Savior of the Night

Why me?

All I did was mind my own business as I walked down the sidewalk.

I just wanted to get home.

But, of course, I wasn’t able to leave work until late in the night.

I really think my boss has it in for me.

So instead of walking home under the comfortable sun amid crowds of people I had to rush by myself in the dark of the night.

And isn’t it just so typically cliché that a group of dirty men attacked and pulled me into an alley?

Why me?

“Look,” I said through clinched teeth as three men surrounded me, “I don’t have any money. Do you think I would be walking home at night after a twelve hour work day if I had any?”

The man in front of me smiled, his one grimy tooth standing crookedly, “It’s not money that we want,” His eyes lewdly scanned my body, “Not money at all.”

His little wanabe gangster buddies snickered behind me.

“I don’t think so.” I replied, growing more angry then upset at the suggestion.

The man in front of me clicked his tongue, “You really don’t have a say, seeing as there’s three of us and only one of you.”

Didn’t I just watch a movie with that exact line in it the other day?

Is it so bad to ask for an original life rather then the cliché I currently have?

“I’m not going to just cooperate while you rape me.”

“It’s not rape if you’re willing.” A voice squeaked from behind me.

“And who said I was even remotely willing?” I growled, turning my head to glare at the balding man.

He was about to argue when the man in front of me interrupted, bringing my attention back to him, “It’s alright, I like it when they fight. Makes the whole act feel kinky.”

I felt disgust roll through me as he wiggled his eyebrows; “It makes the whole act degrading and illegal. Just let me go and I’ll walk away.”

The man didn’t verbally respond, instead he snapped his fingers.

Right away I fought as the men behind me grabbed my arms and tried to hold me still while the man in front of me, who I’m assuming is the leader, walked toward me.

I felt my stomach roll as he ran his fingers down my cheek.

“So soft,” he whispered, leaning closer, “I’m going to enjoy tearing you apart.”

That’s when I noticed two additional teeth extend from his gums.

I let out a blood-curdling scream as the streetlight glinted off the sharp canines.

~*~

Cairbre knelt on the roof’s edge, his eyes closed, listening to the night.

His wings were still stiff from his day’s rest, pieces of stone still crumbling to the roof beneath him.

Some times being a Gargoyle just wasn’t worth it.

He yawned, thinking that it was a quiet night.

That was the worst sort of night for a Gargoyle.

Just then his pointed ear twitched and his red eyes snapped open.

A woman’s scream just pierced the night.

Leaning forward he fell from the roof, his wings extending at the last second to send him soaring through the air. Following the screams Cairbre landed on the roof above the woman, his dark body blending in with the night.

Vampires, seems the night’s going to be a good one after all.

~*~

I fought against my attackers, but even though they were dirty and scrawny they were still three men.

Three vampires.

And I was only one woman.

“Let me go!” I screamed

All of a sudden my face burned from the slap the leader gave me, “Shut up! Your screaming annoys me.”

Ha, like I’d do anything for these vampires.

Fighting harder I was able to get one of my arms free, but before I could do anything the leader threw me against the alley wall, my head bouncing painfully off the surface. With my head still swirling in agony I could feel him press his body against mine, groaning as he rubbed himself on me.

My God, please don’t let this happen.

I felt tears roll down my eyes as he wrenched my arms behind me, “This’ll be so good, just you wait and see,” he muttered.

I tried to fight, really I did, but I just felt so tired. My head hurt so much it was hard to think.

All of a sudden I was no longer against the building, but crumbled up on the floor. Squinting my eyes I could see the vampires being attacked by a large shadow.

Did I hit my head so hard that the shadows were now animate?

Taking multiple deep breaths I squeeze my eyes shut and try to stand up, only to fall down with weakness.

“Whoa, just stay still.” A deep voice spoke softly.

Did my stomach just flutter from my spinning head, or his voice?

I struggle to open my eyes, only to gasp as I see the larger then life shadow in front of me.

“Oh, crap. I must have hit my head harder then I thought.”

The shadow shook as a laugh sounded from it, “I don’t think it was that hard.”

