In Love With A Celebrity

Ch. 14

I'm frozen with shock.

Should I go to the child? Call for help? Run? 

No, don't be a coward!

I run to a gap between two buildings and find a small little boy crouched in a corner of a wall with a dog attacking the living hell out of it!

"Oh crud!"

I look around for something to use to beat off the dog. I look at a loose plank of wood on the side of the building. I reach for it and pull it out of its socket. I yell for the dogs attention.

"Stay away from that boy!" I say swinging the wood. 

I run through the small alleyway and the big black dog suddenly takes notice of me and hops back slightly. I jog in front of the dog and place a hand behind me, barricading the boy. I try to ignore the small amounts of blood oozing from the poor boys arms. The dog bares its teeth and barks aggressively at the boy. I rest the wood plank on my shoulders like a bat. The dog props up to jump at me, I narrow my eyes. I try to stop the tears from falling down my face. I love dogs but I also love kids, this was going to hurt me either way!

The dog jumps at my plank of wood and I close my eyes as I swing it. I hear a big CRACK as the wood smacks into the dog. The dog goes flying across the the brick wall. I can't help but whisper an apology to the dog. It starts whimpering and growling at the same time. I lower the wood and hang it over the dogs head. It cries out and limps away.

Suddenly I fall to my knees and start crying. I cry for a straight 5 minutes until the boy behind me crawls to sit in front of me.

I stare at his pale, innocent face. He looks at my tears as they fall down my face. I grab his face gently,

"Are you, OK?" I ask, quietly.

The boy nods,

"What about you?" He asks wiping at my tears.

I feel like laughing, here's a 6-year-old boy caring for a 16-year-old. I nod. The boy crawls closer to me and gives me a hug as he starts to cry to,

"I'm sorry!" The boy cries.

I grab the boy in my hands and stand up with him in my arms,

"Shh, shh, where are your parents?" I ask, smoothing his black silky hair.

He shakes his head and yawns.

"Sleep, now. It's OK." I say as I walk out of the gap between the houses. I look around and sigh as I realise how completely empty and dark the streets are.

"I don't think I can sleep." The boy admits, hugging into me.

I nod, understandingly.

"My name is Mason-Jay." He says as we walk down the streets.

He pulls his head back to see my reaction. I smile and nod,

"I'm Leah." I say.

Mason tries to smile but winces in pain. I'm about to ask him where it hurts but I hear voices calling my name,

"Leah!!"

"LEAAHH!!!"

"Honey! Where are you!"

The voices are very faint and far away but as clear as a pebble.

Mason looks at me,

"That's you." He says pointing to my nose.

I nod,

"There's a lot of people calling your name." He says as I walk back to the Cafe.

"Well, yes, there would be. It's my birthday today." I say blankly.