CHAPTER ONE: Gods Piss on this World

Every story has to start somewhere. There's no such thing as 'the beginning', but this place is pretty good too.

CHAPTER ONE: Gods Piss on this World

 

            It was raining, just pissing down rain like even the Gods were disgusted at what the world had become. I didn’t blame them. I was appalled at the filth that inhabited this world as well.

“Never let me see you’re pathetic face in this café ever again!” I winced as my own voice echoed in my mind. I hadn’t meant to lose control and snap like I did, but I did. I always did. My hand tightened on the water-sleek umbrella handle as I closed my eyes. Water soaked my shoes and seeped through the cracked leather to dampen my socks. The soggy material squelched with every step I took and I sighed. I needed new shoes. The small tears were starting to become noticeable. Calculations of the latest house budget filled my mind as I wondered where I could deduct money to buy some new, second-hand-maybe school shoes. My small weekly allowance was the first obvious thing to go as I pressed my lips together. A strong wind swept through the park and my arm flung back as the umbrella caught the full brute of its attack. Swearing as the rain drenched me from head to toe; I forced the umbrella against the wind and back over my head.

It was then did I notice him through the curtain of rain battering against my body. He sat, crumpled, under a swaying tree in obvious pain. Confusion filled me. What the hell was that idiot doing? In the little light spilled from the street lamps, I could just make out his bruised, blood crusted face. The blood drained from my face and, unconsciously, I took a step back before I could stop myself. Anyone with half a mind would have turned and run then. Anyone smart would have left that young man alone for their own good. He was one of them. A Player…“Everyone needs a helping hand when they fall…”

My face crumpled at my father’s words. Everyone…? Even him?

I could almost feel my father’s fist landing gently on my head as he scowled. “Everyone.”

Sighing, I closed my eyes as drops of water slid down my neck and arms. Everyone. I had no choice. It was my family’s pride, helping those in need, I had to help everyone. Even him. Stepping off the path, I entered the mushy, sudden grass. My feet sunk into the mud as a shiver tore through me. The wind rose, howling as thunder rumbled in the distance. Argh. Storms, I hated them. As long as there’s no lightening… I’m fine. But still, the sooner I was out of it, the better.

 It took only a few seconds for me to reach him. If I didn’t notice the slight rise and fall of his chest, I would have assumed him to be dead. Even so, I gently held my finger under his noise and checked. Little breaths of air tickled the skin of my finger. Alive. Barely. Blood crusted his bruised body and half his face seemed to be badly swollen along with his hands. Punching did that. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the little bones were broken. His left arm also looked dislocated.

“What the hell have you been doing?”  I whispered. Even if I was speaking to myself rhetorically, the answer was obvious. Fighting. Maybe this had something to do with the ambulances I saw earlier on the bus, but that would have been over half-an-hour ago. My lips tugged in a frown. Howlong have you been here hurt and alone?

Slipping the umbrella under my left armpit, I wrapped my right arm under the young man’s chest. His face screwed up in pain as I lifted him off the ground. My muscles protested at the weight, but I pushed through it. With a grunt, I slung him over my shoulders. It seemed I needed to work out more at the gym. Argh. Another thing to add to the list of ‘to do’.

The young man stood with difficulty, his weight rested on me. “Come on, you have to walk. Please.” Without opening his eyes or showing any real sign of consciousness, he allowed me to help him walk. Each step was shaky and weak, but somehow we managed to make it to the path with only a few stumbles in the slushy mud.

“Good. It should be easier now,” I murmured. The rain increased its pressure as my eyes scanned the area. Sheets of water fell, blurring my vision, limiting my view. I had to hope those that did this were long gone. We would have been screwed otherwise. The young man’s frail, awkward breathing sounded loud by my ear, his hot breath tickling my skin. Forcing him forward, we trudged on. “Keep your breathing even. Two short in, one long out. Focus on it.” He obeyed and I heard his raspy breathing begin to follow the pattern. Short, short, long… Short, short, long…“My house is only down the road. I’m going to take you there and fix you up, understood?” No response. Short, short, long… Short, short, long…

            My eyes closed for a moment in a grimace. It was going to be a long night.

 

            Cutting off the excess thread from the wound, I sat back on my heels. Nearly done. I placed the scissors back into my mother’s first aid kit on the table and glanced at the clock. Eleven PM. I had been cleaning, stitching and bandaging the young man for a good hour. Luckily my mother left at nine-thirty for her late night shift at the hospital. She wouldn’t be home until late morning. As for my little brother, he was on a school camp and wasn’t due home until late Sunday night. I didn’t need to worry about this delinquent being discovered.

            Speaking of which, the young man groaned. I picked up the warm cloth beside me to wipe away the beads of sweat from his forehead, and pushed back his fringe… I froze. Icy green eyes stared at me as I held back his hair. A few damp caramelised strands fell into his piercing eyes as dread filled me.

            S**t. “You’re awake.”

            His eyes narrowed and taking a hint, I dropped my hands to my side. “Where am I?” He pushed himself up into a sitting position on the couch before wincing. “F**k.”

