random drabbles and short stories

rescued

The dark canvas above was sprinkled with twinkling lights. They accompanied an illuminating crescent, giving more light to the world below.

The young woman tightly wrapped her sweater around her shaking frame and hurried her steps down the sidewalk.

The scent of baby powder still lingered on her skin, as she had spent quite a long time with her best friend's newborn. She'd gotten to the new mother's house as quick as she could and spent the entire day coddling her new godson.

She anxiously looked around, searching for signs of danger. Walking through the most dangerous part of town.

Such a great idea, Renee!

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, and she kept her head down, hoping not to walk into anyone. However, her prayers went unanswered, as she encountered two burly men, with death sticks protruding out of their mouths.

They were both dark-skinned, just a few shades darker than Renee. One signaled to his partner, but Renee merely ignored them, quickening her steps.

Catcalls followed her, becoming louder as she desperately tried to sprint. Heavy pants escaped her lips and beads of sweat formed on her temples.

A hand roughly pulled her tiny frame backward, and the scent of nicotine burned strongly in her nostrils. The other man stood tall, brandishing a sharp dagger.

Renee could swear its glint in the moonlight almost blinded her, and she closed her eyes, scared for her life.

"Open your eyes, baby. I'm talking to you."

The young woman kept her eyes firmly shut, emitting a cough from the pungent smell of cigarettes.

A low chortle was heard, and slowly, the man holding her blew out all the cigarette smoke, leaving poor Renee spluttering helplessly.

"You're a nice girl. So stay still for us, hm?"

Their coarse hands ran down her waist, and she let out cries of protest. The other man pulled her head back, and waves of pain rushed through her.

Tears started to streak down her cheeks, and she closed her eyes, praying to all the stars in the midnight sky.

She's not sure of what happened next.

One moment all she could hear was the nasty chuckles of the men harassing her, the next, she was in someone's arms, being swiftly rushed away.

~

She opened her eyes, and confusion overtook her, as her mouth was clamped with a soft hand.
Her curious eyes wandered over to the person next to her. She was met with a man, clad in black.

His face held an expression Renee couldn't read, but she hoped he wasn't going to harass her.
Speaking of harassment, how did she get here?

The mysterious man slowly removed his hand. Words threatened to come out of her mouth, but all threats bubbled in her throat, as she took a closer look at the man's face.

His pale face was adorned with a large slash, and small bleeding cuts and nicks decorated his face. She gasped, yet the man remained unbothered. He looked away, picking up a bottle, offering her an unknown item.

"Water. Drink up."

With those words, he swiftly tossed the container into her limp hands. With her mouth still agape, Renee gathered the courage to ask "Doesn't it hurt?"

Finally, her rescuer sighed deeply, head back, and eyes closed.

"Doesn't if I don't think about it."

The girl snapped out of her trance, and hurriedly, she reached for her abandoned purse. Ignoring the few missing notes in the pockets, she pulled out her hand sanitizer and a few sanitizing wipes. The figure beside her opened an eye and intently watched as she placed a drop of the liquid onto the wipe. A snort escaped his throat when she outstretched the wipe to his cuts.

"What? You think this is some Beauty and the Beast scene?"

"I prefer the one in divergent, but sure. If you say so."

His next bout of laughter seemed genuine enough that she returned a small shy smile of her own. "okay Belle-"

"Tris," she corrected.

"Whatever, go ahead."

They were both wearing smirks, but once Renee's shaking fingers brushed the wipe across the bleeding gash on his cheek, the smirk her rescuer once wore dissolved into a light frown.
Renee sensed his discomfort and started a conversation.

"Thank you. For what you did back there."

His eyes met hers, and he smirked a bit, saying "No problem. You can kinda think of me as your guardian angel."

She rolled her eyes at his snobbish comment, yet continued to wipe at his cuts.

"So if I hadn't been there in time..."

"I'd be dead, probably," she finished. She shrugged but couldn't help but shiver at how close she'd been to death.

"Good thing I saved ya then."

Renee didn't answer, but wiped the last cut and pushed away from him."I'm done."

The young man didn't say anything. He just reached his hand out and said, "Luke."

"Excuse me?" she exclaimed, yet put her hand in his.

"My name, What's yours?"

Moisture broke out in her hands, and she quickly put her hand away. Something didn't feel... normal. "Renee."

"I know."

Confusion fogged her mind, and she abruptly stood up, shocked.
In front of her was her house, but when she looked back at her rescuer, he was already gone, a light shimmer in his place.
Renee only grinned.

"My guardian angel indeed."