Save Me

Chapter One

I'd been hurt before, but somehow this felt way worse. The pain I was feeling hit me, making it hard to breath, hard to process anything other than the crippling pain flowing through my body.

I had grabbed all the possessions I could carry, I didn't have much money but I hoped it would be enough to get us far enough away. I looked down at the bundle in my arms and let a few tears slide down my face. My precious baby boy, I felt like such a failure of a mother. If nothing had happened then we would still be in the same dangerous position.

My little boy was five, and thought he could take on a man fifty times his age (I had my fourteen year old sister, the mathematician :D work it out for me hahaha) But then again if I had been a better mother my baby wouldn't be in this position.

I spotted the bus stop I was looking for and clutched my boy closer to me and hurried to the shelter. Thankfully it wasn't a long wait for the bus, and in no time I was seated in the back clutching my son close and wrapping his blanket tighter around him.

I absent-mindedly rubbed my hand over his back while watching the rain run down in torrents outside. The bus journey took just over two hours and by the time we had reached our destination my son was awake and complaining he was hungry. I looked down at him sitting so small in my lap and cringed at the bruise on his face.

I looked up as the bus hissed to a stop and stood up, clutching my baby in one arm and our bags in the other. I thanked the driver as I stepped off the bus and looked around in slight panic. We were in an unfamiliar place and I had no idea where anything was.

“Do you need help Miss?”, The driver called, causing me to jump and turn to face him. I nodded and listened intently to his directions before thanking him and setting off in the direction of the motel.

“Mummy? Can we get some food please?”, I smiled down at my son and nodded. I looked around as I was walking, trying to see past the rain blurring my vision. I spotted a 24/7 shop and walked up to the door, pushing it open.

“I'll let you walk. But you have to stay close to me, okay Luca?”, He nodded obediently and gripped my hand. I pushed his blanket into one of my large bags and grabbed a basket before navigating the isles.

“Mummy?”, I looked down to see Luca holding a huge bag of Wotsits with a puppy dog expression. I gave him a smile and nodded, watching as he excitedly put the bag of crisps into the basket. I grabbed a few pasties and sausage rolls. I moved on to the next isle and put a few bottles of water and a bottle of squash into the basket before aimlessly walking around. I sneakily put some bags of sweets into the basket and hid them from Luca, who was occupied by the magazines.

“Do you want to get some to read?”, I gestured to the comics and he ran over to the shelf and picked up five while giving me a grin. I picked up Lucas' hand and tugged him to the checkout. I put everything onto the conveyor belt and lifted Luca up to put his comics on as well.

“Do you need a bag?”, The girl asked me. She was about my age and looked extremely tired. I gave her a kind smile and said yes. She replied with a happy smile of her own and packed everything up for me. I handed the money over then picked up the bags and picked up Luca again when he started dragging his feet and yawning.