            “Dislocated.”

            He stared at his leg, disgusted. “Damn.”

            “I can fix it.”

            Instant weariness filled his face. “Have you done this stuff before?”
            I nodded. “My mother’s a nurse for the Frilay Hospital. She taught me a lot as I grew up.” Mainly on animals… But I didn’t mention that part. Beside my brother and a few odd people, my neighbour’s pets were my number one patients.

            “Fine. Go for it.” I could read between the lines. He didn’t want to go to the hospital. I didn’t blame him. If he went to the hospital, questions would be asked, parents would be called. Most Players couldn’t afford that kind of interference.

            Standing, I placed the cloth in his mouth. “So you don’t bite your tongue.” He gave me a filthy look and I had to stop myself from tugging on his leg. Ungrateful b*****d. Why am I helping you? Taking a strong hold on his leg, I took a deep breath. “On three… one.” I snapped his leg back into place.

            The young man arched his back and I heard a muffled swear word from behind the cloth. When he calmed down, he ripped the cloth from his mouth. “You said three b***h!”

            “Anticipation always hurts more than the actual deed,” I muttered. To my surprise, he didn’t argue. Instead a quiet reserve filled him. Outside thunder rumbled, louder than before. The rain pounded against the windows of our small apartment and I squeezed my eyes shut. The storm was getting closer.

            “I’d advise you to go to hospital, but you should be fine now. All your wounds were pretty shallow, nothing too serious.” I crouched and picked up the cloth he had thrown. Ungrateful"

            “Thank you.” I turned to him in shock. Bending his knee, he placed it on the floor as he sat up. He ran a hand through his hair and my cheeks warmed as the muscles in his chest and arms flexed. I hadn’t expected him to thank me so bluntly… and he was good looking. In that striking kind of way. Handsome. One of those gems who at first looked average… but when you saw those eyes. Taking off his shirt and pants to clean his wounds had been quite the thing. My cheeks flamed at the memory. On his part, he didn’t even blink at only being in underwear… Or he hadn’t noticed. “Why did you help me?”

            “It’s kind of like a motto for my family, lending a helping hand to those in need,” I said, trying to act casual as I stood. I grabbed the first aid kit off the coffee table.

            His face darkened. “A dangerous motto to have. Letting a complete stranger in your house… How do you know I’m not going to take advantage of you here and now? Aren’t you wary?”

            “Not really. You haven’t got the eyes of a murderer.” Sure, there was obvious burning rage in them. Hate. Violence… But not that murderous, cold glint. Icy shards filled my blood as I sobered.

            “And you would know how?”

            I didn’t respond as that familiar numbness filled me. Turning away, I walked over to the kitchen. “You need to eat. You can leave afterwards.” Standing on my tippy-toes, I slipped the first aid kit back on top of the cupboards.

            “And how am I going to get home?”

            A wince. “I’ll give you money for a taxi.” There went my new shoes…

            “Where’s my clothes?”

            “In the dryer.”

            “My wallet?”
            Oh. “On top of the dryer along with the rest of your contents…” Including your butterfly blade stained with somebody’s blood… Silence. Maybe he had realised the same thing.

            “I’ll pay.”

            I wasn’t going to argue. Grabbing my dinner out of the fridge mum had prepared before she left, I put it into the microwave. I could go without eating for one night…. Crack! The power went out and shadows swallowed the world. A large rumble of thunder tore through the sky and on instinct, I dropped to the floor. My hands covered my head as lightening turned the world into day. My face screwed up as more thunder roared. The pattering of rain increased along with the howling wind.

            My head bowed against my chest.

            Crimson flashed behind my eyelids as a cry filled my ears... I shook my head. Get a grip! It was all in my head.

            “Hey. What’s-your-name? Where did"” The young man’s voice died away as he registered my huddled body on the ground. “Are you okay?”

            Glancing up from my pathetic crouch, I winced. “You shouldn’t be walking.”

            “What are you doing on the floor?”

            “The ground’s awfully comfy,” I said sarcastically. Another crack of thunder split the world in two and I flinched. My eyes stung.

            He swore. I listened to his footsteps come closer and my breath caught. What was he doing? Collapsing to the ground beside me, he wrapped a warm, strong arm around my shoulders. He pulled me closer. I had barely noticed I was shaking as I pressed against his hard chest. Damn…I was so pathetic. For the last few years, I had tried to destroy all weakness. All reliance on others…Yet here I was. Relying on a Player of all people.

            “We all have our weaknesses,” he murmured.

            I looked up at his soft voice, but he wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were solely focussed on the window in front of him where a large tree violently swayed in the wind.

            “Yeah.”

What is your weakness…? God damn it, who are you?

            We didn’t speak again after that and slowly, the storm quietened until it was merely a light drizzle of raining. By then, we had fallen asleep.

            The next morning he was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Seeming you can copy/paste text here, I will only post a few chapters.
To read full story (or what's currently posted) go here:
http://www.wattpad.com/story/4454993-never-fall-possible-watty-altered