let them come from her so that she could know what she wanted; she deserved that much.

 

[9forgotten]

I grinned as she laughed, nodding my head slightly as I sat back down in front of her on the table. "Alright, if you insist" I muse slightly. I was glad to see she seemed to be doing a lot better "And I'm not being your servant, I am simply up and ready to help you in anyway I can" I add flashing a quick smile. I kick my own shoes off and hop again, moving to the freezer to get an ice pack for my leg, might as well ice it while we talk about who knows what. I move to the couch and rest my foot on the table, dropping the ice pack over my leg and making sure it wouldn't fall off before looking over at Mira.


I end up turning my attention back to my leg as I roll my pant leg up some so the ice would get to it faster. A rather angry looking bruise was already forming, sweeping some and turning black. I poke it gently, seeing if there was any specific spot that was worse then another. It didn't seem like he broke it or anything, I sou;don't have been walking around. It just looked like a nasty bruise with some internal bleeding that would hurt for a long while since it was like right on my shin. I just sigh and put the ice back on, the sudden coldness causing me to shiver slightly but I ignored it, knowing it would numb the area and keep the swelling down.


I smile and look up again as she sit there ready to answer questions I had. I think for a minute and shrug "I take it the Ring Master isn't someone very kind to you or anything. I'm also guessing that when I found you the other night and you were talking about not taking you back somewhere, you were referring to the circus place?" I pause as I think for a moment, focusing on the facts that I knew. "I'm sorry I ended up taking you back" I say with another pause and frown. I wished I'd asked or let her know before hand, then we could've avoid all this. But, what's done is done. "How'd you even end up there in the first place?" I ask look over at her with a sideways look. I wasn't one to really pry for answers, she'd tell me what she wanted to tell me and I was just fine with that. There are just some things you don't want to remember.

 

[FaithWynters]

She wasn’t my servant, and I knew that, but for the longest time, I felt like this girl was doing everything she could for me. I was capable of helping myself and deciding whether or not I needed assistance. If I had needed more help, I would have asked for it. I took in a short breath; it seemed like I was complaining, but I wasn’t. I wanted to be more independent and I didn’t want to be a burden. If I could have sunk into the couch and disappeared I would have while she was in the other room. If I could have disappeared though, I wouldn’t be in the situation I had been in.


She was very curious about everything, and I could tell by the way her questions bubbled out of her. She watched me, but I kept silent. I didn’t want to feel like I was giving her a sob story; I didn’t want her pity. I would not accept her pity. Another deep breath filled my lungs, I looked away from her. It was a shameful story; I was certain of that. A few more seconds passed and the silence continued on until I got my words in line and couldn’t bear the silence anymore. One more deep breath. I closed my eyes another moment, and then turned so that my legs were crossed parallel to the couch. This was it.


“When I was little, my parents would take me places a lot. We were always at a zoo, an aquarium, bowling, or at the circus… We were always doing things together” I paused, finally pulling my eyes back to hers to watch her. I gave her a soft smile before concentrating once more on my hands. “One night, the circus had come into town, and we were enjoying it. I loved the large animals and the dancers; I had always wanted to be like them when I grew up” Another pause; a deep breath; my eyes close. “I remember everything… At the end of the show, I got separated from my parents, and I went to the ring master for help” I felt my skin begin to crawl at the thought of the dirty man. “He said he would help me find them, but they never came, and he took me away; he hid me while my parents searched from me “ I look down to my wrists; they were so small. It was almost as if I hadn’t grown at all since I had been lost.


“He chained me in his caravan… and I could see the blue lights from where I was, but no one could hear me.” I opened my eyes again, the darkness of the caravan was gone and I no longer smelt hay and alcohol. “I was chained there until the circus packed up, left, and took me with them.” I looked back to the girl; my skin had goose bumps on them. “At first, everything was okay… The work wasn’t hard, I ate every day, and I could dance in the circus. Soon, the work day got longer, the food became less, and dancing too well got me into…trouble.” There were things I wanted to leave out, and I made sure to do so. She already hated that man, and I didn’t want to think of what might happen if they saw each other again and she knew exactly what he had done to me.


