Safe and Helpful

Chapter Four: Shock

Chapter Four: Shock

Cassie's POV

"Stop," The boy said. It was the second word he said, the first one repeated by Camel when she dragged him up. He let go of the corners of the blanket around his shoulders, letting it drop.

"Stop what?" I asked him. I settled the blanket around him again, tucking the corners tightly into his arms.

"Stop giving me this... weirdly woven mass of fabric," He said, balling up the blanket.

"Well, your in shock," I told him.

"And this is supposed to help because...?"

"Well, humans often give each other blankets or things to hold onto when someone's distressed. I suppose it make them feel safer. I thought it might help," I explained.

The boy glared at me. "I'm not human. I'm your superior," he said angrily. "I'm better than you. You're just a mishap. Something that stuck around."

I was about two seconds away from slapping him when Kit came over with a pile of clothes.

"Hey... thing," she said awkwardly. "Camel told me to lend you my clothes-"

"And who said I want those?" He snapped.

Kit went beet red, her voice warbling. "I, well... I just thought, maybe- sorry."

"Maybe you want them because you're still covered in grime and your clothes are all torn and smoking?" I said sarcastically. "You don't have the right to talk to me or any of my friends that way, not in our home, not anywhere."

The boy looked at me like I had just spewed the most vile string of curse words.

Kit awkwardly set the clothes down. "I'll just... leave these here..."

The boy sighed. He stood awkwardly, with his shoulders tilted to one side and his arms arched back, so that his shirt just hung off of his back.

"Dude, you ever heard of posture?" I muttered. Apparently, he heard me, and shot me a nasty look. He picked up a shirt and just stared at it, his face going red.

"Do you not know how to put on clothes?" I asked. He glared at me again. "No, I promise I'm being serious. Do you need help?"
He shook his head slowly, but he still looked unsure. He peeled off his shirt, wincing as he did so. I noticed dried blood around his waist.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He froze up, gripping his old shirt so tightly his knuckles turned white. "I-"

Kit came over, first-aid kit and sewing supplies in hand. The boy backed away in fear.

"No, I'm not going to hurt you," she said calmly. "I just want to help."

"With what?" I asked her.

She didn't answer me. She only sat the boy down, sitting behind him. She took out rubbing alcohol and a rag, dipping the rag in the pond. She set to work on the boy's back, not saying anything.

I swam around the shore and set myself on a rock to get a better view. There were two shallow (but wide) gashes running from his shoulders to the middle of his back. The seemed to have stop bleeding a while ago, but the were still red and, most importantly, still open.

"Holy shit," I whispered. Whatever monster had caused the damage had done it well, severely hurting this poor sap in the process. Whoever it was, they needed to be stopped, and fast.