little bird // r.keene

vii. be quiet.

Wren ran.

Her ribs were screaming at her, she could hardly hear herself think as her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Her knees felt like jelly and her lungs felt like they were about to collapse. Wren could feel the blood leaking down her forehead and her lip begin to bruise.

But none of it mattered, she just had to get away. She rounded a corner and suddenly collided with someone, he let out a surprised yelp as she groaned and they both tumbled over one another.

Wren recovered a lot faster, already pushing herself away on her hands and feet, trying to shuffle away. The boy had had a skateboard which had snapped upon the impact of the fall. When she pushed herself up, he grabbed her arm to stop her from running away.

"Hey!" The boy snapped as she tried to yank her arm free. She heard the cluttered footsteps of her attackers approaching the corner and without even looking at his face, Wren pushed the stranger against the wall of the street and pushed her cold hand to his lips.

He could feel her rapid and irregular breathes as she pressed herself against him, Wren just looked at their feet, keeping her head down. They boy had wide eyes and yet put his arm around her as if using her to steady himself.

"Be quiet." She whispered to him and lowered her hand from his mouth. The boy, by this point had heard the shouting of her pursuers.

"She went this way!" One yelled.

"Get her!" Screamed the other.

The stranger watched as she tried to sink into his chest, doing her best to make herself as small as possible and so instead, turned her around so she was the one against the wall and he had his back to the sidewalk.

"Keep your head down." He told her quietly and Wren didn't need to be told twice.

Wren kept her head low still and let out a long sigh of relief as she heard their running footsteps past. The whole ordeal had only lasted a few seconds and yet it had felt longer.

"It's okay. They're gone." The boy said to her, lifting his head from her hair which smelled sweetly of jasmine and something strong, tobacco maybe. He looked over his shoulder and watched as the two men rounded another corner and just like that- they were gone.

Wren lifted her head gently and looked up at the stranger for the first time. He was a boy around 16 she guessed with long hair which had been tied in a not on the back of his head and green eyes. His expression was blank as if still assessing the situation at hand, deciding what to do next.

He scanned her over and over, she had a large cut on her forehead which was dripping blood, her left eye was a little darker indicating the formation of a bruise and she had a long cut on her bottom lip and those were the only injuries he could see.

"Hey- hey are you alright?" He asked and immediately felt like an idiot, she had been beaten to a pulp and he had almost cost the girl her escape.

"Yeah." She lied, taking a step away so she was no longer pressed between him and the wall. He made an effort to move away too and gave her some space. "I'm fine." Wren added, "Just another Saturday." She half joked, trying to lighten the mood, primarily because she didn't like how he was looking at her like a wounded animal.

And yet, Wren found his face so warm and his eyes so intense on her that she was sure he could read all her thoughts, everything she was feeling at that moment were written on her pupils.

"Wow, you're Saturdays must suck." He played along, letting out a breathy chuckle as he slung his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah well- definitely not one of my finest moments but-" she shrugged, which made her collar bone ache, "I'm still breathing so I'm fine." She said breathlessly, sarcasm dripping from her lips, and tried to laugh and play off the disturbing silence but her ribs echoed with pain and she groaned.

"Maybe I should get you to a hospital." He thought out loud to himself, looking around as if thinking of the more efficient way to get her out of there but she shook her head ever so slightly

"Nah- told you I'm fine. Just a few bruises." She told him, knowing she wouldn't be able to pay the medical bills if they went, and he looked over at her. Even in the dim light, he could see her injuries so clearly, even if she didn't want to go to the hospital, he knew he needed to help.

"Thanks." She croaked, trying to clear her throat and the boy just nodded.

"Yeah- no problem, isn't it kind of dangerous to be out on the streets past dark?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Probably- but that's why it's fun." She joked again and he smirked. Wren let her eyes wonder and looked down, his broken skateboard lay scattered at their feet. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She breathed, bending down, despite her screaming side to pick up the two pieces of wood.

"No, it's okay don't worry about it." He told her, shrugging and taking the wood from her.

"No, it's not. I'm so sorry. Here." She reached into her back pocket and handed him two of the twenty dollar bills she had swiped from her dad, Wren was unsure how much a skateboard actually cost but she was sure this would help.

"No, keep it. Please, I've got another at home." He lied but he honestly didn't want the money, he didn't want to make her night even worse. "Keep it." She tucked the money back into her pocket and let out a small sigh.