guilt • phan

Chapter 9

Phil

It was a lovely night. The stars were out shining bright, as if the sky had thousands of silvery freckles. The moon bathed among the tiny sparkling dots, draped in the deep blue, almost black, of the midnight sky. I took a deep breath, feeling myself calm down with every step I took. The dog was walking in front of me, playfully hobbling over the pavement leading towards what I think would be the park. She seemed to know where we were going, so I followed her, not caring where we'd end up. Everything's better than being in that house, I thought by myself.

As we turned the last corner leading towards the park, I saw the big trees rising up in front of me. There was one path swirling in between them, adorned with street lanterns at the side, illuminating the cobblestone tiles of the path. It looked like a small enchanted forest, or maybe that was just because the sky looked magical. My entire surrounding looked like a painting, really. The big, old trees, the soft yellow lights of the street lanterns shining through the leaves, the dark sky shimmering with tiny flecks of silver. It was perfect.

We walked towards the beginning of the path that led through the park, the dog speeding up her pace in excitement. As I entered the park, she had already vanished between the trees. All I could hear was my breathing and the soft rustle of the leaves high above in the trees. I felt at peace.

A little further down the path, I found a bench surrounded by trees, illuminated by one single lantern. I sat down on the wood and let my eyes flutter shut. Everything was quiet. The park was completely empty. Even the birds were asleep. I listened to the wonderful sound of silence, letting the chilly night air carry me away as if I were to float amongst the stars that I adored so much. I hadn't felt this calm in a long time.

I didn't even notice I had fallen asleep until I woke up to the sound of a loud bark.

I woke with a start, sitting up immediately. That bark came from my neighbor's dog, no doubt. I stood up, head shooting alerted from side to side.

Another bark, this time followed by a low, threatening growling sound.

Something was wrong.

I started to run, letting my mind guide me to where the bark came from. I did not even care to follow the path, I just jumped over branched and plowed through bushes in order to find her as soon as I could. Branches flung into my face as I ran. I felt the sharp edges cutting my cheeks, but I kept running, listening for another sound.

I finally gained consciousness of my surroundings when I found myself in the middle of an abandoned playground. I bent over, breathing heavily. I looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the Shiba Inu. I heard a yelp, high and distressed. I straightened my back in shock and ran towards the slide, in order to get higher up to find the dog. When I got to the top, I immediately spotted a flash of golden brown fur and without thinking, I threw myself down the slide. A couple of seconds and a few bruises later, I was running again, knowing where to go this time.

Then, it came to me that whatever the Shiba Inu was barking and growling at, couldn't be good. I was nearly there, but I stopped in my track and ducked behind a bush. Another panicked yelp, this time accompanied by a human groan, as if they were putting a lot of hard work into something. I worked up the courage to peek through the branches of the bush, but God did I wish I never did.

There she was, lying on her side, a bloody gash on her shoulder. I staggered back in shock, barely noticing the dark human shaped figure jogging off into the distance. Not bothering to think anymore, I stood up and bolted towards the dog.

I was about to fall to my knees next to her, when something- no, someone, knocked me over.

My hip made impact on the hard cobblestone ground and I squirmed in pain. Sure, more bruises are always welcome. As I laid there, unable to move because of the pain in my hips and spine, I heard someone swear under their breath.

"Fuck, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going,"

I carefully rolled onto my back and propped myself up with my right hand.

"It's fine, but please move out of the way because that's my dog that's bleeding out there."

"Oh shit, yeah, I noticed her laying there and came to help, and that's when I bumped into you,"

All I managed to say was "Oh,".

I looked down in confusion.

The stranger looked at the dog and swore again.

"We have to be quick, I don't think she'll be okay with just us trying to help her," he said. I nodded in agreement. I was far to panicked to make actual sentences. "I'm gonna call an ambulance. Are you alright too?" He held out his hand to help me up. Slowly, I placed my own hand into his and with a swift, but strong tug, he pulled me to my feet.

Not even bothering to brush the dirt off of my pants, I said "Yeah, I'll be okay" and looked up.

My panic-filled eyes locked with his and suddenly, it felt as if all the trees in the park collapsed at once, all landing on top of my chest.

I think the boy in front of me, the boy with far too familiar dark brown hair and matching eyes, felt the same.