My footsteps became heavier and heavier as I walked up the hill my special hiding place. I shared this place with my good friend Natsu and he asked me earlier today during class if we could meet there later on since he had something to give me. I'm not too sure what he's planning to give to me but I'm guessing it had something to do with the vacation he recently went on with his dad. However, the more I walked, the harder it became to move. The bruises located on my arms and legs throbbed with every ounce of pressure placed on them and a few of the cuts I had begun to open up again, causing my legs to be wet from blood. I tried really hard not to cry but a few tears still managed to escape. It was getting harder and harder every day and, no matter how hard I tried to stand up, there were always individuals knocking me down. And it wasn't as if I had parents to come home to that could at least cheer me up occasionally with creampuffs and hugs. My mother died last year and my dad was too preoccupied with his business to even care about all the pain I've had to go through. I'm bullied every day and there is only one person in this entire world that actually cares: Natsu. He was my first friend at Fairy Hope Elementary and he's been the only who still stayed my friend when people came and went. The only problem is that he likes to play sports with the other kids so I'm usually left by myself during recess and sometimes lunch. But, when I introduced to him to this haven that I'm currently having issues going to, we made it a pact to share it with each other and let it be a place where we can come together without others getting in the way. It's a place where we can freely talk and tell each other stories and secrets and make it all between us. We even have our names carved on one of the trees to make it officially ours.
After what seems like a century, I finally made it there, though I was panting like a dog. I placed my hands on my knees and tried to get my breathing normal again. When that was done, I straightened up and saw Natsu sitting on a log few feet away. He was playing with his cat Happy and didn't notice me there until I took the seat right next to him.
"Oh there you are Lucy! I've been waiting for yo-…Lucy?" Natsu fully became aware of how tattered I looked, let go of his cat who went off to play in the woods, and went into his overprotection mode. "Lucy, what happened to you!?" He tried to look at me in the eyes but I kept my eyes away from him. I didn't want him to worry about me. He's always been a great friend to me and it would crush me if he had to carry an extra burden on me.
"N-Nothing…nothing happened." I weakly said. I wasn't too sure why though. I told this lie all the time and to everyone that ever asked. So, why was it hard to tell it to Natsu?
Natsu scoffed and grabbed my shoulders to shake me a bit. "If nothing happened, then why are you hurt like this!? This doesn't come from nothing Lucy!" he screamed at me. His grip of my shoulders began to tighten and I yelped a bit. After he noticed my uncomfortable face, he let go and brought his head down. "Lucy, you're my friend, right?" I nodded slowly. With that, he brought his face up to meet with mine and grabbed my left hand, though it wasn't a tight grab. It was a comforting one, like he would never let it go. It actually felt nice. "Then, if we are friends, you should be able to tell me. That's what friends are for Lucy. They're there to take away your frown and always be there for you. So, please Lucy. Tell me what's wrong."
And that's what I did. I told him the truth that he never knew. I told him how my classmates like to poke fun at me and never tried to be my friend. I told him how any friend than him just abandoned me after a few days because hanging out with me was wrong. According to these kids, I was a rich, spoiled kid and that I couldn't do any significant. I told him about my parents. And I told him that, as I was going home to wash up, a group of kids found me and proceeded to beat me up for no reason. When they were done, I told Natsu that they called me a freak and laughed at how much I deserved it.
Once I finished, I wasn't able to stop the tears from flowing out. I had been feeling so much pain these past years and it was killing me slowly. I had no one I could confine to and, no matter what happened, I just kept packing it up internally. To be honest, that was the first time I had cried in many months and it felt invigorating.
"Lucy. Lucy, look at me." Natsu said calmly. I tried wiping as many tears as I could and looked at him. "No matter what anyone says, you'll always be my best friend. You're a great friend and you have so many amazing qualities that shape who you are. I just wish you had told me sooner though. I would have done something. I would have been there for you more. It's…It's all my fault..." Natsu looked down again and began to fiddle with his pants with his left hand.
I squeezed his right hand and gave him a small smile. "It's not your fault, Natsu. You didn't know…"
As soon as I said that, he pulled me into his chest and tightly hugged me around my shoulders. As my face is stuffed into his chest, I notice that his body was shaking a bit and his breathing was being irregular. "Lucy," he whispered to me "this will never happen ever again. You hear me? You'll never be hurt so long as I'm alive. I can promise you that."
After he said that, I smiled a bit, nodded into his chest, and pulled him closer. He tightened his grip. For the first time in my life, I felt safe…
That was 10 years ago. I'll never forget that moment for as long as I live. From what I remember, he did keep up his promise. He stood by me as often as he could and he scared off anyone who got close to me. He even got after school detentions and suspensions for threatening to beat up anyone who said a snide remark to me. Not only he was a friend, he was my guardian angel and I loved him for that.
