Inner Light

Part 1— Savior?

A young boy paced on the corner of a street. He pushed his black hair back from his face and glanced down the street. Earlier he had seen a terrible sight. A tiny girl, barely able to walk on her own, with pigtails and coveralls crushed like a bug against the grill of a semi. The boy had rushed to where this horrid accident was to occur and waited. The heat of the sun started to fade as storm clouds started to darken the sky.

He slumped down against the wall of a building, his mind drifted through past memories. 'Mom! Dad! He's going to die!' the young boy cried out. 'Shh! Who, Kakei, who is going to die?' his mother cooed. 'Brother'

"Mommy!" a little girl giggled. He jumped up, thoughts of his older brother receded back into his memory. The pigtails were the first thing he saw. They bounced around the girls face, he looked down the street and saw the smoke from the trucks exhaust. Even though he knew what was going to happen his feet were frozen in place. What was he going to do?

The little girl pulled her mom forward giggling, oblivious to what lie ahead. As the little girl broke free from her mom he took off into the street. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the semi barreling toward the girl. Pace quickening, he reached the girl and pulled her onto the curb, out of the way of the truck. It screamed past them. The trucker had hit the breaks as soon as he saw a person dart into the streets, but even then it was not soon enough. The little girl would have been crushed if she had not been pulled to the curb.

A crowd of people gathered around him and the mother, grasping the still giggling little girl to her. The boy smiled at her thanks. He excused himself and started off down the street. The crowd turned and watched him walk away. He had just saved a little girl, and now was acting like it was nothing. Strange, in anyone's book.

Turning the corner, he sighed. "Too much attention Kakei, too much," he whispered to himself. Suddenly he shuddered. He could feel someone's gaze on him, but when he looked for them, there was nothing in sight. He sighed and started off for his house, thinking that he was being paranoid. His leg throbbed, but he ignored it, adrenaline was still rushing through him and dulled the piercing pain.

Suddenly thunder sounded and droplets of rain fell from the sky. He relaxed in the cool, drenching rain. He smiled, a smile he hadn't worn since he'd left. The cool liquid washed his worries away momentarily. The rain soaked his bangs, gluing them to his forehead. He brushed his hair back, and when his pulled his hand away he stopped mid motion. His hand was covered in a black liquid.

'No' he thought. Rushing over to a window, he saw that most of the temporary dye he had painted on his hair was running down his face, and staining his shirt. It left his hair a glimmering blond. "No... no..." he whispered pulling on his hair. He closed his eyes and tried to keep from falling apart. 'If someone sees me now...' "That's the last time I use temporary dye," he grumbled.

"I think the blond looks better on you."

"What?" he gasped, whipping around. He found himself eyeing the chest of the speaker. He glanced up. "You're big," he gasped like a child.

"And you're small" the speaker replied.

"I'm not small!" Kakei exclaimed.

"You look it," he growled, closing in on the smaller boy. Kakei blushed and squeezed around the taller one.

"Who are..." Kakei stopped when his eyes caught a red blur whip around a corner.

"Um... Are you ok?" The other asked turning to see what he was staring at.

"What?" he asked turning back to the taller. " Oh I'm fine."

"What's over-"

"Nothing! I-I have to go!" Kakei exclaimed.

Kakei took a few steps to leave but paused when he heard a crack. He turned in time to see a flash and feel a sudden weight on his chest.

"What was that?" the taller boy breathed looking down at Kakei.

"I don't know," he bluffed paling.

"Maybe we should get out of here?"

"Yea," Kakei gasped as he was pulled up quickly.

He looked around, but before he could spot where they were, he was pulled by the wrist down the street. Kakei followed, helpless to do anything else. He didn't want to do anything else. This stranger was saving him from those people.

Suddenly he was pulled down an alley and against the other. He heard the faint footsteps of the men grow louder then fade as they passed. He let out a sigh and stepped back to catch his breath. He looked over the other boy with interest. 'My savior?' he wondered.

He was tall and lanky although there was bulk to his long body, with shaggy black hair, hanging loosely over his closed eyes. Kakei looked at the ground then back up, and gasped. The other boy's face was right in his, smiling, eyes still closed.

"What are you looking at?"

"Uh… Who are you?" Kakei rushed, scrambling to change the topic.

"I'm Saiga, just Saiga. And you?"

"K-kakei."

"Well, K-kakei, It's nice to meet you," he laughed. Kakei just glared in response. "Don't look at me like that. Remember, I just saved you." Saiga scolded.

"But... Your eyes have been closed all this time… How?"

Saiga frowned and rummaged through his pockets, he pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on.

"Who were those people?" he asked coldly.

"People my parents sent after me."

"Ha! A runaway?"

"It seems like my mom really wants me back," he joked, but the joke not matching the look in his eyes.

"Well, if you are trying to hide you can stay at my place."

"What?" Kakei exclaimed.

"They probably know where you live."

"I guess..." Saiga glanced around the corner and started off. Kakei stood rooted in place, shocked. 'That was fast. Almost too fast.' He had found a savior and a house all within 10 minutes. Kakei rushed after Saiga.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"I'm bored and you look like fun."

Kakei slumped. 'Ok maybe not a savior.'