Sapphire Angel / Lucas Wong (Wong Yukhei)

Part 52 - Boom

*****

The sun outside faded away and was now masked by thick clouds that brought rain.

It fell through the hole in the roof and dripped down from the loft, the boys taking turns holding their mouths open underneath it, not knowing when they'd get food or water.

When night came along and the thunder continued to rumble the barn, they were all woken up to the sound of a loud vehicle approaching outside.

They heard two doors slam, and then the lock on the door rattling. They all sat up, nervous and terror stricken.

The door burst open with a loud thud, and flashes of lightning reveal Vince, with a body over his shoulder.

It was Zeda. She was unconscious.

They could only see her lower half, her pants draped over Vince's chest, which were coated in mud and blood, and she had only one shoe on.

Lucas was frozen with fear, was she dead?

Vince took a few steps in, water falling from his clothes and soaking the floor beneath them, and he heaved her onto the floor.

They could now see the rest of her. Underneath the thick layer of mud coating almost every inch of her, her shirt was ripped, leaving her stomach exposed.

Blood was everywhere, just about covering her torso and the front of her pants, which were also ripped on the thighs. But it was all dried, she was not actively bleeding.

Everyone was horrified by the sight.

"What did you do to her?" Lucas yelled, his eyes filling with tears as he rushed to her side.

He felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest.

"She did it to herself." Vince said, slamming the door and not leaving any room for confrontation.

Lucas pulled her into his lap. The others just watched trying to hold back their own sadness seeing their friend's peril. They heard Vince drive away outside.

Zeda was barely breathing, the smallest shallowest breaths that hardly lifted her chest.

"Zeda." Lucas brushed the hair from her face and a tear from his chin fell down onto her cheek.

He wiped it away and then looked to Johnny.

"Is she dead?" He asked.

Johnny scooted over to them and checked her pulse.

"Not yet." He said, and then lifted her shirt to examine the cuts on her.

Lucas got the wrong idea at first glance and grabbed Johnny's wrist the second her shirt lifted from her body.

"Hey, no man, I'm just looking at the scratches." Johnny quickly defended himself.

Lucas quickly let go.

"I'm sorry I just ..." Lucas began to apologize.

"It's okay. It's instinct. I get it." Johnny said, putting a hand on Lucas's back.

He couldn't even imagine how Lucas felt seeing her like this. He slowly brought his hand back and lifted her shirt.

Lucas gasped at the sight and turned his head back to her face.

"No .... no." He cried, leaning down putting his cheek against hers in his lap.

"God damn. These are gnarly." Johnny said sadly. "It looks like she needs some stitches."