Survival Mode

Help Wanted / Now Hiring

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, birds were chirping, sunny outside and a nice weather, but not for me, I was currently at the nearest police station telling them what happened. They told me to find a close relative or someone to stay with, but I had no one. I wasn't really close with anyone in my family. I explained to them I practically had nowhere to go and they understood.

Soon, after walking back to what was now my burnt home. I saw firefighters coming to put out the rest of the fire and they told me to stand back, so as to not get hurt. I started crying silently and my tears started to blurry my vision. I wiped my tears and started walking but before I did, I saw my dad and mom being dragged away in hospital stretchers. I walked by many homes and saw families happily playing with there kids and laughing, enjoying themselves.

I wish I had that, but no, my dad had to be an alcoholic and my mom was the only one that was somewhat in her right mind.

I was now alone and had nowhere to sleep. I soon found a place called Never Loose Hope beds for the homeless, I quickly ran inside hoping that I was saved for a few days with shelter. They told me they were full but I could come back tomorrow and hopefully find a bed.

How contradicting. I thought too myself.

I gave up after trying to find a place to sleep for hours, it was just about sunrise and I still had no place to go. Sitting by a corner, feeling hungry and as people were walking by giving me pity looks, and pitching their noses. My stomach was growling and I was in need of a shower. I pulled my knees further into my chest. Only god knows how terrified I truly am right now.

My eyes started to blur with tears as I was losing hope that I would never find a place to stay. It was now starting to rain and I was soaking wet. Later, I passed out from exhaustion due to crying, when I woke up I was in a strange bed I hadn't recognize. The bed was too comfortable for my own good, it couldn't have been mine.

I thought I was dreaming until I slowly opened my eyes and looked around I had noticed this wasn't my room at all. It was very beautiful I couldn't even lie about that, but where was I? I felt something or someone poking me with a stick, looking over, it was a little boy who seemed to be bored out of his mind.

"Can you stop poking me please?"

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow, "Who are you?" He said in his tiny voice.

He got no response and rolling his eyes being upset as he had nothing else to do he walked away. I got up and slowly went downstairs cautiously not wanting to wake anyone who was asleep, not realizing someone was behind me as I was headed for the door. I got startled to death hearing a voice behind me.

"Leaving so soon?" I turned around quickly, that's when I saw him, the guy who read like a sloth. He looked very different then when we were in class that day.

I hadn't really looked at him but getting a now clearer vision of him he looked attractive. An angel that God made and took his time with, like a delicate flower. He looked to be about 6ft tall, he had a little stubble, and dark brown curls, a nice tan color while as for his outfit he was wearing black from head to toe, he had sunglasses on like he was on his way going outside.

"Where am I? Did you f*****g kidnap me you psycho???" He looked at me waiting for me to finish my rant.

After awhile of not saying anything he spoke,

"Are you done? Look. When I passed by you, in my car you looked like you passed out. You were definitely going to get sick being out there to long, would you have preferred me to leave you and not do anything?" He looked at me with an arched eyebrow waiting for a response.

"You don't even know me! Why would you help me? I'm nothing but a stranger to you, we don't even know each other." He pinched the bridge of his nose obviously getting annoyed.

"Look. I wanted to help you because that's just how my mom raised me and I did, now if this isn't leading to a thank you, then I think we're done here. As far as I'm concerned, I was just trying to do a good deed, but hey, be my guest, you want to leave, go right ahead, there's a storm coming soon but your more then free to leave." He said with a smile on his face, a cocky grin.

"I was bullying you though, how could you just let someone be welcomed in your house who basically treated you like s**t? Nonetheless I could be a killer." He examined my words carefully before speaking.

"Baby girl, I will not be repeating myself, I helped you because grudges are stupid and you were clearly having a bad day. You looked like you were asking for help or to vent but didn't know how too. Honestly, anybody could tell, and sometimes help comes from those you least expect it from. Also you could barely kill a bug I'm sure, I think I'm safe." He laughed at the end of that sentence.

He was right though, partially, I've been through a lot and I never shared my feelings or had help from anyone. Soon, I saw the little boy from earlier tugging at his shirt. Whispering something I couldn't hear, "Ok" was all he responded.

"He's so cute, you know, when he's not poking me. Is he your little brother?" I said trying to change the subject.

His attention was back on me.

"Close, he's my nephew." He said looking at him happily, and smiling.

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"I swear that's what happened, he looked at me and was like "Oh sweetie you can't do that your not strong enough to carry these boxes and what do you think I did?" He was crying from laughing to much. We were currently at the park and his nephew was being pushed on the swing enjoying himself. "You carried those boxes to prove him wrong?" I nodded while we continued laughing. "That'll show him who can carry boxes."

"I'm sure it will." He said still laughing.

"Listen, I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier. I shouldn't have and I also wanna apologize for that day in class, it was uncalled for." He took some time to respond before responding.

"Look, it's alright we all go through things sometimes ok? Don't even worry about it." He had given me a friendly smile.

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Days went on and we became closer day by the day. He had let me move in with him after awhile and we were now room mates, going to school everyday and as seniors we were close to graduation as it was of next week. I went out looking for jobs and came across a sign that said "Now hiring, help wanted" I went inside and filled the application and did the paperwork they were in deep need of people right away, so they hired me on the spot.

I was thrilled skipping home and having nothing but excitement in me, I went back home to share the news with my room mate. But if I knew what I was coming home too, I wouldn't have gone. I went inside and it was oddly quiet. "Brayden? Bray, where are you?" Laughing happily and looking around starting from the kitchen, I couldn't find him anywhere downstairs.

"Brayden, this isn't funny." I said as my smile began to fade. As I was about to make my way upstairs I saw something from the corner of my eye, I looked up and immediately froze. On the stairs I saw Brayden, except, he wasn't alone and he looked like he just seen a ghost. He was very pale and tried to warn me but it was to late.

"Run" he whispered, I was confused and too slow to make a run for it, cause then Bray had a knife held to his throat. "Found ya." Was all the man said while looking at me and chuckling, I began to shake like crazy and my heart was beating out of my chest uncontrollably.

••••••••

My leg was bouncing nonstop, "It's ok, you can calm down, your in a safe space. Take a deep breathe and continue, right now, it seems like you still have trauma, so go ahead and get it all out sweetie."

My therapist said trying to soothe me and tears silently rolled down my face. "I honestly didn't think he would find me, I was running from a lot, mostly my problems, you know? But everyone knows, you can't run away from your problems, no matter how hard you try. But I was too oblivious, lost in my own world, I completely forgot what was going on outside of my world." I started crying more. Letting the tears flow down my face.

"I keep thinking things like, if I never moved in Brayden would be safe and I wouldn't have put him in danger." I said sniffling.

"That's not true. He was ecstatic for you to be his new roomie." She said with a happy smile on her face.

"Yea but maybe if I didn't then-"

"Where would you have gone then? Hm? Look blaming yourself isn't gonna bring Brayden back, but what will bring him back, is this what Brayden would have wanted for you, what do you think is it?" She said waiting for my answer.

"To keep going on with life and to heal from this." I said as I went over to grab the nearest tissue box.

"Exactly, very good. Now let's continue, what happened after that tragedy?"