Sadly, a year later, Natsu's dad felt as if his son was acting too rowdy and irrational and sent him off to a school where they would help with his temper and studies. When I had first heard, I spent the rest of the day locked in my room, lamenting his loss. But no matter what, he still kept his promise. On the last day of school for him, before he left, he stood up on a table outside and proclaimed to the world that if anyone messed with me while he was gone, they personally would regret it. At first, no one believed him. They thought he was talking crazy. But that sooned to be untrue when a kid was found duct taped to a pole and covered in burns. In a sticky note, it read I warned you. Though it didn't have a name, everyone knew it was him. After that incident, no one messed with me ever again. No one ever said a slander to my face again and I never received a bruise or cut from a person like that one time. Ironically, I made a few friends and I began to enjoy my elementary, middle, and high school years. But, not one second passed where I didn't think of Natsu. He always had a special place in my heart and, no matter how many years had gone by, I still thought of him as my guardian angel. Even if he wasn't actively here, I knew somewhere in my heart that he still kept his promise, regardless of how many miles away he was.
Two months ago, I graduated high school. It was an exciting event and now, I was preparing my college stuff when I realized I forgot something and quickly went to the store to buy it. Luckily, the store is pretty close by so I can be back before it gets too late.
Once I find my missing item and purchase it with my credit card, I leave the store and enter the cold, dark night. Usually, the streets are packed with people, bicycles, and cars but, tonight, it's showing to be pretty quiet. I wonder why. Could it be a game? Or maybe it's a convention? The county fair?
As I rule out possibilities, I hear a pair of footsteps behind me. I turn my head slightly around as I continue walking and see that there is a strange man walking not too far behind me. I decide to test this guy out and turn on the upcoming corner. After a couple seconds, I see he's the turned the same corner and is still close to me. I pick up the speed a bit; so does he. Frightened, I begin to run and so does he. I begin to take random corners and alleyways trying to escape him but it's no use. He's really fast and able to catch up with me really quick. I change my game plan and go to the nearest alleyway. I find a full dumpster and hide in there, waiting for him to leave. It seemed to have been working when, all of a sudden, the lid pops up and I see the man looking at me with a creepy smile and crinkly eyes.
"There you are girl. You're a pretty fast one aren't ya?" he slurred, spitting on me in the process. Before I had the chance to scream for help, he clasped a hand over my mouth and pulled me out of the dumpster. I begin to squirm and shout but, the more I move, the harder it becomes to get lose. "Hey, baby doll, why you squirming so much? I'm about to give you a ride you'll never forget. But first…" He then proceeds to pull out a roll of duct tape conveniently located in one of the many pockets in his oversized jacket and begins to bind my legs together as well as my arms. He then lets go of his hand on my mouth and replaces it was a strip of duct tape that covers both my cheeks at the same time.
Once he's done, he begins to rub his hands on every part of my body that shows skin (aka my legs and arms) and licks some parts of it as well. His hands then move to my chest, where he basically grabs a hold of my boobs and massage them with his rough hands. I try to roll away so he would stop but he decides to use one hand to hold me down and the other to do his dirty work. I attempt to use my now clasped together legs to my advantage but he ends up moving his dirty hand back to my legs, except this time he gets closer to my private area.
Right before he was about to touch that area, he was suddenly thrust into me. I stare at his now none moving body, wondering what happened. Then, suddenly, he was lifted off of me and the figure holding onto him throws into the other wall. The guy awakens again and tries to fight back but the dark figure won't let him have the upper hand. He(?) begins to severely punch the other guy and occasionally throws the guy's head back into the wall, causing massive amounts of blood to spill out. And, yet, the dark figure continues, even after the man asks him to spare him. Once the guy fully becomes unconscious, the figure stops his punching and proceeds to kick him to the side.
At this point, I'm in a sitting position and looking at the figure with large eyes, afraid if he'll come after me. He then turns to me and, instead of hurting me like the other, he takes out a small knife from his back pocket and cuts away the duct tape that was binding my legs before. The duct tape from my mouth was stripped and I immediately gasp for air. As I'm trying to regain my breath, the figure stands up and heads out. Before he fully leaves, I call out to him. "Oh, hey, thank you for saving me. I really appreciate it." He shrugs and continues to leave. "Hey, um, I know this is a personal question and all but who..who are you? I've never seen you in this town before…"
Suddenly, he stops in his tracks. He doesn't say or do anything but he just stand there, almost to figure out what to say. I look at him with curiosity until he begins to laugh. It was a big laugh, one that could be heard throughout the country. Yet, it was familiar and it felt heartwarming to hear. The figure turns his upper body towards me and flashes me a big, toothy grin. "Let's just say, I'm what you may consider your guardian angel." With that, he suddenly turns and quickly.
For a couple seconds, I felt time stop. Everything about that man brought back memories to me. His voice. His laugh. His body stature. It's him!
By the time I snap back to reality and go to catch up with him, I see that I am alone on the sidewalk. No matter where I look, he's nowhere to be found which makes my heart sink a bit. Yet, I still smile like a huge idiot. After 9 years, I finally see him again. And, after all this time he still remembered his promise to me. I place my hand on my heart and look off to the distance with only one word on my mind.
Natsu.