My Protector

I kept my self in the water no matter how much I wanted air. The pond water was cold and I was blacking out from the lack of oxygen; my mind wandering to how I got here.

I was unhappy, I wanted it to finally be over; alcohol and weed were no longer helping me. I had gotten worse as I stumbled into my depression, I tried to get help, but it didn’t help at all. I tried to tell my friends but they were interested in their own lives. My family never picked up on anything being amiss.

It was late at night at least 3 am where there was no one on the college campus. I used to attend this university but had to stop because of complications with my mother. I was visiting my friends for the week. It is only Monday, my third day here.

I used to be scared of suicide because I thought I was going to leave everyone, but I came to terms that if they didn’t care, so why in the fuck should I. That’s when I knew it was time. I hopped off the picnic table set, my ID and headphones on the table along with my iPod and started walking slowly to the pond.

I looked around and saw no near the vicinity at all, then slowly started walking into the pond. It hit me that it was cold and deeper than I initially thought it was. I clamed my breathing so I wouldn’t make my body panic and just fell forward in the water, submerging myself.

I held on tightly to a log that was on the bottom as my body tried to get me to go up for air. I noticed the numbness creeping in and my vision clouding and finally going black.

I barely registered being pulled from the water and onto the grass. I was struggling to hold onto consciousness as air was trying to get in my lungs. I couldn’t breathe.
Someone was breathing for me, causing me to cough up the water and emptying it on the ground.

“Are you fucking crazy?” a distorted male voice said.

I blinked trying to focus on his blurry figure.

“What?” I mumbled.

“I barely got to you in time. What were you thinking?” he said again in a panicked tone.

I heard footsteps.

“Miss are you alright?” an authoritive voice asked flashing a flashlight at me.

I winced at the harshness of the light.

I looked and made out the form of a police officer.

“Yeah, I just lost my footing and fell into the pond.” I lied smoothly than looked to the side for my savior and he was gone.

“Where do you live Miss?” he asked helping me onto my feet.

“Um, apartment 6A.”

“I’ll walk you back.” He said politely.

I nodded and we started walking towards the other side of campus.

“What are you doing out this late?” he asked.

“I have insomnia; I walk around so I will able to fall asleep better when I get tired.”

I said as we approached the campus apartment buildings.

“Well, I hope you have a good night and try to avoid the ponds.” He chuckled lightly.

I nodded and pulled out my friends keys and went in the apartment.

I stripped out of the wet clothes and put on dry pajamas, after washing the pond scum off my body. I hung up the wet clothes and crawled into bed to sleep.

Who saved me? Kept running through my mind. Why would they save me? I wasn’t important, no one was around and he was gone when the police officer came by.

I fell asleep rather quickly, I was exhausted.

“Cayden, wake up.” My best friend Heather said shaking me.

“You’re touching my boob.” I pointed out opening my eyes.

She blushed mumbled sorry and left the room so I could get dressed.

Clothing was simple just a Metallica t-shirt and jeans with red converse. I brushed shoulder length my brunette hair and applied eye liner to my hazel eyes. I blinked and walked out with my friend to go get lunch.

It was one-ish I think when she woke me up.

After lunch I sat up on the picnic bench I was on yesterday.

“You left your stuff last night.” A male voice said.

I turned my head and saw a man. He was taller than me; he was at least 5’9, easily gaining four inches on my 5’5 frame. He had wavy brown blonde hair. What threw me off were his eyes.

They were seemed caramel colored but gold at the same time like candy.

“You saved me last night.” I said slowly taking the stuff from him.

“Yeah, what was going through your head that you had to try to drown yourself?” he asked.

I stayed silent and kept looking out at the water.

“Who are you?” I said after five minutes of silence.

“Gabriel.”

“I’m Cayden. Do you attend school here?” I asked looking over at him.

“Kind of, I teach here.” He said smiling a bit.

I looked at him again; he was young looking maybe late 20’s early thirties.

“Sorry it’s just I have older friends that are going back to college, that’s why I asked. What do you teach?”

“Norse Mythology.”

“Why did you save me.” I asked quietly.

“Young girl like you, you have your whole life ahead of you. Look at it like this I gave you a second chance at living.” He said pulling out a chocolate bar out of his bag.

Now that I noticed his age, his clothes where casual, blue striped shirt, tan jacket, and black pants with sneakers.

“Wanna bite?” he asked sticking the chocolate bar under my nose.

“Um, thanks but no.” I said politely.

“Mmm too bad.” He said munching on it.

He reminded me much of a child.

I stood up after a minute when my phone buzzed.

“Hello?” I asked into the receiver.

“Cayden, it’s Heather. Professor Williams died last night.” She said.

“What?”

“He was pushed down the stairs, he broke his neck.”

“Any one see what happened?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah…I did.” She said shakily.

“Where are you Heather feather?” I asked in a small voice.

“I’m in the Den.”

“I’ll be there in seven minutes.”

“Okay.” She said hanging up.

I looked up at Gabriel.

“I’m sorry, but my friend needs me. I’ll see you around?” I asked looking at him curiously.

He smiled and nodded before I took off sprinting towards the center of the campus.

The den was under the café, it was a place to hang out in at night, but study in during the day if you wanted peace and quiet.

I walked down the stairs and saw Heather sitting by herself on the couches. She was quite the looker; long luscious red mane that ran down to her butt. Startling blue eyes, that made people double take. She was short 5’1 but you would swear she was so much taller with her attitude. She was wearing a too big for her batman hoodie from her boyfriend and jeans with yellow flip flops. She was slumped over and looked like she hasn’t received much sleep.

“How come you didn’t tell me earlier?” I asked plopping down.

“I actually have been avoiding thinking about it.” She admitted.

“What did you see?”

“I was walking through Wylie out of the library when I saw him and a women fighting. She pushed him down the stairs, he fell at such an awkward angle I knew he couldn’t of lived. When I looked over at the girl she disappeared in a wisp of smoke. I ran down to help the professor and called 911.”

“Well, the dude was kind of a dick; I mean the guy took points off if he didn’t like your name, opinions, religion, orientation, or even face. I mean come on dude deserved it.” I found myself saying to cheer her up.

I really did agree though.

She smiled and hugged me.

As diner rolled around we hung out with a group so I could focus on the mindless chatter than my own thoughts. My thoughts were taking a dark turn again.

I stood up abruptly and started walking towards the exit.

“What’s wrong with her?” I briefly heard from Bruce, Heather’s boyfriend.