Just have Faith {EDITED}

Waking Up

Darkness. Sweet blissful darkness.

Nothing is better than the peace and silence that the darkness brings. Until it's filled with pain and blood. Screams of agony and the bloody whips that sting your back.

The darkness is sweet until you remember everything that happened.

My darkness doesn't last long. I stumble into a clearing under a highway light. I look around trying to get a hold of my surroundings. There's nothing but forest and a long, winding black road. I blink several times adjusting to the blinding street light above me. I guess I'll have to keep walking. I stumble around the light several times, walking in circles.

'You've passed this street light already.'

I walk out into the long dark road. I squint trying to see in the dark. I must have closed my eyes for a minute too long because when I open them, I see headlights a little ways away. I try to move to the side of the road, but I trip over my own bare feet. I crumble to the ground, not having enough strength to pull myself back up.

The headlights get closer and I hear a horn blaring. The vehicle gets closer and closer. The sound of the horn gets louder. Panicking, I somehow manage to pull myself to my feet and stumble to the side of the road. The next thing I hear is the brakes on the vehicle squealing. I close my eyes and try to get rid of the splotches blurring my vision. I hear air hiss as a door opens.

'Shit. I should get up and go.' I think to myself

I attempt to get to my feet. I manage to shakily stand by myself, like a toddler learning to walk. The sound of footsteps suddenly fills my ears. I hear male voices whispering to themselves. A smack on someone's skin. The jingle of what sounds like metal on metal. I tense up and start trying to walk away.

"Hey!" yells one of the male voices.

'Run'

My body filling with adrenaline, I start running. Pounding footsteps follow behind me. I can't see anything on the dark road. In my attempt to get away from the men as fast as possible, I trip and fall over. I scrape my arms even more than they already are. I turn to look at what tripped me. A fallen tree branch. How convenient.

"Hey, are you alright?" the same man asks

Whimpering, I scoot further away from the sound. The brightness of the highway light envelops the man in a shadow. Almost as if you were looking at a doorway from a dark room and you can't see whoever's at the door's face.

The man's silhouette stops moving. I scoot once more to put as much distance between us as I can.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?" He asks

"Dude! What's taking so long?!" another man yells

I whimper again and pull my knees to my chest. The man in front of me turns around and yells back.

"Shut the hell up Aaron!" he says loudly.

I flinch and close my eyes.

"Hey. I'm sorry for yelling. You probably don't like that, huh?" the man says facing me again

I shake my head rapidly as I look at him.

"Let me help you. You're hurt. I promise you that you'll be safe with me." he says softly holding out his large hand.

In it is a large black jacket. I look to the jacket and back at the man whose face I still can't see. Do I want to go and trust him to keep me safe until I can go home? Where even is my home if I have one? I struggle to consider my choices for a moment before reaching out and taking the large black jacket from the man. He doesn't try to grab me. He retracts his hand and places it back at his side.