Tinsley Walker despised running. Yet there she was, counting each square of cement as she sprinted down a sidewalk in a neighborhood far richer than her own, a place she had no intention of being, yet somehow found herself in. A neighborhood widely known for being safe. A neighborhood, where the chances of someone chasing after her were very slim, but still, the voice in her head screamed run faster. She picked up her pace, forcing the pain that was spreading throughout her legs to the back of her thoughts. The wind picked up suddenly, whipping her sweaty, dirty blonde ponytail into her face. Her eyes squeezed shut in surprise, and in a frantic attempt to clear her vision, her hands flew to move her hair– but her legs didn't get the memo. She collided headfirst with a light pole, the jarring impact sending shockwaves into her skull before the world went pitch black.
A raspy, yet angelic voice seemed to call out to her from miles away in the darkness. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make out the words. Then the voice stopped, leaving her in radio silence before returning, this time sounding ten times closer and even more angelic. Tinsley wondered if she was being beckoned into heaven by an actual angel. Just as she was about to decide if she was okay with that, she was abruptly thrown back into the real world. All of the sounds around her crashed in at once, along with a new throbbing pain in her temple.
The voice did not belong to an actual angel, but someone with equally good of intentions.
"Hello? Are you okay?!" The woman's voice called out again. All of Tinsley's senses came rushing back, making her acutely aware of the irritating, itchy feeling of the blades of grass that poked and scratched at her legs and neck. Her eyes flew open as she shot upward, only to discover that she had no strength to hold herself up. She began to fall back toward the pavement, closing her eyes and bracing for impact. But the impact never came. A soft pair of hands caught her before she could cause any more damage to herself.
"Woah there, careful now."
The groan that left Tinsley's mouth was animal-like as her right hand instinctively reached to feel the lump forming on her forehand. What the hell happened? Where was she? She'd run into....something? She groaned again, this time at her own stupidity. When she opened her eyes again, she was face to face with a blurry, upside-down stranger who was staring directly into her chocolate-colored eyes. The only feature she could clearly make out was the woman's striking green eyes. It really did feel like she was seeing an angel.
"Is this heaven? Are you my guardian angel? " Tinsley asked, needing to check her theory. However, now that she thought about it, she doubted an actual angel would admit to being one.
"Nope, I don't think so," The green-eyed stranger replied, her voice calm and patient.
"And I'm not dead?" Tinsley asked though it sounded more like a statement. She was still trying to make sure she wasn't in heaven. The whole situation felt too surreal.
"Nope, I don't think so," The stranger repeated, without a hint of annoyance despite Tinsley's repetitive questioning.
"Damn. That's a shame." Tinsley muttered under her breath. The dark humor slipped out before she could stop it, surprising even herself; her filter disappeared the moment her forehead met steel. She attempted to stand, but the ground seemed to tilt beneath her, her legs turning to jelly as she swayed like a drunk sailor, then collapsed back into the woman's arms. Maybe on another day, Tinsley would have found it romantic to fall right into a woman's arms, but right now, the situation was nothing short of humiliating.
"Oh? And why is that a shame?" The stranger asked, genuinely taken aback, all while she helped Tinsley stand upright. She began guiding Tinsley toward a car parked in the middle of the street, its hazards flashing.
"Because I have a shitty life and not much will to live," Tinsley admitted with brutal honesty. The words tumbled out easily, surprising her as much as they seemed to surprise her rescuer, who had gone silent. Then it hit her– her rescuer was trying to take her somewhere.
The warning bells that blared inside her head weren't as loud as they probably should've been, but they were still there, and Tinsley was alert enough to question it. She used all the bodily control she had to plant her foot down and stop. "Woah! Stranger Danger! Where are you taking me?"
The woman seemed to still be processing Tinsley's blunt confession. After a moment, she finally responded to Tinsley's sudden concern. "I want to take you to my house to get you some ice for your head; it's just a couple of blocks up the road. You hit your head pretty hard, and I'd rather not leave you alone just yet."
They both paused, standing silently as Tinsley weighed the odds of the woman being a threat to her. In the end, she came to the conclusion that she didn't care enough to resist. The mystery woman watched her patiently, waiting for Tinsley to answer. It came in the form of a quick, neutral-toned "Okay." The woman acknowledged it with a short "Good, good," and continued guiding Tinsley the last couple of feet to her car.
Without any warning, the mystery woman let go of Tinsley for a split second to open the passenger side door. She barely managed to get it open in time to save a yelping Tinsley, whose legs had given out, causing her to twist her left ankle. The woman's arms shot out, grabbing her waist to steady her.
"Woah, careful there. Are you okay?"
Tinsley nodded and managed an "Mm," even though her ankle now throbbed with pain. One of the woman's hands remained firmly on Tinsley's waist as she guided her into the passenger seat, carefully covering Tinsley's head with her other hand to prevent another bump. After closing the door, the woman quickly got in on the other side. Tinsley fumbled with her seatbelt, her blurry vision making it difficult to find the buckle, frustration growing. She was a second away from not buckling at all when the woman reached over, her hand covering Tinsley's as she clicked the seatbelt into place, then buckled her own.
The car lurched forward, and an impulsive giggle escaped Tinsley's lips. "Riding on the magic school bussss," she tried to whisper, the tune bubbling up from nowhere.
The woman's head turned slightly, a blur in Tinsley's peripheral vision. "Are you....singing?....The Magic School Bus?"
"NOoOoooo," Tinsley denied with another giggle.
"You sure?" The woman's voice sounded amused for the first time in their interaction.
Tinsley couldn't help but giggle for the third time, the absurdity and her foggy mind making everything seem loopy and hilarious. She closed her eyes, and swayed softly, "Totally sure."
If the woman had any reaction, Tinsley had no idea what it was since the woman said nothing.
A few long minutes later, the car turned left, pulled into a driveway, and came to a stop. The woman put the car in park and got out. Tinsley closed her eyes tighter, holding her breath as she waited. She was reminded of when she used to pretend to be asleep as a kid, hoping her parents would carry her inside. That was before everything, though, before things changed.
The passenger side door opened with a woosh of cool air. The woman placed her hand on Tinsley's upper arm and shook gently, "Hey, are you awake?
When Tinsley didn't respond, the woman, apparently convinced by her act, reached across her to unbuckle the seatbelt. Tinsley caught a whiff of the woman's hair, a warm strawberry scent, not too fruity, but not too dull. It smelled oddly safe, comforting, and familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. Her body and mind craved the scent, the feeling of safety she hadn't experienced in far too long. Tinsley remained still, playing asleep as the woman effortlessly lifted her out of the seat, carrying her the way princes do in movies when they sweep their princesses off their feet.
Tinsley's mind drifted in and out of consciousness as she was carried inside, her last coherent thought a mix of curiosity and something else she couldn't label. Who was this woman, and why did Tinsley feel so strangely safe in her arms?
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
HEYYYY Y'ALL THIS CHAPTER WAS SUPER LONG SO IM SPLITTING IT INTO TWO CHAPTERS. HOPE YOU GUYS ARE HAVING A GOOD DAY! LOVE - A
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