Saving The Devil

Luna had just finished having her birthday dinner with her two best friends Maya and Julie. She looked at the gift bags in her hand, they contained the gifts her friends got for her and smiled. It didn't look like it would rain that night. She decided to take a walk. It was already 10 pm, and her apartment was nearby. Just a few minutes walk from the restaurant. She strolled gently, carefully avoiding collision with passersby and enjoying the fresh air. She turned 22 today, she never planned to celebrate it. Luna had always seen her birthdays as normal days, because she had nobody to celebrate it with. So she had planned to stay indoors all day whilst scrolling through social media apps and reading her favorite online books. Her plan was interrupted when her friends suddenly called her in the evening and requested they have dinner as it was her birthday. She rejected the idea, as she was already comfortable with doing nothing. But her friends were stubborn too, especially Maya . "Luna it's your birthday, if you don't come out this minute, I'll personally come and drag you out!” she shouted through the phone. “Alrighttttt, it hasn't come to that yet, I'm coming, just give me a few minutes to get ready. Luna sighed and decided to go , she knew Maya was serious. " That's what I thought", Maya said and hung up. Luna strolled as she recounted all the events of the day, how her friends gifted her and the food they had at the restaurant. 'Today was a good day after all, she thought and smiled. She was close to entering the alley that leads to her house, when the weather suddenly changed and it started to rain. Luna panicked, she had forgotten her umbrella. Looking around, she saw that people were already running around, trying to avoid getting soaked in the rain. She thought of what to do, if she decided to stay under a shelter and wait for the rain to stop, she would not go home on time and it was already late. Luna decided to just walk in the rain as her house is already nearby, she carefully placed the gifts into her leather bag and continued walking home. Her shoes splashed through small puddles as she walked faster. “Just five more minutes,” she muttered to herself. Her apartment was only a few blocks away. Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the street for a second. Luna blinked and pushed a strand of wet hair away from her face. Then she heard something. A sound. At first she thought it was just the wind. But then she heard it again. A low groan. Luna stopped walking. Her heart began to beat a little faster. The sound had come from the alley beside the old grocery store. She stared at the dark entrance of the alley. “Hello?” she called softly, but heard nothing. For a moment she considered walking away. It was late, the street was empty, and the alley looked dark and eerie. But then the sound came again. A weak, painful groan. Someone was there. Luna hesitated. Her mind told her to leave. This city was not always safe, especially at night. But something inside her wouldn’t let her walk away. Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward the alley. The rain fell harder as she moved closer. Water dripped from the metal fire escapes above, creating small splashes on the ground. “Hello?” she said again. No answer. She walked deeper into the alley, her heart pounding in her chest. Lightning flashed again, this time the darkness disappeared a bit and that was when she saw him. A man was slumped against the brick wall, his body half lying on the wet ground. Luna was shocked. At first she thought he might be drunk. But then she saw the dark stain spreading across his shirt. Blood. A lot of blood. “Oh my God,” she whispered. She rushed toward him without thinking. The man looked young. Maybe late twenties. His dark hair was soaked from the rain, falling across his face. His breathing was slow and uneven. Luna knelt beside him, ignoring the cold water soaking through her jeans. “Hey… can you hear me?” she asked gently. No answer. She looked at his body. There was a deep wound on his side. Blood was still flowing from it. She quickly reached for her phone which was inside her bag and attempted to call an ambulance. She had just finished typing in the number, suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist. Luna gasped. The man’s eyes were open now. They were sharp and intense despite the pain in his face. For a moment, Luna forgot how to breathe. His eyes were a cold gray, almost silver in the dim light. He stared at her like he was trying to figure out if she was real. You…” his voice was rough and weak. Luna swallowed nervously. “Yes?” His grip on her wrist tightened slightly. “Don’t… call anyone.” The words came out slowly, like each one cost him energy. Luna frowned. “What? You’re hurt. You need help.” His eyes darkened. “No hospital.” The way he said it sent a strange chill down her spine. Why didn’t he want to go to the hospital? Who was this man? Thunder roared loudly above them, shaking the air. The man suddenly coughed, his body shaking from the effort. More blood soaked through his shirt. Luna’s heart raced.