“At one point, after informing Master that I would be saved. He told me that if I hadn’t been saved in three years, I was his forever.” I looked back to her, smiling quietly—trying to lighten the mood—“You can probably assume that I wasn’t saved.” I turned again, pulling the top part of my top off. I took a deep breath, running my fingers over the scarred skin. Another deep breath. I felt my eyes closed; I hadn’t noticed the tears that fell from my eyes.

 

[9forgotten]

I sit there listening quietly as she tells me her story, obviously it wasn't a pleasant one. I didn't exactly display anything as she told me all this, just sat there taking everything in and connection all the dots in my head speedily. I watched as she turned, pulling her shirt up some to reveal scarred skin. Anger and hate, even more then usual since I had a reason to be absolutely furious. How could such a man do that to a little kid? It was sickening and disgusting, cruel and horrible. my hands curl into tightened fists as I think of countless things I could do to pay that jerk back. I sudden;y wished I'd beat him up some more, terrible to say, I liked it to some degree but maybe that was just my anger talking.


I jump up, ready to go find the guy and beat him senseless. When angry enough, that's all that entered my mind but that didn't happen to often. In my some what messed up mind, he would be my punching bag while I took out all my anger on him along with my revenge for this poor girl. It wasn't right, I knew that much in the back of my head but it posed me off so much someone would do this to another human. Hell, it was even worse then I originally thought.


My anger disperses as I see tears sliding down Mira's cheeks. My hands fall limp at my sides as I just watch for a moment before moving over to her, wrapping my arms around her hesitantly and probably a bit awaked as I pull her into a gentle embrace "You're not his, I wont let him win. As for being saved, obviously you weren't by him but maybe someone else will" I say thinking about maybe her parents or law enforcement people or whatever. I'm sure with the right evidence, hell I had more then needed to get him in jail forever. I knew it wouldn't be easy though, he had mad it pretty clear he was going to come after us and get his "property" back. Over my dead body he would.


For now, I just held the girl close and did my best to comfort her.

 

[FaithWynters]

She is angry—I can tell by the balled up fists and her silence. I hadn’t meant for that to happen. She asked about my story so I told her, although I knew it would make her angry. I took in a short breath, rethinking over what I had done. I didn’t like it—I should have been more aware and not said anything. My mind was whirling with so many different thoughts all at the same time. I feel bad, but I know it’s for the best. I can’t help but run my hand across the bumps that will scar my body forever as a reminder of what I went through…what I will go through.


I only open my eyes again when I feel arms being wrapped around me. She is warm, and I sigh into her body. I don’t know how long it had been since I have been hugged, but I have missed it. I feel the warmth of tears on my cheeks. I have stopped crying, but I haven’t had the strength to reach up and push the tears away. Her words make my heart jump. Does she not realize that she is my savior?


“You are the one that has saved me” I take in a slow and shaky breath. “I will owe you for the rest of my life, Alex” It takes me a moment, but I can feel my arms pull up to wrap around her. I don’t want to say anything else. Instead, I just let my eyes slowly close. I haven’t felt the warmth of another person and felt so safe in a very long time so I just let myself relax. It doesn’t take much time and my comfort has turned into sleep.

 

[9forgotten]

I blinked as she claimed I was her savior, that never occurred to me. Me being someones savior? Irene would definitely laugh at that, if anything I was more a grim reaper in her eyes. I shrug slightly giving an awkward smile as I hugged her to me "Nah, you owe me nothing." I murmur softly as I feel her own arms wrapping around me. I smiled some, feeling her relax as well and calming down. I reached over and brushed the rest of the tears away lightly as she slowly drifted off to sleep. I stayed where I was, holding her close to me and watching her sleep, picking her up gently several minutes later after I knew she was out cold. I carried her into my room, laying her down on the bed carefully and pulling the covers over her.


I sit next to her, checking my leg again and deciding that I should probably stay off of it. I grabbed my reading glasses, the papers from earlier along with my laptop and red pen before sitting down on my bed next to her. I just watched her rest some, moving her hair from her face some and combing it back it my fingers gently. It was still strange for me to think that she was basically the same age as me yet we had very different lives up until now. I wondered what would happen next, when she got done recovering. Would she stay? Would she leave? What was the Ring Master plotting against us?


