The Good Samaritan

Ryan and his friends clung to the shadows of the alley, murmuring quietly as they waited.  Some lit cheap cigarettes and smoked them, while others drank hastily and threw their glasses at the concrete ground.  Rather than do those things, Ryan just stood there.  He wasn't too interested in smoky cigarettes, nor the strong taste of liquor at the moment.  Instead, he just observed and waited.

Something inside him was anxious--and it was not that he was nervous they'd get caught, for he had done things like this many times before.  It was some anonymous, sick feeling that drew him to think this way.  For some reason, something told him that this was a bad idea.  Yet, he stayed and did not turn back from his actions, in fear of rejection or harassment from his peers.

Someone whispered for their gang to be silent.  Immediately, everyone hushed and they all looked around excitedly.  Ryan heard his friend on the left whisper hungrily, "It's a girl."

At this, Ryan felt sick to his stomach.  He had touched girls before, but it wasn't against their will.  He had done plenty of nasty business before this; however, for whatever reason, something inside him felt disgusted by this sort of business.  Why am I even doing this? he wondered, shaking his head as he prepared.  He then reminded himself it was only some random girl, nothing more to him.  He told himself to remember that his friends would disapprove if he tried to stop him.  Yet, even with these reminders, why did he feel so guilty?

"Now," the main leader of their "pack", Elijah, said.  He was the first to go.  He was a tall, charming boy with slick, black hair.  He wore a smug smile on his face as he headed out.  Ryan found all the other boys following him, and he still stuck where he was.

One of Ryan's friends looked back at him and asked, "Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah," Ryan bit his lip worriedly.  Then, he sighed and followed his friends.  Again, he asked himself in a troubled thought, What the hell am I doing this for?

The boys all stepped in front of this girl.  Ryan was behind them all, but could still see past them, since he was so tall.  The girl had already stopped in her tracks, as pale as snow.  She stood there, shaking as she looked at the large group of boys before her.  She had long hair, the color of tree wood.  Her terrified blue eyes stared at this gang, her little body quivering at the sight.  Her body was curvy, her arms and legs thin.  If she were to try fighting, she'd clearly fail.  Ryan watched in pity, shaking his head lightly.

The boys all held greedy faces as they studied her intensely.  Elijah stepped out from the front of the group and looked her up and down.  She backed away slightly, but he only came closer.  He was nose-to-nose with her now, and something inside me stirred.  I held my tongue and clenched my fists as I watched him do this.

"What're you doing out so late, love?" he queried.  His voice would have been soothing, if it weren't for his evil intentions.

"Leave me alone," she mumbled, turning away from him.  Before she could run off, Elijah grasped her arm tightly and pulled her towards him.  She stumbled a little, making a grunting noise as he brought her body to him.

He held her close to his face and smirked down at her helplessness.  "What makes you think I'm gonna leave you alone in such a dark, lonely place?"

The boys all snickered and came close to where she and Elijah were.  Without hesitation, they all grabbed at her.  Ryan heard her desperately cry out in horror as she tried to fight them.  Elijah's malicious laugh sounded from inside the pack and he shouted, "She's a feisty one, boys!"

Soon, Ryan could no longer watch it.  He ran over and ripped her from them quickly.  Once he did, the rain began to fall harder on them.  Yet, he didn't care and just continued to run as quickly as he could from the rest of his friends.  He heard them call out in irritation as he went, but he did not stop.  He went on, holding the girl tightly in his arms.

While running, Ryan caught sight of a narrow, dark alley.  He rushed to it, hearing the boys not too far behind.  He slipped into the alley and hid behind a trash bin.  Gently, he placed the girl on the ground and shielded her.  As he did this, he peeked out from the edge of the bin and searched for the boys.

At first, Ryan didn't see anyone.  Then, suddenly, Elijah appeared and he looked infuriated.  In shock, and out of fear, Ryan jumped and moved slightly behind the bin.  After a few seconds, he peered out again, just slightly, to see if Elijah still stood there.  When Ryan did this, he noticed Elijah was still there and seemed to be looking right at Ryan.  Yet, Elijah did not move, only turned the other way to the rest of the boys.  "He's gone!"

Someone else called, "I think I heard something!"  At that, Elijah rushed over in the other direction to find whoever shouted that.

When the coast was clear, Ryan sighed and hid back behind the bin.  He still knelt over the girl.  As she laid there, she whimpered quietly.  Ryan widened his eyes and backed away from her.  Her body was limp, several large cuts opened.  Her eye was bruised, along with several other body parts.  Some of her clothing was torn off, exposing skin beneath it.

With a gasp, Ryan backed away a little and took off his sweatshirt.  He tore the cloth and tied it around her deepest wounds.  As he did so, he heard her sob a little and looked up into her eyes.

Up close, they were brighter than before.  They were a soft blue, not like the wild ocean but like the sky.  A gray ring circled the pupil of her each eye, mesmerizing him as he knelt there.  He then snapped out of the trance and sighed as he continued to cover up her wounds.

"I-I am sorry," he murmured.  That was all he could think of to say to her.

Her reply was only silence as she watched him.  He tried to avoid looking at her in the eyes, but sometimes he got caught up in her stare.

After a minute of a painful silence, she managed to ask with a cough, "What's your name?" 

In surprise, Ryan glanced back up at her and then down at the wound he was currently patching up for her.  "My name's Ryan. Ryan Barnett."  He finished up using all of his sweatshirt and sat back against the wall of the building beside them.  Looking at his hands, he sighed, "What's yours?"

"Lily," her eyelids slightly drooped as her eyes watched him.  A few more seconds past by and she spoke again, "Why did you save me?"

"You were in trouble," Ryan said briefly.  He didn't want to talk much about why he saved her, since he knew he could've done it earlier.  If he had been strong enough, he would've done it as soon as she walked into view.

Lily attempted to respond, but only fell into a series of grunts.  She moved her hips slightly, but gasped and held it with her hand.  By instinct, Ryan sat up and gently helped her into position.  His mouth was opened, concerned for her.  He knew nothing about her; yet, something about her caused him to become so anxious for her safety.

"Stay still," he told her.  "It's okay, I'm here."

Lily watched him curiously, baffled but also comforted.  She then looked down at her hands and began to shiver.  She coughed hard, some blood splattering onto her hands from it.

Without hesitation, Ryan quickly rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her.  As he did so, she began to sob and he found himself falling in.

What is happening to me? Ryan wondered as he started to weep with her.