Droplets of rain mingled with his hair and rolled swiftly down his pale face, dropping onto the cold pavement below, His eyes were held shut and and his chest was still. I leaned forward and pressed my ear against his heart, wishing for movement, a quiet beat. The sleeping city hushed around me as I focused and listened intently, Then I felt it, a thud. So quiet it almost didn't exist, a harsh reminder of his mortality.
I attempted to move him, to get him to safety and warmth out of the dismal alleyway. But he proved to heavy to carry, and I to weak to help. I would not let him suffer alone, I sat beside him and placed his head on my lap. His needs were far greater than mine and so I took off my jacket and placed it over his gelid body, providing as much heat as possible.
I took his hand in mine to comfort him. They felt odd, almost rutted. And they were. His hand were scarred with red and white lines parallel to one another, some clearly fresh not a day or two old, and some seemed to be there for years. A sadness settled deep within my bones as I traced his rugged palm. I could not begin to comprehend the pain and grief he has suffered, so I pulled him closer and lay my forehead to his, hoping one day all his broken pieces would fit back together.
The reasonable thing to do would be to go get help so he wouldn't die here under my care, But what if they returned him to the sick person that inflicted these wounds? What if by the time I got back to him he'd be dead? maybe by him letting go and continuing to the next world, or by the dangerous hands of another. It was a risk I wasn't willing to take, His life depends on my decisions, even if those decisions are impossible to make.
So I waited, and regularly checked his vitals. He did not wake or stir, but he continued to breathe and his heart continued to beat. The relaxing rhythm calmed my nerves and soothed my mind 'til the first few speckles of light danced along the horizon and slowly revealed their rustic colours to the city below. The hues of orange and yellow sung merrily throughout the streets, willing children from their beds to play and forcing tiresome adults to begin a long days work. The rain had cleared long ago and the blue skies opened up and suggested a promising day.
I folded my jacket and lay it down on the pavement and set the boys head onto it, to provide as much comfort possible. I returned to the entrance of the alley and beckoned a man over who sat upon his horse and cart. I knew it wasn't safe to reveal the boys true predicament to him, so I lied. "Hello sir, sorry to burden you but my friend has just collapsed in the alley here, He suffers from spells of fainting like this and wandered down there before I could stop him. I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to help him". I explained, the lie was plausible and I kept a straight face. "I expect you'll be wantin' my help then, but what can you give me in return?" He kept his smoking pipe in his mouth as he talked, muffling his words but not beyond recognition. He lay back leisurely, with one hand on his protruding belly and the other holding the ropes that wound themselves around the mighty horse pulling the carriage. He wore large, black boots permeated with dirt. However, it was what's inside the boots that caught my attention the most, Nestled in his sock was a wand.
I Promised him a hefty sum of money if he could bring me back to my apartment and then to the docks where the ship was waiting to bring its passengers away. There was no doubt in my mind about what to do with the boy, I couldn't leave him to the hands of his abusers and I didn't know if he had anywhere else to go. The man, whose name I later learned was Robert, followed me down to where the boy lay and proceeded to hoist him up onto his shoulders and set him down gently in the back of the carriage, where I joined him. Once we reached the apartment, I ran inside to fetch my luggage and the money promised.
There on my bed sat my aunt with a cup of tea trembling in her hands, she turned to face me as I walked through the door and immediately jumped up to hug me, letting the cup fall to the ground. "Where have you been? I was so worried", She said shakily, I returned the hug and apologised profusely and came up with a fable as to why I was gone. "Well next time at least leave a not before you go for a morning walk, just to give me a bit of assurance as to your whereabouts", She cupped my face and kissed me on the cheek before saying goodbye and extending an invitation for next Christmas. I would miss her dearly, she's the only relative I have left.
As expected, the sturdy ship was there, surrounded by a crowd of people bustling to and fro waiting to board the ship to their destinations. I first grabbed my bags and stood in line with the rest with my ticket in hand, the queue moved rather quickly and soon I was on board and in search for my cabin. I disapparated back to Robert, where he stood holding the boy in his arms. I knew they wouldn't let me on board with an unconscious body, so my only other potion was to sneak him in. I took hold of their hands and apparated us all together into the cabin, where he lay the boy on one of the beds. I paid Robert for his services and wished him farewell just before he dissapeared leaving me to take a well deserved rest.
