Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 7 Girl Talk

Gabriella's POV

I look over at the unconscious man still limp on the ground in front of me. The guard notices this at some point as he says. "Don't worry about him. If he gets up, I'll make sure he stays down... So get dressed." he instructs of me as I wearily look over at him before he adds. "Just so you can be on your way before anything else happens." he declares this as if he has to explain every thought of his to me. I swallow the lump caught in my throat, not knowing where he expects me to do that without prying eyes. I nervously look over at him, then back to the ground, not knowing if this is a trick or not.

"Just get dressed. I won't hurt you and have no intentions of doing so." He states as if it should be obvious, I slowly nod as I watch him turn away from me to give me a private moment. He keeps glancing back my way, trying to see if I have started getting dressed, but not making any actions that would seem life-threatening. So I do as he says and grip my clothing tight, putting it on as fast as I can from under the cape, making sure I am covered as much as possible.

But this is much harder than I was hoping, so it is taking me longer than I had ever wanted. With not only my body being wet but the clothing as well. It seems to be sticking to every inch of my skin way too easily, making this much harder than it needs to be. After my struggle is finished and I have my layers on, I don't feel much better at all because they are wet and cold, but his cape feels nice keeping some warmth within my body. But it is not mine, and I have to give it back.

"Thank.. you.. here.. is your.. Cape back." I stutter and shiver through my comment, trying to hand it back as he shakes his head, turning to walk away. "Keep it." He says over his shoulder. "But isn't that bad to do? Won't you get in trouble for not having your cape?" I ask him as he stops mid-step as if he is thinking about that before he responds. "I will just say it was lost in the night. Don't worry about me. Get back to your hut." I nod liking the idea of keeping this nice warm cape. I appreciate all of his kindness that was extended towards me.

"Well, can you tell me one thing before you go.. Who are you?" I find the words falling from my lips quicker than they even processed in my head. I watch his head shake as he glances back at me from over his shoulder before he softly says. "No one important.. get back to your hut and get warm." he turns back around to walk away as I sit under his cape, thinking about everything that had just happened. "But shouldn't I know who was selfless and brave enough to save me?" I declare towards him as he says. "As I said before, I am no one important.. just forget about this." he turns and walks away into the darkness.

I cannot see him anymore, but I can hear his footsteps and metal clinking with the moves that he makes. So, before he can get too far, I yell at him. "Thank you.. for helping me." Nothing can be heard in the distance telling me that he has stopped and hopefully heard me. The silence only sticks around for a second before continuing on as I slowly stand and wrap the cape all around my body like a blanket, walking the rest of the way back to the hut. I know he wants me to forget this even happened, but I know that this act will be with me forever, like a scar.

I stumble back into the hut, tripping as I make my way in frantically, especially since I don't know how much longer that threat and sad excuse for a man will be unconscious for. So I needed to put as much distance between me and that threat as possible. But even though I know that the threat is gone for now, I still can't seem to calm myself down. It's hard for me to comprehend this entire situation because I just don't understand how to feel after something as traumatic as that. I was attacked, then saved and left. I'm just frazzled and freezing.. while trying to let my body and mind thawed to hopefully be able to comprehend the happenings of tonight.

I get further into the hut, feeling the cover of safety calm my body even if it was just for a moment. This feeling surprises me, though. I never thought that I would long to be in this place, let alone feel safe here, but it was better than when I was out there with the threats. I take a couple deep breaths while leaning against the wall, just listening to the rain drops pounding on the top of this hut, feeling relief that I am in here. I look around, not seeing much but the darkness that has consumed the entirety of the inside of this hut.

It's incredibly quiet in here, showing me that most have gone to bed, so I try to stay as quiet as possible because if I wake anyone up, I will get in trouble and probably a lashing since Mother Ann is looking for any reason to be able to do just that. I tiptoe my way through the hut, hearing the skies screaming thunder as the lightning lights up the hut around me, letting me see where I need to go without making any more noise. I just need to get to my dedicated bed before anything else happens.

I slip into the eerily quiet room that I have been selected to share with the other girls, the same girls that have shifted into my best friends and self-made family. We have been in this room and place together since I was a little one, and probably the main reason we are so close to this day. It doesn't feel as forced as it used to when I was younger. Now we look forward to the long talks at the end of the day to help our hearts and minds vent, getting all of our stresses off of our chests. I would assume we all look forward to it, because I know that I do at this rate and with how much they talk at the end of each day with me, I would like to think that it has the same effect for them as well.

