The Light in the Dark

Chapter 2

         I opened my eyes, my vision blurry from the hot tears, my hand still on the boys arm. A warmth spread over my body, and I let go of him. I gripped the wet grass below me and hung my head, my teeth grinding against each other. Why? This day... it felt cursed. It was going so fast... waking up, the first two dark men, the explosion, the chant, the new demon, the fire, and now this. A dead boy. I fucked up so badly. Another person, dead because of me.

          A cough made my attention turn to the boy in front of me, his body no longer still. Water was coming out of his mouth, and his chest heaved with a cough and a gasp. He lay there for a minute more, his eyes wide with terror. Did he think he was dead?

          Then, he turned to me. He looked scared and confused. I realized I was probably still crying. I took my wet hand and wiped my eyes, not that it did much, "A-are you alright? No, t-that's a stupid question. You need some help, here," I tucked my hand under the boys back and propped him up, letting him lean against my bent leg.

          The boy coughed some more, his eyes shut tight. His skin was already looking less blue, blood running through his veins once again, "I- what? W-what happened?" The boy choked out, his voice rough and scratchy.

           "I-" I started. How did I tell him a demon pushed him into a lake? "I'll explain in a bit... just... come, let's go get my stuff."

          I helped pick the boy up and draped his arm across my shoulders. He was heavy, heavier than he looked, and it was hard to carry him, but I persisted. Right now, this kid needed warmth, and sleep. Luckily, I knew a small shack was about 10 minutes from the river. I stayed there some times when I didn't want to be around anyone, not at the orphanage or the town. It was my quiet place.

          It took at least 15 minutes to walk up the side of the river and get to the bridge. It was sturdy and easily allowed me and the boy to cross. I walked another minute with the boy before I reached the place I had thrown my jacket and pack. Luckily, even in the wind, neither had flown into the river. 

          I quickly placed the boy down and let his head rest on my pack. Putting my jacket across his torso like a blanket, I smoothed his hair back. He was in and out of consciousness, and I knew it would be a hassle to get him to the shack, but I didn't have any other choice. Being outside at night was dangerous enough, now add demons that are actually attacking people to the mix, and you get a lot of death, and I have already had my share of that today.

          After drinking one of my water bottles and pouring some into the boy's mouth, I helped stand him to his feet. He staggered and leaned heavily on my shoulder. This boy was heavy, whether he looked it or not. With my pack strapped across my back, and the boy cleaning on my shoulder with my arm wrapped around his torso, I slowly made my way to the bridge. The boy in my arms was awake now, though still heavily leaning on my side.

          "D-Do we have t-to cross?" He asked, trembling. I realized how scared he must be. He almost died. Hell, he probably did and I just brought him back.

          "There's a better chance we live through the night if we can get to a shack that's close to here. To do that, we need to get across this river, and I have no intention to get back in the water, therefore we need to use the bridge. So yeah, we have to cross," I say bluntly. I don't sugar coat. It doesn't help, whether you think so or not. It just delays the bad news. You just gotta rip the band-aid off. 

          The boy stares at me for a moment and nods, hanging his head, "Hey, uh, it's okay, we'll be fine. This bridge is sturdy, it won't break," The boy only nods again.