Lost

But remember you owe me

"Please!" Jonathan held his hands up in the air, " I'm ill, I have no money, I'm of no use to you, please let me be!"

"It's for him to decide, what you're capable of !" Kitty whispered.

Jonathan took hope in the fact that she didn't alert the man right away.

" I can see you are a good person, and you don't want to do this, please help me, please!" Kitty seemed to think it over and said, "ok, I'll let you go this time, but remember you owe me!"

Jonathan sighed in relief, when he saw Kitty moved the light away and was still pretending to search.

"Have you found him? I have no luck here!"

"No, nothing! I'm coming your way now!" Kitty responded.

Jonathan lies back into the bushes, even after Kitty had gone to join her companion. He didn't want the bushes to make a sound and alert the man. So he didn't move a muscle. Long after they were gone. He got up and goes to the tree. His headache was not letting up. He wished he was at Natty's right now.

He sure would've brewed something for him. Sitting under the tree for sometime, Jonathan began to get cold, he didn't have his blanket. I wonder if I should go look for it? He wondered shivering.

He tried to lie down and get some sleep, but the coldness was making it impossible. "Oh, god!" he groans. He didn't want to risk running into those characters. At least not for tonight. Their encounter was enough to last the night. Heck! it was enough to last a lifetime. If he never saw them again. Would be too soon. But even as he thought so- he knew deep down he would see them again. He was sure of it.

He knew if he had the blanket, he would be able to get some sleep. "Damn!" he swore and got up. He would just have to be careful. Walking down the track once more, his heart heavy. Jonathan stopped and looked, as far as his eyes could see, to make sure no one was around.

He continued when he saw no one. Reaching the edge of the track he stooped down and waited. Jonathan looked up the road and then down again. He was about to dash across the street to retrieve his blanket, when a car sped down the road at top speed. With his heart pounding, he dropped to ground, out of sight.

The car screeched to a halt and then a loud thud and a groan and then the car was gone. Jonathan lies there frozen. He couldn't understand the strange sounds he heard. What made that thud? then the moan! What was happening?

He was afraid to move, he was cold more than ever. He had no shirt on. And he was hiding for quiet some time in the wet grass. Now he's here on the wet ground. What am I to do now? he wondered.

It was very quiet. Jonathan slowly got off the ground. He didn't know how, he could move such a tall frame so slowly. Man up! he told himself, trying to calm his pounding heart. He gazed at where the sound came from. Should I investigate or go back? If I investigate, I might find myself in trouble again!

But if I go back, I'm going to be cold! What should I do?

"I'm tired! I'm cold my life is a roller coaster!" Jonathan mumbles.

I should go back, maybe the guy took the blanket! So I would be going there for nothing!

I should at least try to find the blanket, after all, it wasn't his to lose. With that in mind, he strode across the road purposely, before he talks himself out of it. When Jonathan crosses the street, he saw a figure lying on the ground unmoving.

He realized that was what made the thumping sound. I should hurry and not get involved with this! I should get the blanket, and don't look on who or what was there. He had enough trouble for today.

Jonathan passed the figure, "help!" the voice groans. Jonathan continues to where he saw the blanket lying on the street.

"Please, help!"

Still, Jonathan walks onward, but slower this time. He picks up the blanket and covered himself. Feeling less cold, he turns to leave. He was about to go back over the street, when an arm shot out and grabbed his leg.

"Let me go!" he told the figure.

"Is that you?" it came out in whispers.

"Me?"

"Yes you!"

It took Jonathan a moment to realize it was Ruth.

"Ruth!" he stooped down, "what happened, are you alright?"

"Will you help me up, please?"

Jonathan lifts her up. "Here carry this for me!" she hands him a bag. He took the bag and studies her face. She had a few bruises and her hair was tossled, otherwise she seems ok.

"Who did this to you?"

"Don't worry about it, just help me up to the tree, I'll be fine."

Jonathan carried her in his arms.

"I can walk, I only needed you to lean on." Ruth protested.

"I know, but it's late and I want us to get off the street."

"Ok, I guess you are right."

Ruth leaned her head on his chest and was fast asleep before they got to the tree.

Reaching the tree, Jonathan drops the bag and puts Ruth on the ground.

He didn't know how both of them would fall asleep for the remainder of the night.

He sat down and drew Ruth on his legs and placed part of the blanket over her. At no time did she open her eyes. He didn't know when he fell asleep also. Morning came and Ruth was exactly where he had left her. He gently moves her head off his lap and puts the blanket under her head.

Remembering the events of last night and yesterday. Jonathan decided it really was an eventful day and he didn't want a repeat of such a day. He had to get to the city to look for work today. He took the shirt from the branch and goes to a section away from the tree, where the sun was hot and placed it there to dry.

"You are up early," he heard from the tree. Jonathan goes back to where Ruth was wincing, trying to sit up.

He helped her to sit up, "I want my shirt to dry, I need to go search for work today, Ruth."

"Oh, I almost forgot, hand me that bag please?"

Jonathan gave her the bag. Ruth dug around in the bag and handed him a plain, pale blue shirt and a black pants.

"I can't take this, I have no money to pay you!"

"You can pay me once you get a job, but you really don't have to, it's a gift."

"Thank you very much, I'll definitely pay you back!"

Jonathan was very happy for the clothes. They were fairly new and wondered where she could've gotten them from. He decided to voice his question aloud, "where did you get these from?" Jonathan asked, admiring the shirt.

"From an old friend, here, I have breakfast too."

Jonathan couldn't believe how nice Ruth was to him. Going to sit beside her on the stone, he placed the clothes on a part of the stone. She gave him two chocolate glazed donuts and a bottle of drink. Jonathan wolfed it down in no time. "Thank you very much Ruth! I'll never forget how kind you were to me."

"It's no problem, I'm glad I could help."

"I've got to get going, how far is the city?"

"Around couple miles, you will need to brush your teeth."

Jonathan felt a bit embarrassed. He knew his breath must be smelly by now. "I have a tooth brush, do you have toothpaste?"

Digging in her bag once more, she gave him an almost empty tube. Squeezing a small amount of toothpaste on his brush, he handed her back the tube. Jonathan goes behind the tree, where he remembers he saw a small bottle of water and brushes his teeth.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Jonathan asked, as he emerges from behind the tree, feeling great with his clean, fresh breath.

"Not yet, I don't eat so early in the mornings."

"Jesus Christ!" Ruth exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Jonathan asked, after Ruth's sudden outburst.

"Trouble!" she answered, swinging her head in the direction of the road.

Jonathan looked towards the road and sure enough, he saw the man and Kitty coming up towards the tree.

"Who are those people?"

"People you shouldn't get mixed up with!"

"What do you mean?" Jonathan asked.

"It would be best if you leave now! I can take care of myself!"

"I can't leave...."

"Go now!"

Jonathan didn't want to leave her with these people. But he saw the pleading look in her eyes.

"Please go now, I know them, they won't hurt me!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, go now! if you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave again and trust me, these people are bad news!"

Jonathan decided to listen to Ruth and took off behind the tree.

When they saw him running, they too started running after him.