Finding Joy

CHAPTER 2: STAY WITH ME

"Is this it? Is this how I die? Hah, I couldn't even repay a favor."

Time passed, but how much time? Kai couldn't see- it was all black. His consciousness continued to sink further into the abyss.

At some point, something caught his eye. He saw a single speck of yellow light in the distance. He reached up towards the speck that pierced through the sea of darkness.

"Hm? What's this? It's warm." He opened his eyes to be greeted with a ray of sunshine. It's radiance filled the gaps between the trees. "Where- am I?"

He raised his arm to block the light but grunted in pain. He looked up and saw his arm, which wrapped in a bloodied cloth. He looked down and saw a, once white, blood-stained coat tightly wrapped around his chest. The bleeding had stopped.

Joy somewhat awakened from the movement. Kai turned his head and saw her eyes peek open. Shocked, he instinctively reached for the knife in his belt pocket. He firmly gripped onto the handle, prepared to draw. However, with the jolt of his body, Joy woke up and her eyes were now wide open.

"Oh! Thank God you're ok! I really thought I lost you there!"

She flashed a big smile with her mouth and eyes. Her wet hair sparkled, reflecting the sunlight, and was sprinkled with pink petals. But her eyes, her big brown eyes. They shined the brightest. Was it because he was flustered, or was it something else? Whatever it was, it made him loosen his grip on the knife. He put his hand over his mouth and backed away ever so slightly. But he couldn't avert his eyes; they were entranced by her's.

She saw his face, as red as a ripe tomato, and was concerned that he had a fever. She leaned in close and put her hand on his forehead. He blushed harder and finally managed to turn to the side, releasing himself from Joy's hands. He moved his hand away from his mouth and pointed to her chest. Her white shirt was wet and translucent. It was ripped at the bottom and it exposed her midriff.

Joy blushed too and wrapped her arms around herself to cover up. "Ah! It's not like that! I didn't have bandages!"

The two sat in silence, but their silence was filled by the singing of the morning birds. The creek reflected the sunshine onto Joy and Kai, and it almost seemed like they sparkled. They both blushed and avoided eye contact, unable to handle each other's alluring aura.

Eventually, Joy broke the silence. "Oh right! We need to get you to the hospital!"

She stood up but Kai stopped her, firmly grabbing her wrist.

"No! Not the hospital."

"What? Why not?"

Kai let go of Joy's wrist and looked down.

"You need to get treated though. Ok, how about this? I'll bring you to my place. I have some medical supplies there."

Joy bent down, and reached out her hand.

"Let's get you cleaned up ok?"

Kai thought to himself, "Can I trust this woman? "

Nevertheless, he reached out his hand and held onto her's. She put his arm around her shoulder, but she struggled to support him due to their drastic difference in weight. But, she stood her ground and together they slowly made their way out of the forest. By the time they reached her car, she was exhausted. She relaxed for a moment, but in that split second Kai came crashing down face first.

"Shoot! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that! I swear!"

Joy bent down and tried to pull him up, but to no avail. Kai managed to bring himself up halfway with the remaining strength he had left in his arms. He waved his hands at her, signaling for her to go away. She took the hint and backed off. She felt bad seeing Kai struggle to stand up and crawl into the back seat, but what could she do?

After a long struggle, they finally arrived at Joy's apartment complex. Two people covered in blood and mud limping through the lobby would look suspicious to anyone, but, luckily, the front desk was in the middle of changing shifts. Otherwise, they would probably have been reported to the police, and the last thing Joy wanted was to go to the police station. They continued limping up to Joy's room and she pulled out her keys. She reached out for the door handle but stopped, remembering what happened yesterday after getting dumped by her ex-boyfriend Brandon.

-

She sat on her couch and pulled out a six-pack of beer she bought at the convenience store and started chugging. She laughed maliciously, "Mgmh whatever I don't need you anyways! I hope you keep tripping endlessly hahaha!"

She pictured Brandon at the front of the police station, unable to get through the front door. Every time he tried to get up, he fell right back down.

She downed another can of beer, and another, and another. After the last drop, she became quiet. Her smile, once bursting with energy, turned into a frown. Her vision blurred as her eyes were soaked in tears. She rested her head on the table, and wrapped her arms around her head. Through the night her heart ached, remembering her life abruptly being torn apart by the one who she thought would be the one to complete it. After many hours, she was blessed with the power to forget, but only for a moment, as she finally drifted off to sleep.

-

Joy sweat as she stood in front of her door, both out out exhaustion and nervousness. Then, she hesitantly opened her door. The two stood in the entrance, staring into her room.

"Um, I had a bit of a problem yesterday so my house is a little messy right now haha."

The dinner table wS covered in empty beer cans and cup ramens. Documents, clothes, and a number of unidentifiable objects were scattered across the floor and almost formed, what could be seen as, a carpet.

Kai thought to himself, "A little?"

"Ah, the shower is this way. I'll go get you a towel and some clothes."

Joy thought to herself, "They're my Ex's though."

As Joy left for her room, Kai looked around her bathroom. The skincare items and makeup on the sink table top were lined up neatly, a huge contrast from the rest of the house. Taking care of her skin was probably the only thing she could hold on to after her once joyful life came crashing down.

Joy came back with her promised towels and clothes, only to find Kai in the middle of taking off his shirt. His body might be covered in blood and dirt but, even so, they failed to cover his defined muscles. Joy's face quickly turned red. She turned her head to the side and pushed the towel and clothes towards him.

"I-I'll give you a shirt later. I need to treat your wounds first."

Kai scoffed and closed the bathroom door. She quickly walked to her kitchen sink and dampened her own set of towels with warm water. She began wiping down her body with a bit of soap and water. After she dried her hair she slapped her face with both hands.

"Joy, what were you thinking!"

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