This is a small one-shot, written as a project for English class. I hope you enjoy!
"Hey, kid, are you okay?"
You took a step forward, trying to make out the shape against the wall a bit better.
The alley was small and tucked away between two rough brick walls. The building next door housed an inn, which was filled with light and cheerful locals at this time of the night. Yet, out here, it felt strangely quiet.
The small shape curled up with their back against the wall didn't lift their head. Having broken the quiet of the night, you hesitated, stepping closer. "Kid?"
You could make out more now that your eyes were adjusting to the dark. The boy on the ground looked awfully young, somewhere between ten and twelve years old.
You wondered who he was and how he got here. This was a small town, it didn't often house travelers and most people knew each other here, yet you didn't recognize the boy's figure. You were also fairly certain none of the kids in town had black, unkept locks of hair like this boy.
It wasn't a warm night, attested by the clear sky and the thousands of stars visible. You wanted to go back inside, where warmth and your friends were waiting for you, but really, that plan had flown out the window as soon as you saw the boy.
The poor kid was shivering almost unnoticeably, his head buried between his arms. His hands were pressed between his legs and chest, to preserve the little warmth that was left, you presumed. You didn't think the kid had heard you calling out, even though the silence of the night was otherwise only disturbed by the insects in the long grass. He looked too far gone.
You reached out, crouching down slowly, feeling like one wrong move would scare the boy away. A kid shouldn't be out here tonight, especially not freezing in an alley.
"Hey-"
The kid suddenly flinched away, jerking his head up as he finally noticed someone there. Not expecting the sudden movement, you fought the urge to tense in alarm. Instead you kept your body in a relaxed, non-threatening position, making sure the boy saw it.
"M-Minos?" The boy murmered, and your stomach dropped at the small voice. The boy looked really out of it, his eyes unfocused and the dark circles underneath indicating lack of sleep. Even through that, he tried to lift himself off the ground as he spoke, and you had to dart out and catch him as he practically collapsed. The boy was worryingly light.
His eyes widened, before he pulled away harshly, forcing himself to stand using the wall. He was tense and his dark eyes gleamed with fear.
"Hey now, calm down, I'm not gonna hurt you," you placated, taking a small step back and holding your hands in front of you in a gesture of peace. The kid tried for a snarl, but it fell flat, partly because he was barely standing. Even scared and hopped up on adrenaline, the kid looked ready to fall over.
Slowly, the kid's defensive position fell away, being dragged down by gravity. He slid via the wall to the ground, and you had a feeling the boy had barely even registered your presence.
God, you didn't sign up for this. You had just stepped outside for a quick smoke and a break from the drunken enthusiasm inside.
The kid was still shivering, and you saw that his lips had a blueish tint to them. Alarm making you abandon all caution, you quickly shrugged off your jacket and draped it around the kid, who barely even made a noise of protest, already half asleep again. This was bad, any more time out here and he'd turn into a human popsicle.
You had to practically carry the kid, who was largely unconscious, the few blocks to your small apartment. You didn't feel good about taking the boy home without his express permission, but there wasn't much else you could do and you certainly weren't going to leave a kid to freeze to death in some alley.
Only a few blocks to your apartment. You shivered, and thought about the group you left behind in that bar. They'd have to deal; they would understand why you left once you explained. Tomorrow was your first day on the job, anyway. A full night's sleep for once was probably a good idea.
The kid in your arms barely had any body warmth, you noticed absently. Absently, because your attention was somehow focused on the buildings around you. Something wasn't right tonight. You'd traveled home alone so many times, but tonight felt different. You barely notice yourself increase your pace.
Only one block to your apartment. Light falls from an overhead street lantern, and for a moment you look down at the kid and see dark, ugly bruises on his nearly translucent skin. What had happened to him?
You don't stop, and you're encased in darkness again. It's fine, you keep telling yourself. There's nobody out here. You've walked home alone many times, get a grip.
A silence. You're not sure why you notice this, but it suddenly feels like there's a silence pressing down on you, on the air around you. For a moment, one delirious moment, time around you stops.
You notice the spear sprouting from your chest.
A second of chilling clarity- a spear, a spear covered in scarlet, the smell of iron piercing the air, a soundless scream on your lips- then the boy slips out of your powerless arms, falling to the ground. You follow inadvertently, slumping down on the cold, uneven pavement.
There's a sigh behind you. You hear a voice saying words, you're supposed to understand. You can't. You don't understand.
"You picked the wrong person to help. A shame, really." A foot scoffing the pavement. A fleeting shadow.
And the world fell away.