To many questions, none of which I had answers to or could control. All I could do was just keep helping her get better and avoid work as long as I could. I was entitled to just sit back and take a break from work now and then wasn't I? I had a good reason too, it wasn't like I was off partying and getting drunk or whatever. I smiled faintly and opened my computer, opening the document holding my work and going through to correct the mistakes I'd found. Quietly clicking away and fixing my work while Mira slept next to me, often glancing over and watching her sleep affectionately.

 

[FaithWynters]

For the longest time I hadn't even realized I had drifted off. I simply slept in a dreamless sleep. Today had been hard already and I knew it couldn't be too long into the day. I took in a deep breath, watching the darkness as I rested. I had half awoken to the feeling of being caried someplace, but I could tell that the arms I was in were Alex's so I didn't worry. I closed my eyes and let myself rest. I had no idea I had been doing it, but the longer I slept, the more I curled up in the bed I had been laid in.


"Thank you" The words were soft on my lips and I wasn't even sure if I was heard. It was just enough to show my thanks before I turned over and fell back asleep.It was only every once in a while I would awaken to the soft movement on the bed to realize that I had moved closer to the warmth. I would open my eyes for a moment before letting them fall closed. I could see that Alex was working, and for that, I didn’t want to disturb her. So, while she sat, tapping away quietly on her keyboard, I slept, or at least pretended to sleep after a while. I had slept too much the past twenty four hours and now I could sleep no more. So, I just lay there, eyes half open, watching the pattern on the bed, trying to not be a bother.

 

[9forgotten]

I glanced over at her as the quiet words passed through her lips, smiling as I watched her sleep some. Turning back to my work, I sent a few manuscripts to Irene and then going to finish editing my work. I finally finished sometime later with a sigh, setting my things aside on the table next to the bed and stretching some. I yawn and rub my eyes some, setting my reading glasses down as well before looking over to check on Mira. I blinked in slight surprise to find her half awake and seemed to have been awake for sometime. I smiled "Well hey there" I greet settling down again.


"How'd you sleep? Sorry for not noticing you were awake, next time let me know" I say turning to her slightly with a smile. I felt a bit bad for not noticing, how boring was it to just lay there watching someone else working on random things? Half the time I just just sitting here and looking blankly at the computer screen when I zoned out. I ran a hand through my hair and glanced at the time, it was like mid/late afternoon so I'd only been working for an hour or two. I pull my injured leg up to check on it for a moment before letting it flop back down against the soft bed with a dull thump. It didn't hurt to much, that might change if I stood up but I'd test that later. I was more worried about Mira and her wounds, in my opinion they were far worse then what I'd dealt with.

 

[FaithWynters]

I couldn’t help but smile as she looked me over. I had been sleeping for quite some time, I was sure. A small sigh escaped my lips as I pulled myself a little closer to her. She was warm, and I couldn’t ignore the fact that I felt safer when she was near. I watched her a moment before realizing that she had noticed me being awake. I couldn’t help but giggle as she told me to tell her when I was awake. There was no point. I wouldn’t worry about busying her while she was working. Work mattered much more than dealing with me.


“I slept much better than I have in years” I pulled my arms up, gripping the cool pillow beneath my head. I squeezed it, closing my eyes for a moment before opening them again and watching her. “I forgot what it felt like to know you were safe...I'm sorry for falling asleep.” I cleared my throat, turning over so that I was once again on my back. With a quiet groan as the muscles in my body stretched themselves out and my joints popped quietly with the newest movement of my body. There were parts of me that were sore, but it wasn’t as bad as I had expected it to be. I was used to much worse.

 

[9forgotten]

I chuckle softly as I watch her pull the pillow under her head, seemingly quite happy I think. Blinking, I look at her as she looks at me, just watching her in return before she starts talking again. I rolled my eyes as she tells me she was sorry for falling asleep, wondering a little what she meant by she'd forgotten what it was like to be safe. Then I somewhat remembered the whole circus thing and it made sense again. I didn't remark on it, not really sure how to really "Oh please, you're fine. You need your rest is more important." I say wit a slight shrug. I smile and move to lay down next to her, stretching out again before relaxing comfortably near her "And again, just let me know when you're awake so I'm not mindlessly working, or pretending to work anyway" I say with a small laugh.


