The Wounded Stranger
1254 Words
He was losing too much blood.
If she left him here, he might die.
But something about him felt… dangerous.
Even injured, there was something powerful about the way he looked at her.
Like a wolf watching from the shadows.
“Listen,” Luna said softly.
“You’re badly hurt. If I don’t call someone...”
His hand tightened again.
“If you help me,” he said quietly, “your life will never be the same.”
Luna blinked.
What kind of thing was that to say? She almost found it amusing.
For a moment the two of them simply stared at each other while the storm raged around them.
Rain poured down from the sky.
Wind rushed through the narrow alley.
Luna’s mind raced.
She could walk away right now.
Pretend she never saw him.
It would be the smart thing to do.
But when she looked at the blood on the ground, her chest tightened.
She couldn’t leave someone to die.
Not like this.
Not in the cold and the rain.
“Can you stand?” she asked.
The man studied her face carefully, like he was trying to understand her.
“Maybe,” he said.
Luna stood up and slipped her arm around his shoulders.
He was heavy, and she struggled to lift him.
But slowly, painfully, he managed to get to his feet.
His arm rested across her shoulders as they began moving toward the street.
Step by step.
The rain soaked them both completely.
Neither of them spoke.
Luna had no idea who this stranger was.
She had no idea what trouble he might bring into her life.
All she knew was that she couldn’t leave him there.
So she helped him walk into the storm.
And that single decision would soon change everything.
When they managed to get to her house, the rain had subsided a little.
Luna opened the door with great difficulty, as the man was still leaning on her shoulder.
Soon they got inside.
She helped him sit on the couch in the living room and hurried inside to get the first aid box and a change of clothes for him.
Then, she ran to the kitchen to get a basin and towel she would use to clean the blood on his body.
All this she did whilst wearing her wet clothes, the safety of the stranger mattered more.
"Can you remove your clothes or...do you need help?”, Luna asked.
Deep down, she prayed the man wouldn't choose the later option because she wouldn't know how to do it.
Stripping a stranger?? A man? Hell no.
Thoughts flew in and out of her mind as she waited for him to decide.
The man didn't answer, instead he raised his hands and started removing his jacket.
His eyes were still on her.
Luna saw this and rolled her eyes dramatically.
In her mind,she chastised him for not saying anything.
"It's not like he can't talk", she muttered softly and slowly turned around to give him some privacy.
She heard some rustling and soft groans behind her.
He was obviously having great difficulty with removing his wet clothes and putting on the new ones.
Luna waited for a moment, "Do you need help?". She asked.
No answer.
Luna wasn't having it. " You have mouth, you know...for talking and replying to questions maybe?"
She was met with another silence as the rustling continued.
Then it stopped.
"All done" he said with his deep voice, almost in a commanding tone.
The wet clothes laying on one side of the floor, water seeped out from them slowly.
Luna looked at him.
The dry clothes didn't fit his size. The shirt was too tight on him.
The shorts were better at least. Only the shirt betrayed him.
It was a funny sight to see.
Luna struggled to hold her laughter.
She chuckled.
He gave her a cold look, which made the laughter that was threatening to erupt like a volcano get buried instantly.
Kneeling on one knee, she cleaned his body with the towel.
The water slowly turned crimson red.
Luna wondered what could have happened to him?
Was he robbed or what?
Then, she opened the first aid box and brought out the dressing materials.
She set them aside on the table like she was some murderer arranging her tools.
Suddenly, she paused.
"This will hurt a lot".
she tried to get him to mentally prepare himself.
The man didn't say anything, he just stared at her with his grey eyes.
Luna took his silence as consent and continued.
When she was done, she bandaged the wound on his stomach and got up.
Atchoo!
Luna sneezed. She was still wearing her wet clothes.
She will catch a cold at this point and Luna hates being sick or any form of discomfort.
Achoo!
She sneezed again. She really needs to change.
"Excuse me". She said and hurriedly took the basin and towel to the kitchen.
She came back and closed the first aid box.
"I'll be back in a jiffy" she took a look at him and left.
Luna got into her room, closed the door and leaned on it for a while with her eyes closed.
She sighed, checked the time on the wall clock.
It read, 12:05 am.
"Gosh, I'm supposed to be asleep by now".
She removed her wet clothes and entered the bathroom.
Luna had a warm bath and changed into her pajamas.
Then, she brought out the blow dryer and started blow drying her hair.
Suddenly, she remembered the wounded stranger in her living room.
She immediately turned the dryer off and went to check on him.
Before she left, she went to the closet and brought out a clean duvet.
'He must be feeling cold', she thought.
In the living room. She came out and saw the man in same position he was before she left.
His eyes were closed. Luna tiptoed to where he was.
She thought he was asleep, she didn't want to wake him up.
When she got closer. She placed her pointy finger across his nose to check whether he's still alive.
A warm air blew on her finger, confirming that he's still breathing.
Luna heaved a sigh of relief and retracted her finger.
That was when she remembered the duvet she came with.
But then, she cannot cover him up without him laying down properly.
He was sitting in an uncomfortable position.
Luna thought of what to do.
She decided to wake him up and take him to the room beside hers.
Her house had many rooms.
She reached out to tap him. But she hesitated for a moment.
She bent down, her face only few inches away from his.
She studied his features.
Luna realized that he looked calmer with his eyes closed, he had this cold aura when he was awake.
She looked at his face, his nose. He's no doubt a hot man.
Still bent in that position.
Her eyes went down to his chest area.
The shirt she gave him was really tight on him, so it failed to cover his strong broad chest and huge muscles.
Luna swallowed. He's hot.
She shook her head to get the thought out of her mind and looked up.
Ahh!
She jolted backwards and fell flat on her butt.
The man's eyes were open.
His cold gray eyes looking back at her.
Then, slowly he sat up.
“Why? Did you save me?”.
- Writer