The closeness between all of us is strange to me, something that could be considered unimaginable, since we are completely different people when it comes to what we like, how we think and how we want to live our lives. So our assigned room is the only way that I can determine how we have turned out to be best friends and family to this day. I figure that if we didn't have this room that we would never want to spend time with one another, but, at this rate, we spend some part of every single day together and that has been happening for most of our lives. There is probably not a thing that we don't know about one another at this point.

So maybe that's why I feel this automatic comfort when I am in this little room with them. Because no other part of this house can bring the type of comfort that our area does. I let out a deep breath before looking around, but only seeing darkness. I take a couple of steps in, just hoping I don't wake anyone up, since I can't see much at all. I scoot my feet across the floor, feeling around for anything that might be in the way, that would maybe cause me to wake my friends up, or anyone else, which is exactly what I am trying not to do.

I inch forward until luckily when the lightning erupts, it effortlessly lights up the room in its illuminating wake. I notice instantly that they are still awake and whispering back and forth. I smile to myself as their eyes make contact with mine, I instantly witness a relief overcoming all of their faces at the same time after seeing me. I would assume by that reaction that they were worried about me. Which makes me feel wanted and needed in this life that I seem to feel completely minuscule.

Merida instantly tosses me an apple, knowing how hungry I am, which is a nice thought for my howling stomach that is still begging for something to be in it. I catch it as I send her a small smile before taking a big bite, needing this so badly. "Gabby, are you ok?" Victoria and Grace asked me instantly in unison, and at their side Merida is nodding her head vigorously, as if she needed to know the same information as well.

I shut the door behind me as I stripped the cape off and then the soaking wet clothing between bites of the apple. It's so sweet and juicy that there is no way I am stopping eating this, no matter what I need to do right now. I hang my clothing up just hoping it will be dry by morning, but with the drips of rain coming through the ceiling of our hut, making little puddles on the floor, I am not sure if that will be the case. But as of right now, the clothes are making me much colder than if I had nothing on, so I will do just that.

I quickly pick the cape back up and then wrap it around me, since it is helping keep me warm as I sit down next to the girls while finishing up this apple. "What happened to you? Wait.. What are you wearing?" Merida asks as she reaches towards me, touching the cape draped over me between her fingertips as she awaits a response. I shake my head, not wanting to think about any of the trauma that occurred outside.. But knowing I really don't have much of a choice at the moment because, with confusion on their faces, I can tell that there is no way they will let me sleep without giving some sort of explanation.

"I.. I was attacked by a man out there.. While I was bare and cleaning my clothe and myself after the mess that Mother Ann made on me.. He almost got what he wanted no matter how much I fought, throwing me to the ground and attacking me anyway he could.. But.. A guard saved me.. Then after keeping me safe while I dressed, he gave me his cape." I said, trying to explain as quickly as I could to get this done with, because it is already hard enough to think about this again and to tell others about it is a completely different feeling.

It's almost like reliving it all over again. I feel the anxiousness filling me up as my eyes water at the thought. "I'm so sorry, I wish I was there.. I would have kicked his head to the moon!" Merida declares as Victoria hits her shoulder before leaning in and hugging me. I let some of the built-up tears fall as I suck in a sharp breath, nodding as I lean into her caring hold. "Did you get hurt?" Victoria whispers to me before leaning back to get a better look at my face as I shake my head. "No, nothing serious to worry about on my body.. at least not that I know of." I respond looking at my arms before letting out a wavering breath, trying to calm down my body as much as I can.

Victoria whispers back, "I wasn't talking JUST about your body.. Are you alright in here after something as traumatic and terrifying as that happening to you?" Victoria inquires, gently tapping on the side of my head, then to my chest right over the top of where my heart is. I let out a wavering breath just trying my hardest not to break down. The effect something terrible like this has, is something more than just skin deep, and she knows it. Things like that have long term effects, whether we want them to or not. "I.. I think I will be fine.. in time. It was incredibly scary and something that will take me a very long time to forget if I ever do.. I can tell you that I won't look at things the same after this." I say as she sadly nods, I think understanding what I am meaning in this instance.