Love?

Chapter 5: The Beating and the Confessions

Three months have passed since the incident. I have not seen or talked to Aspen since then. I was out in the village running, and blowing off some steam. I started to head back to the house. My house comes into view soon after. I run up the steps and go inside. Nobody was home, so I went up to my room. I changed into different clothes, brushed and tied up my hair. I hear an urgent knock on the door. I run down the steps and open the door. It was Aspen. He was wrapped up in a blanket.

"This isn't a good time Aspen," I say and start to close the door. He stops it with his hand.

"Please Leah. We really need to talk." he says.

"I don't have anything to say to you," I say.

"Please," he pleads. He was breathing heavily.

"Fine, but not for long," I say.

"Thanks. Meet me at the field as soon as possible. Oh, and bring bandages," he says. Why does he want bandages? I nod, and he turns and runs off stumbling every other step.. I close the door. I go get the bandages, and stuff to clean wounds, just in case. I left a note saying that I was going to the field. I walk out of the house. When I get to the field, Aspen is passed out on the ground. I run up to him and see blood everywhere. He was pale and was losing a lot of blood. the blanket was of to the side. That's why he had the blanket. I lean down and turn him over. I pull his shirt off and I see big gashes in his back. Flesh was hanging from the gashes. I grabbed the blanket and press it to his wounds to try and stop the bleeding. I'm freaking out because I don't know what to do. Why did he come to me? Why didn't he go get help from somebody that does know how to do this? When the bleeding slowed, I cleaned the large gashes and put the bandages on them. I turned him back over. I grabbed the blanket and ripped the bloody parts off. I put the blanket on top of him, and stacked the bloody parts into a pile. I walk over to the lake and clean up. I hear him give out a painful groan. I whip my head around and run up to him. He looks up at me and smiles.

"Your an idiot, you know that? why would you come to me? Did you want to die? I didn't no what I was doing?," I say. He laughs and grunts in pain.

"Don't do that either. You had a lot of nerve coming to me after what you said. I could have turned you down, and you could have died," I say. I was rambling.

"Your right. I could have died, but I didn't," he says.

"That did not help at all!" I yell. He laughs.

"It's not funny!" I yell. He stops laughing after awhile but his smile never falters. I didn't realize how much I missed him until he came back.

"Why?" I ask.

"Why what?" He asks.

"Why did you say that?" I ask. His face turns serious.

"Leah I didn't mean it like that. I wanted to keep you out of my life because of this," he says pointing to his back.

"Because you got beat?" I ask.

"No. It's because of my family. I wanted to keep you from any danger," he says.

"Your family did this to you?" I ask.

"My father whipped me," he says. I get enraged all of a sudden.

"Well, where is this dad of yours? I would like a word with him," I say angrily.

"You can't Leah," he states.

"Why can't I?" I ask.

"Because," he says.

"Because why?" I press on.

"Because he is the King, okay," he says clearly mad at himself. I'm to stunned to say anything. I just sit there in shock. I can only think of one thing to say.