Broken Soul

The rain kept pouring down around Dannie and Evan. Next to Dannie’s sobs, it was all one would hear on that street. She lifted her head up to see if anyone was around, but still no one came near. Her tearfilled eyes gazed down at her beloved friend in remorse. “Evan, can you hear me?” she asked him through a broken voice. She touched his face, turning it to see it better. “Come on, Evan…look at me…” But he didn’t respond. Dannie knew she was going to lose him if help didn’t arrive. She’d have to leave him and find it herself, abandoning him after she promised she’d stay. It was all she could do. “I’m gonna get help for you, okay? I’ll be right back…” She was about to lay him down on the ground when a soft voice stopped her.

“I can help him.”

Dannie gasped and looked up to see a woman wearing a long black raincoat and tall combat boots towering over them. Her hood was up and her long brown hair nearly reached her waist. Dannie saw her eyes glowing at her from under the dark hood. They were an eerie blue; a color she hadn’t seen before.

“Are you a doctor?” Dannie asked her, wondering if this person could be trusted with her friend’s life.

“I used to be,” the woman replied and knelt on the other side of Evan.

“Used to be? What does that mean?” Dannie inquired suspiciously.

“Please,” the woman said calmly. “Do you want me to help him or not? He’s just seconds from death.”

Dannie felt her heart breaking again. She knew this was all she could do. “Yes.” Dannie released Evan and watched her.

The stranger lifted Dannie’s jacket off of Evan’s wound and examined it. She knew what she had to do.

“Listen,” she said to Dannie, “I’m offering to help him because I know he sacrificed himself for you. But I’m leaving it up to you. I can tell he means a lot to you. Could you live with the fact that you decided this new life for him? Even if he detests you for it?”

Dannie was confused but just wanted him to live, no matter the costs. “Yes,” she said again. “Anything, just help him…”

“Alright, go get your other friends,” the woman told her. “I promise he’ll be alright by the time you return. Hurry.”

“No, what are you going to do?” Dannie questioned, disbelieving the woman’s abilities.

“Just trust me.” Her chilling blue eyes silenced Dannie’s doubt and she didn’t feel like arguing anymore. Evan’s life was on the line.

Dannie stood up and hurried away, taking one last look at them. She thought she saw the woman leaning down toward Evan, her face getting closer and closer to his shoulder or his neck. That was all she saw until they were out of her sight.

“Guys!” Dannie exclaimed when she reached the bus. She didn’t even have to go inside since they were about to leave to look for her.

“There you are! Where the hell have you been?” Caden asked her.

“Evan needs our help guys, come on!” she told them, not answering Caden. They were confused but they followed her. By the time they reached Evan, he was alone, still lying on the ground unconscious.

Dannie wondered where the strange woman went but didn’t mention it. All she cared about was Evan.

“I thought you said he was stabbed,” Bryan said, looking for the wound.

“He was,” Dannie replied, realizing there was no blood on his shirt or dripping from his mouth anymore. There wasn’t even a hole in his shirt where the knife had cut through. “I…I swear he was…” She stretched the collar of his shirt down to see if there was a mark. All that was left was a scab. “Right there…” They discovered that Evan was breathing and he had a pulse. But to Dannie, something still didn’t seem right.

“Come on, let’s get him out of the rain,” Caden suggested. As quickly as they managed, they carried him back to the bus. They put him up in his bunk and let him sleep.

Dannie told the others what had happened in the lounge. Not a detail was left out. None of them were sure of what to make of it.

“So you think this lady healed him?” Caden inquired. “Just like that?”

“Yes,” she believed. “There’s no other explanation. He was bleeding to death, you guys. I’d never make that up…”

“We never said you did,” Bryan reminded her.

“I know, but…this is just so strange…” Dannie felt overwhelmed and emotionally drained.

“You should get some sleep,” Caden insisted. “You need it, I can see it.”

“Yeah…” she sighed. She wasn’t sure if she could even fall asleep or not since her mind wouldn’t turn off.

Dannie changed, then stepped up to Evan’s bunk. She stood on the bed below so she could see him. He was facing her, resting on his side, looking so innocent. She thought about what he did for her and nearly broke down again. “God, Evan, you saved my life…I’m so glad you’re okay…” A couple tears formed and fell from her eyes. She rested her forehead against his and said softly, “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you…”

Moments later, she lifted her head up, gazing down at him through her teary eyes. She wasn’t sure if she could ever truly repay him for what he did. Dannie stepped off the bunk below and crawled into her own. She ended up dozing off faster than she expected to.