Adventure Bay High

The Saviour

TW: death

'Hi Skye. Yes, we're all on our way now.' Rocky called his sister. Everyone else was getting out of the car. He froze when his sister started yelling. 

'Quiet down Skye. I can't hear you when you're yelling.'

'Zuma's missing...'

Rocky saw a boy huddled on a bench, head down to his knees. His schoolbag was thrown on the ground. It had BOYF written across it. Rocky smiled.

'No he's not.'

'What?'

'He's with us. Chill. I'll catch you later. I'm going to talk to Zuma.'

The others went in the hospital. Rocky headed to Zuma, who noticed. He grabbed his bag and tried to sneak off but Rocky stood in front of him.

'Where do you think you're going?'

Rocky sat down at the bench. Zuma sat next to him.

'So, what's up?'

'The sky.'

They both smiled.

'Of course. But what's the matter?'

'I...just needed to clear my head. Think a bit.'

'That's okay, but maybe let someone know first.' He put his arm around Zuma.

'Yeah. I will.'

They both just sat on the bench for a while.

'I think we should go meet the othews now...'

'Yeah. But listen. If you ever need to talk, then I will always be here to listen.'

Zuma nodded. But what Rocky didn't know is that he didn't want to know what Zuma was thinking. It was too awful. Luckily, the man in the room he saw earlier helped change what would have been a very short life.

                                                                                ***

Zuma edged into the room, where the damaged man was laying in the bed. Nobody else was there.

'Umm...hi siw...'

The man didn't answer.

'You might not wecognise me. I've changed since you last saw me. But....I wemembew you. You saved my life.'

Still no answer. It was as if he couldn't see him. Instead he started to growl.

'Sssowwy. I'll let you... sleep'

Zuma ran out, as nurses ran in. Chase ran over.

'What's happening?'

                                                                                         ***

Chase couldn't sleep. He thought about his dad. How stressed he was. He only find out a few hours ago that his dad had been shot. The bullet was still in there. He probably was going to die. Everyone was telling him 'everything's going to be alright' but he knew deep down that he wasn't going to live through this. He looked at the stars. He remembered when his dad used to watch them with him. Back before he went in the army. He was the best man on Earth, so why did he have to die? It wasn't fair. He heard sobbing in the next room. He went to see Zuma.

'What's the matter?'

'I scawed him. He thought I was going to huwt him. He didn't wecognise me...'

'You...knew him?'

'Yeah...he...he saved my life. He doesn't desewve to die.'

'I thought that too.'

'Why awen't you crying?'

'Because I knew it was going to happen at some point. No point in lying to myself.'

'Then I'll cwy for you as well then.'

He watched as Zuma cried. He came and hugged him.

'That's a lot of tears.'

'Twust me, when you bottle it up, thewe's a lot.'

Chase nodded. He knew. So did a lot of guys. That's why he sometimes envied Rocky. He just cried a bit about something, then just let it go.

'But I don't understand, you barely even knew him...'

'BAwely knew him?! I know, but when someone holds a gun at youw head, the same people who killed your welatives, when you know you'we going to die too, then a guy saves you from it all, you tend to wemembew them!'

'Sowwy. I didn't mean to shout. It's just that...'

'No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't assume and...'

The two boys started to cry on a heap in the bed, still hugging. Dorothy came in.

'Stop, you're going to make me...'

She started crying too, and came to join the hug. They stayed there for a while, crying and hugging. Finally, they separated.

'I'll go make us some hot chocolate.'

word count; 697

total; 16634