Turning my head into my pillow some, I stifle a tired yawn while fighting the sudden rush of tiredness that made me just want to close my eyes and sleep. However, I felt that'd be rather rude considering I had a guest over and I wanted to know more about her anyway. I rubbed my eyes some before looking back at her, meeting her gaze "Anyway, you hungry? Thirsty? Wanna do something? Play a game? Go for a walk? Watch a movie? Sleep more?" I ask just listing random things that came to my head. I was up for anything and everything really. It was wonderful to have that feeling of just hanging out with friends or hanging out in general. I'd been pushed so much to focus on my career, I hadn't really had time or opportunities to other things.


Therefore, I really hoped she stuck around for awhile. Or forever, you know, whatever she wanted really. Obviously, I'd taken quite a liking to her pretty fast. My stress levels just went down, the anger I always felt seeped away and I was happier and more like 'my old self'.

 

[FaithWynters]

She started listing off things that I might be up for doing. A deep breath filled my lungs as I let my eyes lazily close as I thought. It was a strange feeling to have the choice of what I did. It might possibly have been too much of a choice for me because I sat there for the longest time just thinking over what had happened and what we could do.


Going out hadn’t really turned out that well the last time that we had gone somewhere, but I didn’t want to just sit here and do nothing. I was sure that she found that boring, even though my body was crying just to curl up against this warm girl and enjoy the safety of the home.


“We can do whatever you want. I wouldn’t want to impose upon you any more than I already have” The voice was soft as it passed through half-asleep lips. There were too many things to do. I always had to be thinking about another place to go. I needed a job, but how could I have one of those with the education I had…Blue eyes opened to stare at the ceiling. These were the thoughts I needed to worry about. How was I going to get away from these men and finally start my life over? How was I going to learn to do the things I should have learned in school? I needed to figure things out. The obstacles ahead of me would be high and hard to overcome, but something about lying in the bed just made me feel that everything would work itself out or I would go through my life struggling to make it right. Everything would be fine. Things were turning for the better and this girl was the key to that, whether I left after a few days or stayed forever. I smiled softly; there was no way I could think of how I could ever repay her.

 

[9forgotten]

I lay there quietly, dozing lightly, my eyes close for a few moments while the other girl say there thinking on what to do. I didn't really know what she wanted to do and I had a feeling she wouldn't have much of an opinion since she seemed to be worried about imposing on me and all. Yawning softly, my eye flick open as she speaks. Smiling some I only shrug slightly "You aren't imposing at all, trust me. I like your company" I say. Stretching some, I lay on my back and looked at the celling, letting out a long yawn. Laughing a little, feeling a little awkward again, being social still was't exactly my forte so I wasn't sure what to do and all in situations like this. Running a hand through my hair, I thought to myself for a few moments. Looking at the time again, not much time had past since I last looked at the clock.


Turning back to the other girl I offer a sheepish smile "Sorry, I'm not to great with people so I don't really know what to do" I say giving a small awkward laugh. "Um, if you're hungry I can make something? It's late afternoon, evening will come around soon enough...we can watch a movie or play video games or whatever you want. I don't really mind" I say smiling sheepishly again as I run a hand thorough my hair nervously. Rolling back onto my side, I looked at the other girl with a small smile, my papers long forgotten. Irene could wait a few more days, she was a pain in my butt anyway.


My phone suddenly went off a moment later, disrupting the nice quietness. Scowling, I reach over Mira and snatch it up, glancing at it briefly to see it was my mother. Rolling my eyes, I hit ignore and silence my phone before tossing it aside and leaning back to my normal position. "Sorry about that," I muttered with a soft sigh. Clearly she was calling because Irene had indeed complained to her about my rudeness or something. Whatever, they can cry me a river for all I care. "anyway, whatever you want. Don't worry about, I dunno being annoying or imposing or whatever. I brought you here and you aren't imposing in any kinda way nor do you need to repay me"