My mouth opened and closed, probably mimicking a very unattractive fish, “W-what are you?”

He gave an almost inaudible sigh, “Don’t worry about that. I shouldn’t even be talking to you, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I nodded, not knowing what to say. I mean, I should be freaking out and running in the other direction, but for some reason I didn’t.

For some reason I felt safe around him.

Crap, another cliché, falling for you savior.

“Well,” I said rather loudly, “I best be going now, I’ve had enough clichés to last a month.”

I felt as if he was frowning, but since he was still in the shadows I couldn’t tell for sure,

“What’s wrong with clichés?” he asked in that deep voice that sent chills through my body.

I laughed awkwardly, “What isn’t? The girl is jumped, attacked, almost raped, saved by a mystic man, and the falls- well, you get the drift.”

I slowly stood, relieved that I could manage it on my own with only a little bit of pain, but since I moved he had to move as well.

My God, he had to be at least seven feet tall.

“No, I’m not really getting the drift, but I do know you have one detail wrong.” He said

“Oh, and what’s that?”

“I’m not a man.” He maneuvered closer to the light, and what I saw made my earlier fear return. I tossed my hand over my mouth in the attempt to cover the scream that was building and took a step back.

The light only covered half of his face, leaving the rest in the dark, but it was enough to send me back to the time when I was afraid of monsters in the closet.

His skin was a stony blue color, his hair the darkest black I have ever seen. A small horn like thing protruded from his head and his eyes glowed red. He had a square face, horns extending from his shoulders, and the biggest, hardest muscles ever.

And he was wearing nothing but a long loincloth.

“Please,” he whispered, “I won’t hurt you.”

I gulped, not knowing whether to follow my head, which is telling me to run, or my heart, which is telling me to stay.

But before I could choose he gave a mournful sigh, “I knew this was a bad idea. I’m sorry.”

Then he was gone, his body disappearing over the buildings and out of sight.

~*~The Next Night, 5 pm~*~

I wasn’t able to sleep at all once I got home.

I didn’t go back to work and I didn’t talk to any of my family when they called.

All I did was research.

I needed to find out what he was.

It took me six hours to finally locate what I needed.

He was a gargoyle.

A real, live, breathing gargoyle.

So I spent all day learning what I could about his kind.

Then I researched all the buildings that had gargoyles in their designs.

I didn’t know just how many there were, but I made sure to visit every single one.

And now I’ve found him.

It was only around five in the evening and the sun still had about an hour before it set.

I walked closer to the building’s edge, wanting to see him in the fading light.

He was really beautiful, in an unusual foreign way. His body was large and strong, his wings unique and majestic, his tail long.

But what struck me the most was that he only had three fingers and toes that all had long nails.

Oh, and what veterinarians call dewclaws, which are the claws/toes farther up the leg of dogs and cats.

And then I watched in fascination as the shadows of the night trailed up his body, the stone crumbling away to show the fluid skin and muscle beneath.

Once the stone was removed he gave a stretch and yawn, not even turning to see me slightly behind him.

“Hello,” I say quietly.

He turned with a start, in attack mode until he noticed who I was.

“What are you doing here?” he growled

“I came to see you.”

“Why?” he eerie red eyes stared into my blue ones.

I didn’t really have an answer, so I just shrugged. We continued to stare at each other until he spoke.

“What do you want?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, “but what I do know is that I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

He frowned, “What do you mean?”

I shook my head, “I don’t know that either. I don’t know why I feel such a tight connection to you, or why I feel the need to have you around me,” I stepped closer to him, “I’m sorry for how I reacted to you yesterday, all I can say is that I was in shock from the attack and when you showed yourself I acted badly.”

I gently placed my hand on his, staying still as he turned his palm to mine, “I don’t know what we are to each other, but I want to find out.”

I held my breath as I waited for his answer.

“I don’t know what we are to each other either,” he whispered, “But I’d like to find out too.”

Releasing my breath I stepped into his arms, smiling as he enveloped me in his warmth.

I don’t know if there’s a cliché involving gargoyles, but I ‘m pretty sure I’m living it if there is.