An Angel in Darkness

Chapter 2: Found

Darry's POV

I sat in traffic, waiting for the red light to turn green. It had been a long day at work and I was hoping that Soda could give me a back rub when I got home. My back was smarting and aching real bad. I might've worked a little too hard at my roofing job that day.

I hoped Ponyboy would be home. That kid had a real problem with using his head. I just didn't know how to get it through to him. All I want is the best for him, but he was just so damn stubborn. He is smart enough to go through college, but his head's in the clouds.

I was almost home, when I noticed something illuminated by the head lights. A body lay beside the road, all bloody and bruised. I pressed down on the breaks and stopped to take a closer look. I hopped out of the car and began to walk over to the quivering form on the ground. When I realised who it was, my stomach twisted sickeningly.

"Ponyboy!" I gasped, the colour draining from my face. It was as if my worst nightmare was coming true.

There was my baby brother, with blood splattered around him. He looked too pale with blood and tears trickling down his face. I ran over to him and knelt down beside him. His purplish blue jacket had been unzipped and his t-shirt was slit and cut up. With a burst of fury, I realised that whoever did this must've pulled a blade on him. Yet I knew who it was; the Socs.

I lifted up the t-shirt a little to see the black bruises coating his sides and the deep gashes in his skin. I shuddered at the thought of what the Socs had done. Bruises covered his wrists and ankles. He must have tried to break free and I wondered how many Socs had attacked him. Blood trickled down his neck from a thin cut under his chin. There were two deep gashes on his cheek; they would leave scares, just like our friend, Johnny's did.

There was a handkerchief stuffed in his mouth and I knew he must've called out. I felt sickening guilt build up inside me. Why hadn't I been there? He had needed me, to save him, to protect him, and I'd been at work, grumbling about how he never uses his head.

He was unconscious and I wondered if he had a concussion. I checked his pulse; he was still alive. He was still breathing. I don't know what I would've done if he wasn't.

I could hear hurried footsteps behind me, and I looked over my shoulder to see the gang running towards me. Somehow, they sensed what had happened, yet it had been too late.

Soda looked sick, his deep blue eyes full of fear. He knelt down on the other side of Ponyboy, his hands shaking as he very carefully touched his brother's wounded cheek.

"What-what happened?" He asked, his eyes watering.

"I don't know, little buddy," I whispered, staring down at Ponyboy with tears filling my own ice-teal eyes. He looked so much smaller and younger unconscious. He had gone through and seen too much. Why would someone want to hurt him?

The gang hovered above us, with looks of shock, fear and anger clouding their faces. Johnny looked pretty scared, his black eyes huge. Only a few months ago he'd been jumped too and he's never been the same since. Would Ponyboy ever be the same?

Very gently, I place my hand on Pony's side and pressed down a little to check if any ribs were broken. With a low moan, his green-grey eyes opened. At first they were glazed and confused, clouded with pain. But suddenly they became haunted, as if he'd seen a ghost or maybe something even worse. I'll never forget that horrified look on his face. It almost broke my heart.

Ponyboy's POV

Pain. That was all I could feel, the pounding in my head nauseating. I opened my heavy green-grey eyes, seeing blurry figures standing above me. All I could hear was the Socs whispering in my ears, "You ready for us to slit your throat yet, Greaser?"