A Gentle Touch (Sawyer Fredericks Fanfiction)

Chapter Two

Sawyer's POV

I had woken up like I do every morning to feed the cows. I was walking over to the stable, still in my pajamas mind you, when I heard screaming. I immediately started running when I peered over an empty stall. It was a girl. She looked so skinny. I wondered what she was doing here. She was obviously having a nightmare. She started talking.

"I'm sorry! It's all my fault! Please, kill me instead!" She screamed.

This nightmare was getting too morbid for my taste. I needed to wake her up.

"Honey wake up, it's ok." I whispered in her ear. I was trying to shake her awake.

Her eyes popped open and she flinched violently. She started backing away carefully. The fear in her eyes was clearly evident.

"Are you ok? What's your name?" I said getting up. I held out my hand to help her get up but she covered her head with her hands.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" She shrieked.

"I'm not going to hurt you." I crouched down next to her and lowered her arms.

I tilted her head up so we were making eye contact. She looked so small. There were mixed emotions going through her eyes right now. They were faint but they were there. Fear, Pain, Guilt, Despair, and Shame all mingled together.

"I'm Violet. I'm so sorry. It's just it's winter and I was cold and your barn is so warm and I don't have anywhere else to go! Please don't report me I can't go back!"

"Woah! Violet? Why would I report you? Go back where?" She could tell I was confused.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered.

"It's ok sweetie." I cooed. "Why don't you start from the beginning." I suggested.

Then came the saddest story I had ever heard.

"It all started when my parents and I were going on a road trip. I didn't have any siblings. Our car broke down in a vacant area and so we had to stop and call a tow truck. While we were waiting w-we um... We, we got kidnapped. When the tow truck got there we were gone but the tire tracks weren't. He called the police. But by the time the police tracked us down it had been three days. I had almost been beaten to death and my parents were already dead. When the police walked in I was being held at gunpoint. After a ton of court visits and paperwork they decided the best option was an orphanage. I spent two years there. I was given little to no food every day. I only had two outfits. What I'm wearing now, and pajamas. It was an awful place and the workers were abusive. I ran away. I'm only 15. I made it up to Fultonville a month ago and I've been sleeping in your barn for the past two weeks. It was the only warm place I could find. I'm so sorry."

Tears had welled up in her eyes and my heart almost broke. I reached out and touched her shoulder. She flinched, but then realized it was an act of comfort. She was shaking too. I had left the gate open and the barn was freezing. It's not actually that warm at night either.

I pulled her into my embrace and felt her relax.

"You can't keep staying in the barn. But there is a 99% chance you can stay with me and my family. Would you like that?" I whispered in here ear.

I felt her nod. Her whole body was probably cold and numb. I could feed the cows later.

I picked her up and began carrying her towards the house. It was almost scary how light she was considering we are only a year apart. It was like carrying a bale of hay. Lighter even. What this girl needed was love. And a family.