Guard Me, Angel

Trigger warning: Child Violence RAIN hammered the concrete, turning dust into muddy rivers. Through the storm, small bare feet slapped against wet pavement, echoing off empty buildings. The night was freezing, and the downpour showed no mercy. The wind whipped trash across the street like angry spirits, but nothing could stop the 8-year-old girl from running for her life. "Zara, wait! Come back!" A man's voice cut through the rain behind her. She didn't slow down. She knew what happened to girls who got caught. She'd spent a whole year planning this escape, watching, waiting. Tonight was her only chance. The gray area. That's where they took the girls who fought back. She'd rather die than go there. Last time she'd been put in there, she'd been starved for five days without food or water. She'd survived because a fellow orphan, Avery, had been sharing her food by sliding it under the door and talking to her until she was released. Her lungs burned, but she pushed harder, pumping her skinny arms until she reached a dead-end alley. A brick wall blocked her path to freedom. She grabbed a loose stone and tried to climb, but her short legs betrayed her. When she hit the ground hard, she heard him—heavy boots splashing closer, his breath ragged from the chase. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She swallowed and tasted blood. So this is terror. Even at eight, she recognized the feeling. The man's eyes found hers in the darkness, and that sick, relieved smile spread across his face. The same smile that haunted her nightmares. He strode towards her and scooped her up like she weighed nothing. Her scream pierced the storm—raw, desperate, furious as she kicked and punched at him. But the sound that followed was sharper. White-hot pain exploded across her cheek as his hand connected with her face. The shock lasted only a second. Then rage took over. She drove her knee straight up, catching him where it counted. He dropped her with a howl, and she ran. She ran until her legs gave out, finally collapsing behind a dumpster. The metal lid gave her some shelter from the chaos above. She gasped, trying to calm down and slow her breathing. Her trembling fingers found the locket at her throat—her mother's last gift, her only treasure. Memories crashed over her. Birthday candles. Bedtime stories. Warm hugs after nightmares. Her mother had been everything—protector, friend, home. Now she was alone. Don't cry, she told herself. Especially not over him. She remembered the day they found her clutching her mother's cold body, how she'd been taken to the orphanage, and how she'd been an outcast at first until the other kids had fallen for her protective and artsy nature. How the head caretaker's attention had turned from kind to twisted. How he'd made sure no family could ever take her away from him. But tonight, she'd taken herself away. The nighttime noises snapped her back to reality, and she hunkered down some more to grow accustomed to the horrors of the night. The cyclist riding by, the car speeding past, yowls of alley cats... She kept seeing shadows forming in the darkness that looked like her caretaker and realized she couldn't stay there. She kept moving further down the alley. Noises ahead stopped her. It was the sound of men talking. Coming into a small clearing, she saw 4 teenagers. They were anything but friendly. The blond reached out to her with a creepy smile. "Heya sweetheart, whatcha doin' out here all on your own?" The girl started to back away instantly. He closed the distance pretty fast, holding her shoulder. Pungent fumes of alcohol it her nose, and she scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Don't be like that", another said, advancing towards her. "Come on, we won't hurt you". She swung her little foot at his shin hard, making him scream and shove her. "f**k! You little b***h! You'll pay for that!" He picked her up and threw her close to the fire. Pain shot up the girl's right leg. She felt something hard come in contact with her, and blinding pain seared her back moments later. A stick? No, a plank was more the word, and she was being whaled on by all four boys now. Her bony hands did little to shield her as the boys bashed her in with wooden planks and bats. Through the pain and blood, the girl heard something snap. It wasn't loud, but for some reason her ears singled it out. One hand fell uselessly to the side. Ah. She thought,' My arm's gone. She felt a shadow loom over her and was yanked to her feet by her hair. With her normal arm, she tried to pry his hands loose. She'd just dug her nails into his skin when he was torn away from her. She watched the boy get thrown like a rag doll at a garbage bin. He stopped moving when he landed. "What the f**k?! Jaden!!" One of the boys yelled. His head instantly got smashed into the wall beside him. Confusion set in as an invisible force began attacking each boy. The last two boys ran off, screaming and crying into the night. The tired orphan knew she had to move because it was only a matter of time before whatever that was faced her. The poor girl had already been through hell in just four hours of escaping the orphanage. She was only able to catch a glimpse of ground-level dark clouds slithering toward the garbage bin like snakes before she carried her battered body and ran in the opposite direction. In the distance stood a row of flats. It looks semi-desolate, but it seemed to be the only place she could find shelter. Sitting on what looked like a back door, she heaved a sigh, happy at being able to catch her breath for the first time that day. It had been a very long night. She looked up at the quickly clouding sky. At some point, the rain had stopped. But now, it was tearing up again. Why was this all happening to her? She wondered. She'd never asked for anything since her mother died. Watching the other kids get things like toys, books, and just junk in general had seemed like a dream and too big an ask. Now all she wanted was someone who could take her out of her misery. Or put me out of it. She gazed wistfully at the sky and shivered as the cold air surrounded her and seeped into her bones. Give me a sign, a hint...anything at all. She seemed to be speaking to a non-existent being. As if in answer to her prayers, she heard nylons rustling from inside the dumpster close to the house. Not again! She internally groaned and rose, feeling around for anything that could be used as a weapon. Hiding her broken arm, she raised the jagged wood she'd managed to find and slowly walked towards it. She was hungry, filthy, tired, and in pain, but she'd be damned if she'd let anyone take this spot from her. She slowly peeked into the bin — and was knocked over by a furry object. She'd nearly brought down the weapon on her assailant but stopped midway. On her was the most beautiful cross-breed she'd ever seen. A mix between a wolf and a dog. Not a husky, but beautiful. The puppy whined and nuzzled her. She stroked its fur and smiled sadly, speaking for the first time that day. "Lovely as you are, I can't afford to take care of you." It whined again, sitting down on her and refusing to budge. She knew she should let it go. She was practically an urchin at this point. But against her better judgment, she held the warm, dry creature to her cold body and sighed in happiness. For the first time in years, she was experiencing comfort and company. The dog's eyes burned bright as it stared into her eyes. "You look fierce. Let's call you Dagger." He yelped as if in agreement. She felt she'd made the right call. He would also double as a protector to a degree. The duo both jumped at the sound of someone clearing their throat. An elderly man stood there. He looked to be in his mid-fifties and had a large blanket draped over his shoulders. She got into a fight stance, shielding the dog with her battered body and growling at the man, who raised his hands to show he meant no harm. "You look cold, little one." He pulled the blanket off himself and stretched it towards her. The girl cautiously studied it. Much as she didn't trust him, he was offering it. Plus, the vibe she got from him reminded her of her mother. He gave her a soft smile. "It's alright, dear, you're safe now." He took a slow step towards her, and she and the dog growled at the man. The man knelt to get to her eye level and smiled again. "Let me help you. I promise to take care of you for as long as I can. Plus, we need to get that arm checked out." He moved towards me again, and she tried to bolt, but because she'd relaxed when she found the dog, the weight of the day's exhaustion came crashing down on her, making her legs give out. He was beside her in an instant, catching her sagging body. He carried her and looked at the dog, who growled and whined for its new master. "It's alright," the oriental-looking man assured the dog, "Your master will be just fine. You can come along too." He glanced down at the dark-haired baby in his arms. She looked worse for wear. Like she'd been through hell and back. Must be a fighter. He thought. Training her would be very worthwhile. Chuckling softly, he walked into the apartment building with his new roommates as the rain resumed its heavy downpour for the night...