The Notebook

10 kilometer

Benedict stood there, still, like a tree. He was in shock.

Laura was on his porch, barefoot. She wore a party dress. It had flaws here and there. She carried her high heels in her right hand. But that wasn't the thing that let his flesh creep.

She had bruisers and scars all over her arms, legs and her face. There also was dried blood, but he couldn't tell if it was hers or not.

She had a black eye and her make up was blurred, cause of the tears in her eyes.

"I... I'm so... sorry but I... I didn't know where to go."

Benedict woke up from his ossification.

"It's ok. Come in! Come in!"

He led her in the living room and sat her on the couch.

"Mum could you get the first aid kit from the bathroom please?! And dad, please take my wallet and pay the cab from Laura."

"I... I didn't take a cab."

Everybody from the Cumberbatch family looked at her in a mixture of question and shock.

"How did you get here?"

"Umm... I... I walked."

"But it's ten kilometers from the hotel..."

Laura looked down at her slightly shaking hands.

"Ok." Ben was calm on the outside, but inside he was horrified and longing for answers. One look into the faces of his parents and he knew they felt the same.

Wanda brought the first aid kit and a bowl of water. Then she went off to prepare the guest room. Timothy headed to the kitchen to make some tea.

Ben tenderly subserved Laura's wounds.

"Whose blood is this?", he asked, as he softly washed it and the dirt off her skin.

Laura kept staring at her hands. It was like her body was here, but she herself, was in a complete different world. She was in shock.

He continued until every single wound was cleaned and bandaged.

God! Even her feet were wound and had cuts, cause she walked bloody 10 kilometers here, barefoot.

Ben gave her the cup of tea his dad had just brought and wrapped a blanket around her.

Carefully he sat beside her.

"Laura... What happened?"

"Ummm... I can't quite remember. I was at a party... with... with Brian and... we were on our way home... to the hotel... but... I don't know, Ben, I can't remember."

She bursted into tears. He put his arm around her. His head was spinning and he was about to cry himself. Whatever happened to her, it must have been awful.

"You can stay here as long as you want! Okay?"

She nodded slowly.

"Okay. I think it's good for you to relax a little bit now, to get some sleep. Let's bring you upstairs!"

He grabbed her and carried her into the guest room. He tucked her in.

"Everything will be alright! You're save here!", he said while his hand stroke her head. His long fingers ran through her hair.

"Get some sleep. We're downstairs if you need anything."

She slightly nodded and closed her eyes.

Ben went downstairs. His parents sat on the couch. He sat down too.

"Benny? What happened to her?"

"I don't know, but it was something bad."

He stared out of the window. Slowly the tears he'd held back, made their way down his cheeks.