Woso OneShots

Let Me Help You - Lucy Bronze

        To say this past week has been hectic, it really has.

My brother has moved back to England once he was over the grief of our mother dying, but I chose to stay here, in Barcelona, for whatever reason that was. I have something else to give here, and I don't see England as my home anymore.

However, I'm 18. I can barely afford to live in my own house, I need to start a new job, and I have no idea where to start with it all. Bailey, my brother, is quite a few years older than me, at a big 30 years of age, and he has been helping me pay for the house, but tomorrow, that all stops.

He has a wife and kid now, and he can't keep helping me – it's time for me to stand on my own two feet.

At around 10pm, I decided that I needed to go for a walk. I didn't live too far away from the beach, so a 10-minute walk and I would be there, so that's what I did. I locked up my house, took my airpods, phone and keys, and made my way to the beach, just to hear the waves on the rocks and to listen to my gut-wrenching playlist.

Grief washed over me of my mother dying, and finally having to be all alone, and I hated that idea. I cried the hardest I might have ever cried. I didn't cry much when my mam passed away, purely because I was more in denial about it, even if it was just over a year ago.

I'm alone.

I'm alone in a city without my brother.

I'm alone in a city without my brother and not knowing anyone else.

I am alone.

Just as I thought that, I heard a little dog run up to me, making me a bit scared at first as I was sure there was no one else here. "Narla girl!" I heard an English woman shout, and to hear a similar accent to mine was a sort of relief. The dog, Narla, didn't run away from me, but instead just sat down in the sand, next to my legs that were up to my chest.

"You should go back." I whispered to her, but she just ended up laying down with her head in the crook of my leg. "Okay..." I giggled, not really knowing what to do. I slowly but surely put my hand on her, stroking her back and forth until the tall woman emerged from the shadows.

"I'm so sorry about her. Normally there's no one here so I let her off the lead. She looks comfortable though." The English woman chuckled, making me just nod. "Right, come on Narla babe." She spoke again but her dog didn't move, just sitting and whining at my shivering body.

I wasn't cold, I was just sad, and when I try and supress those emotions, I shake.

"You want to finish the walk with us? I can walk you back home after if you want. It's already really dark." The woman smiled and for some reason I just couldn't say no. "S-sure." I whispered, standing up, making Narla get up and follow suit.

We barely talked on that whole walk, and the walk was about 30 minutes from going up the whole beach and back and playing a few games of fetch with the little West Highland Terrier. "Where do you live?" The woman asked and I just looked at the floor. Did I really want to tell this strange woman where I lives, considering I lived all by myself now? "It's okay. I'll make my way home. I don't live too far from here." I whispered and she nodded.

However, we kept walking in the same direction, just with me in front. "Don't follow me." I turned around and spoke, a slight feeling of panic in my voice. "I'm not, don't worry. My house is on this street just up there. I promise." She smiled and I weirdly trusted her.

I don't trust anyone.

I kept walking, but my house was on the left of me now. We live on the same street. I didn't know whether to turn into my house and let her know I lived here, but I decided to just do it anyway. "Thanks for the walk..." I whispered, waiting for her to say her name.

"Lucy... Lucy Bronze."

That name just... it rang a bell, and I didn't know why or how. "Anyway, what's your name?" She asked but I just shook my head and walked into my house, closing the door, and seeing her and Narla walk away towards their house.

I immediately went upstairs and showered all the sand off and dreamt a really weird dream about Lucy.

The next day, I felt the exact same – grief stricken. It felt worse than yesterday. I knew I shouldn't have cried because this is how it ends... me sad for days, weeks, months.

Yet again, I decided to go for another walk, a bit earlier this time at around 9pm. I sat down on the same spot of sand I was at yesterday and listened to my music, just crying and being alone... or so I thought.

My music was playing really loudly in my ears, making it impossible for me to hear anything else, but as soon as I felt the fur drag against my legs and lay down, I knew it was all going to happen again.

I immediately tried to stop my tears, but I couldn't. "Narla my loveeee!" An English woman shouted, but it wasn't Lucy. Oh fuck... who is it? I would have been fine if it was Lucy, I think, but knowing it was someone else just freaked me out.

I stroked Narla a little, then told her to go back to who she was with, but once again she didn't listen. She stayed laying next to me, and out came a woman just shorter of Lucy, and she looked kind of... sweet.

"Can I sit? My legs are shattered." She chuckled, and she had more of a similar accent to me than Lucy did. I couldn't talk, as I was trying not to show that I was crying. "Are you okay?" She asked, almost hesitantly. "Y-yeah. Erm, where's Lucy?" I whispered, voice cracking.

"Ohhh you're the girl she met yesterday, right? She's at home right now though." She smiled and I just put my head down. I don't know if I was happy that Lucy was talking about me or not, but it felt strange.

Soon after she saw that I put my head down, she pulled out her phone and started messaging someone. We sat in silence, with the occasional loud sobs coming out my mouth, but I could physically see that she didn't know how to react, which made me feel bad.

"Narlaaa!" I heard Lucy shout from the top of the stairs leading down to the beach. Fuck. Lucy's here. Narla ran off, with the other woman following just after, but the spot was soon taken by Lucy.

"That's Keira. That's my fiancée." She whispered, not looking at me and just staring out to the ocean where I was now looking. "What's up, kid?" She asked, holding her hand out in case I wanted to hold it, but I hesitated. "It's always here if you need it." She reassured me and I nodded.

Without realising it was happening, I managed to get myself into my own head and have a panic attack about being alone again.

I am alone.

"Hey. Hey. It's okay. It's alright just breathe. You're okay." Lucy whispered but I could barely hear her. "Look at me." She demanded with almost a sharp tone. I immediately looked at her and her eyes softened a little. "It's okay. Tell me what's up." Lucy smiled but I was fighting the battle in my head if I should tell her or not.

About 15 minutes went by of just me and her sitting in silence, me trying to calm myself down and letting Lucy try and calm me down too. I was listening to the ocean, now having taken my airpods out and put them back in my case and in my pocket.

"My mam died... My brother left me... I'm 18 and alone in a city that I don't know, and it's literally impossible for me to get a job and pay for my house alone. I am so alone..." I whispered and kept looking away from Lucy. I couldn't, and wouldn't, see her facial expressions.

After a minute passed, she pulled me into her shoulder. "Cry as much as you need too." She whispered and I did. I cried a lot, making her shirt wet with my tears. I hated being alone so much, but just having someone I could cry with made me feel a little better.

After about 15 minutes of crying, I realised what I was doing. I immediately got out of Lucy's grip and stood up, walking away as quick as I could, followed by a panicked Lucy following. "It's okay. You can say. I'm letting you stay, it's okay." She panicked but I kept walking. "Let me help you." She whispered and I stood still.

There was something about her voice that was so soft and... sincere.

I turned around and looked at her.

"I'm here. Come and talk to me.

Let me help you."